Shorts are vertical, but their thumbnails aren't. Behind the scenes YouTube stores a Shorts thumbnail in the same wide 16:9 shape as a regular video, with the vertical frame sitting in the middle and blurred or black space on either side. If you download it the usual way, you get an image that's mostly empty edges.
Our Shorts Thumbnail Downloader gives you every standard size and a vertical 9:16 version cropped from the middle, ready to use as a story, a phone wallpaper or a cover image.
Step 1: Copy the Shorts link
In the YouTube app, open the Short, tap Share and then Copy link. On a computer, copy the address from the browser bar. It will look like youtube.com/shorts/ followed by an ID. You can also paste just the ID.
Step 2: Paste it and get the thumbnail
Go to the Shorts Thumbnail Downloader, paste the link and press Get thumbnail.
Step 3: Download the vertical version
At the top of the results you'll see a Vertical (9:16) preview. The tool takes the largest wide thumbnail available and cuts the vertical strip out of its centre. The note beside it tells you the exact size, which is usually 405×720 when the full HD thumbnail exists.
Press Download to save it as a JPG.
Step 4 (optional): Download the original sizes
Below the vertical version is the usual grid of every size YouTube provides, from 120×90 up to 1280×720. Use these if you want the original wide image exactly as YouTube stores it.
Tip: The vertical crop works best on genuine Shorts. If you paste a regular video by mistake, you'll still get a vertical image, but it will cut off the left and right of the picture.
Why is the vertical version smaller than I expected?
The crop can only be as tall as the source thumbnail. With a 1280×720 source you get a sharp 405×720 image. If the Short only has smaller thumbnails, the tool falls back to the 320×180 version and the vertical crop will be around 101×180, which is fine for a preview but too small for a wallpaper.
Ideas for using Shorts thumbnails
- Plan a consistent look. Download the thumbnails from your last ten Shorts and put them side by side to see whether your channel has a recognisable style.
- Back up your own covers. If you designed a cover frame and lost the original file, this is the quickest way to get it back.
- Study what works. Compare the covers of the most-viewed Shorts in your niche: text size, faces, colours.
As always, a creator's thumbnail is their work, so ask before reusing someone else's image publicly.
Common questions
The vertical preview says it couldn't be made. This can happen if your browser blocks the image or the network drops for a moment. Try again, or use the sizes in the grid below.
Is there a version without the blurred sides? That's exactly what the vertical crop is. It removes the sides and keeps only the centre 9:16 strip.
Can I use it for regular videos? For regular videos the Thumbnail Downloader is the better fit. Our guide to downloading a video thumbnail in HD explains every size.
Give it a try with the Shorts Thumbnail Downloader.
