How to Add a Custom Thumbnail to YouTube Shorts (2026)

To add a custom thumbnail to a YouTube Short, open YouTube Studio on a computer, go to Content, then the Shorts tab, open the Short, and under Thumbnail choose Upload file. The image should be vertical 9:16, and your account has to be verified. Custom uploads are not available in the phone app.

Until July 2026 a Short could only use a frame from the video. Here is how the new upload works, the size to use, and what to do when the option does not appear.

Add a custom Shorts thumbnail on a computer

1. Go to studio.youtube.com and sign in to the channel.
2. Click Content in the left menu, then the Shorts tab.
3. Click the title or the pencil icon of the Short you want to change.
4. Under Thumbnail, click Upload file and choose a 9:16 JPG or PNG.
5. Click Save. The new thumbnail can take a while to show everywhere on YouTube.

You can do the same while uploading a new Short in Studio: the Thumbnail section is on the Details step. The Tags field is on the same step under Show more; our YouTube Shorts tags guide covers when they are worth adding.

On a phone: pick a frame instead

The YouTube app and the Studio app do not accept a custom image for Shorts. When you upload a Short from the YouTube app, tap the thumbnail preview on the details screen and drag through the video to choose a frame. Tap Done.

If you want a designed thumbnail, put it into the video itself: add the image as a short opening frame (a fraction of a second is enough), then select that frame as the cover. It is a workaround, but it gives you control on mobile.

YouTube Shorts thumbnail size

Do not reuse a 16:9 thumbnail. YouTube swaps a horizontal thumbnail on a vertical video for its own 4:5 crop. The full spec for both formats is in our YouTube thumbnail size guide.

Who can upload Shorts thumbnails

• Verified accounts only. Verify with a phone number in YouTube Studio under Settings, Channel, Feature eligibility.
• Gradual rollout. YouTube released the feature in July 2026 and not every channel saw it on day one. If Upload file is missing on a verified channel, check again in a few days.
• No guideline strikes affecting features. Some advanced features are paused on channels with active strikes.

Where a Shorts thumbnail actually shows

In the swipeable Shorts feed, viewers see the video, not the thumbnail. The thumbnail matters on the surfaces where people choose what to tap:

• The Shorts shelf on the home page and in search results
• The Shorts tab on your channel page
• Related content and the subscriptions feed

On those surfaces the image is shown small, about 150 to 200 pixels wide on a phone. Use one face or object, large, and no more than three words of text.

What makes a Shorts thumbnail work

• Keep the subject in the middle third. Shelves sometimes trim the top and bottom; the center is always shown.
• Make text huge. Two or three words that fill the width. If you can read it at 150 pixels wide, it works.
• Match the first second. A thumbnail that promises something the Short does not show in its opening gets swiped away, which hurts the Short more than a plain frame would.
• Contrast with the shelf. If every Short in your niche is dark, a bright background stands out, and the other way round.

For layouts by niche, see our list of YouTube thumbnail ideas.