How to use the YouTube Thumbnail Resizer
- Drop your image — 1280 × 720 is already selected.
- Use Crop to fill and pick which part to keep.
- Download the JPG and upload it in YouTube Studio.
YouTube thumbnail requirements
- Size 1280 × 720 px (at least 640 px wide), ratio 16:9.
- JPG, PNG or GIF, under 2 MB. If yours is bigger, lower the quality slider or use the Image Compressor.
Design tips
Thumbnails show tiny in search and suggestions: use a close-up face or one clear object, three to five big words at most, and strong contrast. The bottom-right corner is covered by the video length.
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Tools that pair well with the YouTube Thumbnail Resizer
- Add Text to Image — Put text on any photo — captions, titles, labels or quotes.
- Image Cropper — Drag the frame or type exact pixels to crop a photo — square, 16:9, Instagram 4:5, Open Graph 1.91:1 or a perfect circle — then download it as PNG, JPG or WebP.
- Instagram Story Size — Turn any image into a full-screen Instagram Story or Reel cover — 1080 × 1920 px (9:16).
- Barcode Generator — Make scannable barcodes for products, inventory, shipping and libraries — check digits are calculated for you, and you can download a sharp SVG for print or a PNG for documents.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
1280 × 720 pixels with a 16:9 ratio. The minimum width is 640 pixels.
What is the file size limit?
YouTube accepts thumbnails up to 2 MB. Lower the JPG quality slider if your file is larger.
Can I use this for Shorts?
Shorts use a 9:16 frame. Use the 1080 × 1920 size in the Image Resizer instead.
Can I install YouTube Thumbnail Resizer as a web app and use it offline?
Yes. YouTube Thumbnail Resizer is an installable web app (PWA) — installed from your browser, not downloaded from an app store. Click Install app at the top of this page in Chrome or Edge (Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS) or on Android, use Share → Add to Home Screen on iPhone and iPad, or File → Add to Dock in Safari 17+ on a Mac. It then opens in its own window with its own icon, and because it runs entirely in your browser it keeps working offline. Firefox on desktop can’t install web apps. How installing works.