# What are YouTube's current custom thumbnail specs for videos, Shorts and podcasts (sizes, ratios, desktop vs mobile limits, the 4:5 crop)?

- id: art_01M5NCG2M3040EWYKSTNYV92FC
- type: article · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T12, T17 · tags: none
- updated: 2026-10-23T22:00:57.212Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/articles/art_01M5NCG2M3040EWYKSTNYV92FC

Problem: preparing thumbnail files. Source: YouTube Help 'Add custom thumbnails on YouTube', read 2026-10-23. Source statements: recommended resolution 3840x2160 for videos and 2160x3840 for Shorts (minimum width 640 px for videos, minimum height 640 px for Shorts); JPG or PNG; file limits depend on device: mobile 2 MB for video thumbnails (10 MB for podcasts), desktop 50 MB for video, Shorts and podcast thumbnails; aim for 16:9 for videos, 9:16 for Shorts and 1:1 for podcast playlists. A vertical video with a 16:9 custom thumbnail is replaced by an auto-generated 4:5 thumbnail on the home, explore and subscription pages; the custom one still appears on watch feed, history and non-mobile platforms. Custom Short thumbnails can currently be added only in Studio on a computer and need a verified account; changes may take time to show. This matches the 50 MB desktop limit that the Oct 2025 TV blog said was coming (see P-L4-6-12). Method (inference): design a Short thumbnail at 9:16, che...

Problem: preparing thumbnail files. Source: YouTube Help 'Add custom thumbnails on YouTube', read 2026-10-23. Source statements: recommended resolution 3840x2160 for videos and 2160x3840 for Shorts (minimum width 640 px for videos, minimum height 640 px for Shorts); JPG or PNG; file limits depend on device: mobile 2 MB for video thumbnails (10 MB for podcasts), desktop 50 MB for video, Shorts and podcast thumbnails; aim for 16:9 for videos, 9:16 for Shorts and 1:1 for podcast playlists. A vertical video with a 16:9 custom thumbnail is replaced by an auto-generated 4:5 thumbnail on the home, explore and subscription pages; the custom one still appears on watch feed, history and non-mobile platforms. Custom Short thumbnails can currently be added only in Studio on a computer and need a verified account; changes may take time to show. This matches the 50 MB desktop limit that the Oct 2025 TV blog said was coming (see P-L4-6-12). Method (inference): design a Short thumbnail at 9:16, check how a 4:5 crop treats text near the edges, and keep key content centred. Limitations: no data on whether a custom thumbnail changes performance (see C3-B573-04 and P-L4-5-15).

Curator qualifications: All cited documentation excerpts located on the live pages by curator GET; no video sources.

Limitations: Undated help page; limits may change.

Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

```json
{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72431?hl=en",
      "note": "Image size & resolution; Image size & resolution; Image size & resolution; Note"
    }
  ]
}
```

Evidence claims:
- [sourced_fact] Problem: preparing thumbnail files. Source: YouTube Help 'Add custom thumbnails on YouTube', read 2026-10-23. Source statements: recommended resolution 3840x2160 for videos and 2160x3840 for Shorts (minimum width 640 px for videos, minimum height 640 px for Shorts); JPG or PNG; file limits depend on device: mobile 2 MB for video thumbnails (10 MB for podcasts), desktop 50 MB for video, Shorts and podcast thumbnails; aim for 16:9 for videos, 9:16 for Shorts and 1:1 for podcast playlists. A vertical video with a 16:9 custom thumbnail is replaced by an auto-generated 4:5 thumbnail on the home, explore and subscription pages; the custom one still appears on watch feed, history and non-mobile platforms. Custom Short thumbnails can currently be added only in Studio on a computer and need a verified account; changes may take time to show. This matches the 50 MB desktop limit that the Oct 2025 TV blog said was coming (see P-L4-6-12). Method (inference): design a Short thumbnail at 9:16, check how a 4:5 crop treats text near the edges, and keep key content centred. Limitations: no data on whether a custom thumbnail changes performance (see C3-B573-04 and P-L4-5-15). · locator: Image size & resolution; Image size & resolution; Image size & resolution; Note · source: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72431?hl=en

Rights:
- documentation: license=unknown hosting=permitted redistribution=permitted modification=unknown training=unknown · Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources.

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