YouTube Thumbnail Downloader
Paste a YouTube link to get its thumbnail in every size, from HD down, plus the vertical cover of Shorts. Then see how your own thumbnail looks in the feed next to it.
See your thumbnail in the feed
Add up to 3 of your own thumbnails to see them next to each other, and next to the video you pasted, at the sizes viewers really see. Your images stay on your device.
Paste a video link above or add your own thumbnail to see the preview.
Sizes match what viewers see: about 300–360 pixels wide on the home page and in search, and 168 pixels in the Up next column. If your text is hard to read at the smallest size, it's too small.
Thumbnails belong to the people who made them. Download them for your own videos, for reference, or with the creator's permission. Not affiliated with YouTube.
How to Download a YouTube Thumbnail
- Copy the video's link. On a phone, tap Share, then Copy link. On a computer, copy it from the address bar.
- Paste it into the box above. The thumbnails appear straight away, biggest first.
- Tap Download on the size you want, or All sizes (ZIP) to get every size at once.
On a phone, the share button next to Download opens your phone's share sheet, where you can tap Save Image to put the thumbnail in your photos. To get several at once, paste several links, one per line.
YouTube Thumbnail Sizes
YouTube makes the same thumbnail in several sizes. These are the names in YouTube's developer docs and the files they come from:
| Size | File | Pixels | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD | maxresdefault.jpg | 1280 × 720 | Only for videos uploaded in HD |
| Standard | sddefault.jpg | 640 × 480 | 4:3, with black bars on 16:9 videos |
| High quality | hqdefault.jpg | 480 × 360 | 4:3, with black bars; every video has it |
| Medium | mqdefault.jpg | 320 × 180 | 16:9, no bars |
| Small | default.jpg | 120 × 90 | 4:3, with black bars |
| Shorts cover | oardefault.jpg | 1080 × 1920 or 720 × 1280 | Vertical; most Shorts have one |
The 4:3 sizes date from when videos were 4:3, so a 16:9 thumbnail sits between black bars in them. Tick Trim black bars above and they download at 640 × 360, 480 × 270 and 120 × 68 instead.
The YouTube Thumbnail URL
Every thumbnail has a fixed address made from the video's ID:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/maxresdefault.jpgThe video ID is the 11 characters after v= in a normal link, after youtu.be/ in a short link, or after /shorts/ for a Short. Swap maxresdefault for any file name in the table. If a size doesn't exist, the address shows a small grey placeholder instead, which is why the downloader only lists the sizes that are really there.
How to Get a YouTube Shorts Thumbnail
Paste the Short's link (the one with /shorts/ in it) and the vertical cover shows first, usually at 1080 × 1920. That's the image viewers see on the Shorts shelf. The other sizes are 16:9 with the cover in the middle on blurred sides. A few Shorts have no vertical cover, so for those the downloader cuts one from the middle of the HD image.
Why There's No HD or 4K Version
No HD: YouTube only makes the 1280 × 720 image for videos that were uploaded in HD. Older or low-resolution videos stop at 640 × 480.
No 4K or 1080p: since 2026, creators can upload thumbnails up to 3840 × 2160, and YouTube shows sharper copies on big screens. But the largest file anyone can download is still 1280 × 720. Sites that promise 4K or 1080p thumbnails are giving you that same 1280 × 720 file.
Live Streams, Premieres and Playlists
Live streams, upcoming premieres and replays have the same thumbnail sizes as other videos, so paste their links the same way. Paste a playlist link to get its cover, which is the thumbnail of the video the playlist uses as its cover. Unlisted videos work if you have the link, but private and deleted videos have no public thumbnail. Channel links don't have one either; paste one of the channel's videos instead.
See Your Thumbnail in the Feed
A thumbnail that looks great full-size can be unreadable in the feed, where it's shown about 300 to 360 pixels wide on the home page and 168 pixels wide in the Up next column. Add your own designs under See your thumbnail in the feed to compare up to three side by side, next to the video you pasted, with your title, in light and dark mode.
- Check the Up next size first. If you can't read the words there, use fewer and bigger ones.
- Watch the bottom-right corner: the video length covers it.
- Make sure the title and thumbnail say different things, so together they tell more.
What Size Should Your Own Thumbnail Be?
YouTube's help page recommends 3840 × 2160 pixels for videos and 2160 × 3840 for Shorts, at least 640 pixels on the short side, as a JPG or PNG. It can be up to 50 MB uploaded from a computer, but only 2 MB from the phone app.
To resize a thumbnail or get it under 2 MB, drop it into the free image converter. For every other channel image, from banners to profile pictures, see YouTube image sizes.
Can You Use Someone Else's Thumbnail?
A thumbnail is the creator's work, and it's usually protected by copyright, so don't upload someone else's as your own. Saving one to study what works, for a mood board or for your own reference is common, and so is getting your own video's thumbnail back when you've lost the original file. For anything you'll publish, ask the creator. This isn't legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download a YouTube thumbnail?
Copy the video's link (Share > Copy link in the app, or the address bar on a computer), paste it into the box above, and every available size appears. Tap Download on the size you want. On a phone, the share button saves it straight to your photos.
What is the URL of a YouTube thumbnail?
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/maxresdefault.jpg for HD, where VIDEO_ID is the 11 characters after v= in the video's link. Swap maxresdefault for sddefault, hqdefault, mqdefault or default for the smaller sizes, or oardefault for a Short's vertical cover.
What sizes do YouTube thumbnails come in?
HD (maxresdefault) is 1280 × 720, Standard (sddefault) 640 × 480, High quality (hqdefault) 480 × 360, Medium (mqdefault) 320 × 180 and Small (default) 120 × 90. Shorts often also have a vertical cover at 1080 × 1920 or 720 × 1280. The 4:3 sizes have black bars above and below a 16:9 picture.
Why is there no HD version of the thumbnail?
YouTube only makes the 1280 × 720 image for videos uploaded in HD. Older and low-resolution uploads top out at 640 × 480, so that's the biggest copy that exists.
Can I download a YouTube thumbnail in 4K or 1080p?
No. Creators can upload thumbnails up to 3840 × 2160, but the largest copy YouTube lets anyone download is 1280 × 720. Tools that promise 4K are giving you the same 1280 × 720 file.
How do I get the thumbnail of a YouTube Short?
Paste the Short's link. Most Shorts have a vertical cover, which shows first at 1080 × 1920 or 720 × 1280. If a Short doesn't have one, the tool cuts a vertical cover from the middle of the HD image.
Does it work for live streams, premieres and playlists?
Yes. Live streams and premieres use the same thumbnail sizes as other videos. Paste a playlist link and you get the cover of the playlist. Unlisted videos work if you have the link; private videos don't.
Why does the thumbnail have black bars?
The 640 × 480, 480 × 360 and 120 × 90 sizes are 4:3, so a 16:9 thumbnail sits between black bars. Tick Trim black bars and those sizes download as 640 × 360, 480 × 270 and 120 × 68 with the bars removed.
Can I use someone else's YouTube thumbnail?
Thumbnails are the creator's work and are usually protected by copyright, so don't re-upload them as your own. Saving one for reference, for a mood board or to study what works is common; for anything public, ask the creator first. This isn't legal advice.
What size should my own YouTube thumbnail be?
YouTube recommends 3840 × 2160 pixels for videos and 2160 × 3840 for Shorts, at least 640 pixels on the short side, as a JPG or PNG. It can be up to 50 MB from a computer, or 2 MB from the phone app.
Is the YouTube thumbnail downloader free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up, no browser extension and no limit. It runs in your browser and fetches the images straight from YouTube, so the links you paste aren't sent to us.
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