The YouTube thumbnail size is 1280 x 720 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio, saved as JPG, PNG or GIF under 2 MB. Drop any image below and it is cropped, resized and compressed to fit, right in your browser.
Drop any image and get a 1280 × 720 JPG under 2.0 MB, center-cropped to fit. Your image never leaves your browser.
Drop an image or tap to choose
PNG, JPG, WEBP or GIF up to 25 MB
Use a screenshot, a design export or a photo. Any common image format up to 25 MB works.
The image is center-cropped to 16:9 so nothing is stretched. Keep faces and text near the middle for the best result.
Download the JPG and upload it in YouTube Studio under Details, then Thumbnail.
Resolution 1280 x 720 pixels, minimum width 640 pixels, aspect ratio 16:9, formats JPG, PNG or GIF (not animated), maximum file size 2 MB. These are the specs in YouTube's own help center, and the resizer above outputs exactly this.
YouTube shows thumbnails in 16:9 slots on the home feed, search, suggested videos and TV apps. A square or vertical image gets letterboxed or cropped unpredictably, so it is safer to crop it yourself before uploading.
Most thumbnails are seen at phone size, often smaller than a stamp. Use three words or fewer, big high-contrast text, one clear subject, and avoid putting anything important in the bottom right corner where YouTube places the video length.
1280 x 720 pixels at a 16:9 aspect ratio. YouTube accepts a minimum width of 640 pixels, but 1280 x 720 looks sharp on large screens and TVs while staying under the 2 MB file limit.
2 MB. If your file is larger, YouTube rejects it. The resizer compresses the image in steps until it fits under 2 MB while keeping as much quality as possible.
Yes. YouTube accepts JPG, PNG and GIF. This tool exports JPG because it keeps detailed images well under the size limit, which PNG often cannot do at 1280 x 720.
Usually the source image was smaller than 1280 x 720 and got stretched, or it was compressed more than once. Start from the largest version of your image you have and upload the file this tool gives you directly.
No. The resize happens in your browser using your device. The image is not sent to FacelessGenie or anyone else.
YouTube asks you to verify your account (usually with a phone number) before you can upload custom thumbnails. Once verified, the option appears in YouTube Studio when you edit a video.