Resize Images for YouTube
YouTube thumbnails at the recommended 1280×720, JPEG q90, under YouTube's 2 MB cap.
Your images stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
YouTube thumbnails are 1280×720 at a 16:9 aspect ratio, with a hard 2 MB upload cap. The settings below encode at JPEG q90 to land comfortably under the size limit while keeping detail crisp.
Resize and compress in your browser, then download and upload to YouTube as normal.
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Frequently asked questions
- What size should an image be for YouTube?
- Thumbnails are 1280×720 at 16:9, with a maximum file size of 2 MB. The minimum width is 640 pixels. The compressor on this page is pre-tuned to those dimensions and the recommended quality.
- Why does YouTube compress my images again after upload?
- YouTube re-encodes uploads to its own internal format and bitrate. Starting from a clean, correctly sized image avoids two rounds of lossy compression and keeps your final image sharper.
- Does this tool actually post to YouTube?
- No — it prepares the file. Download the result and upload it to YouTube as you normally would. Keeping the posting flow inside YouTube is safer and respects their terms of service.
- What format should I use for YouTube?
- JPEG is the safest universal choice for YouTube uploads. Some platforms accept WebP and PNG, but JPEG is always supported and is what the defaults on this page use.
- Are my images uploaded anywhere when I use this tool?
- No. The resize and compression happen in your browser. The file only leaves your device when you upload it to YouTube yourself.
Get a YouTube-ready image in seconds.
Drop your image — correct dimensions and quality, ready to upload.
Start compressing