YouTube Shorts how-to
How to change a YouTube Shorts thumbnail (computer only)
Short answer
YouTube lets you add a custom thumbnail to a Short only in YouTube Studio on a computer, when uploading or afterwards, and your account must be verified. On a phone you can pick a frame but not upload an image. Use a vertical image: YouTube replaces 16:9 custom thumbnails on vertical videos with an auto-generated 4:5 one on the home, explore and subscriptions pages.
Checked against: YouTube Studio on a computer, October 2026.
Method 1: YouTube Studio (computer)
Verify your account
Custom thumbnails need a verified account.
Open the Short
In YouTube Studio, open Content, choose the Shorts tab and click the Short (or set it while uploading).
YouTube StudioContentShortsDetails
Upload the thumbnail
Under Thumbnail, upload your image, then Save. Changes can take time to appear.
Method 2: Pick a frame on your phone
The YouTube app can't upload an image, but it can choose a frame from the Short and add text or a filter to it.
Before uploading
On the final upload screen, tap Edit on the video's thumbnail, choose a frame, optionally add text or a filter, and tap Done. Once an edit is done you can't step back to change it.
After uploading
In the YouTube app go to your channel, Your videos, tap More on the Short, then Edit, and choose a new frame. YouTube says this frame picker works only in the app, not in Studio.
No YouTube Shorts at hand?
Do the same job in your browser with a free Koldflux tool.
Shorts thumbnail sizes
| Use | Size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended for Shorts | 2160 × 3840 (9:16) | minimum 640 px tall |
| Home and subscriptions | shown as 4:5 | keep the subject centred |
| Format | JPG or PNG | up to 50 MB from a computer |
If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| No custom thumbnail option on my phone | Uploading your own image works only in YouTube Studio on a computer. On the phone you can pick a frame and add text to it. |
| Upload option missing | Verify your account first. |
| My 16:9 thumbnail was replaced | YouTube swaps 16:9 custom thumbnails on vertical videos for an auto-generated 4:5 one on some pages; use a vertical image. |
Questions people ask
Can you change a Shorts thumbnail on mobile?
Not with your own image. YouTube says custom Shorts thumbnails are only available in YouTube Studio on a computer.
What size is a YouTube Shorts thumbnail?
Use a vertical 9:16 image; YouTube recommends 2160 × 3840 and at least 640 px tall.
Why doesn't my Shorts thumbnail show in the Shorts feed?
The Shorts feed plays the video itself; thumbnails show in places like your channel, search and the home page.
More YouTube Shorts guides
Sources and how we checked
- YouTube Help: Add custom thumbnails (checked 2026-10-05)
- YouTube Help: Create YouTube Shorts (checked 2026-10-05)
Reviewed October 5, 2026 by the Koldflux team. Each step is compared with YouTube Shorts's own documentation (linked above) and with the top search results for this task; where they disagree, the maker's documentation wins. Steps without a source link follow the menu names that several current guides agree on.