Change a YouTube Shorts thumbnail

YouTube requires phone verification for custom Shorts thumbnails. This is separate from receiving a channel verification badge. (YouTube Help: custom thumbnails; verify your YouTube account)

Choose a frame in the app

When creating a Short, continue to the final upload screen and tap Edit on the thumbnail. Select a frame and tap Done. To change the frame after publishing, open the YouTube app, go to Your videos, find the Short, tap More → Edit, tap the thumbnail, select a frame, and tap Done. This uses an image from the video; it doesn’t upload a separate file. (Help for creating Shorts on Android)

Upload a custom image in Studio

To upload a file, use a computer:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio with an account verified by phone.
2. From the left menu, open Content and select Shorts at the top.
3. Find the Short and open its details.
4. Under Thumbnail, click Upload file and choose the image on your device.
5. Check the preview and click Save.

YouTube recommends a vertical image with a 9:16 aspect ratio. For Shorts, the recommended resolution is 2160 × 3840 pixels, with a minimum height of 640 pixels. You can upload formats such as JPG or PNG; on a computer, the file can be up to 50 MB. These are YouTube’s published recommendations and limits, not a guarantee that the thumbnail looks the same on every surface.

Fictional example: a cooking creator chooses a vertical image where the finished dish is clear. After saving, they return to the Short’s details to check that the image is selected.

If it doesn’t change or appear

• You can’t find “Upload file”: confirm you’re in YouTube Studio on a computer and that your account is verified. The phone app lets you choose a frame, but custom Shorts image uploads happen in Studio on a computer.
• The old image is still showing: YouTube says the change may take time. Check again later in Studio.
• The vertical Short has a 16:9 thumbnail: on Home, Explore, and Subscriptions, YouTube may replace it with an automatically generated 4:5 thumbnail. Your custom thumbnail may still appear in the watch feed, watch history, and non-mobile platforms.
• The file is rejected: check the format, aspect ratio, and size limit, and make sure the image follows YouTube’s Community Guidelines.

If you still need to choose a publish date, follow how to schedule YouTube Shorts. To link another item from the Shorts player, see YouTube Shorts related video.