Is my photo uploaded to a server?

No. Cropping and resizing happen in your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API. Your photo is never sent anywhere.

What is the recommended YouTube thumbnail size?

YouTube recommends 1280 x 720 px with a minimum width of 640 px, using a 16:9 aspect ratio. This tool locks the crop box to that ratio and outputs the recommended 1280 x 720 px.

Should I download as JPG or PNG?

JPG gives a smaller file and works well for regular photos. PNG keeps text, logos, and hard edges sharper but produces a larger file. YouTube accepts both under a 2 MB limit.

My photo is not wide enough for a 16:9 crop. What happens?

The crop box automatically shrinks to fit inside your photo while keeping the 16:9 ratio, so you always get a valid thumbnail even from a narrower source image.

Will this guarantee my thumbnail gets more clicks?

No. This tool only handles the crop and file size. Getting the size right avoids YouTube stretching or letterboxing your image, but composition, contrast, and text still depend on the source photo you upload.

YouTube Thumbnail Resizer

Upload a photo, crop it to the 16:9 YouTube thumbnail ratio, and download it at 1280 x 720 px.

YouTube Thumbnail

1280 x 720 px — 16:9 ratio, YouTube's recommended thumbnail size

Upload Photo

Click to choose a photo
JPEG, PNG, or WebP

Output Settings

Output pixels

1280 x 720 px

Format

Keep the main subject and any text away from the crop edges so it still reads clearly at the small size YouTube shows in search results and suggestions.

Upload a photo to start cropping

Summary

This tool crops and resizes a photo to YouTube's recommended thumbnail size of 1280 x 720 px at a 16:9 ratio. Upload an image, drag the crop box to frame the part you want, then download the result as a JPG or PNG. Cropping and resizing happen in your browser with the Canvas API, so the photo is never uploaded anywhere.

How it works

Click the upload zone or drag a photo onto it.
A crop box locked to the 16:9 ratio appears over your photo.
Drag the box to reposition it, or drag a corner to resize while keeping the ratio.
Choose JPG or PNG as the output format.
Click "Download Thumbnail" to save a 1280 x 720 px image.

Use cases

Resize a photo to YouTube's recommended thumbnail dimensions before uploading a video.
Crop a wide photo down to the 16:9 area that will actually show in search results.
Convert a screenshot or photo to PNG for a thumbnail with sharp text or logos.
Reframe an existing thumbnail after changing the video title or subject.
Prepare a consistent thumbnail size across an entire channel or playlist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu