YouTube thumbnail downloader:
every size, one click.
Paste the link of any YouTube video, Short or live stream. Get its thumbnail in all five sizes YouTube keeps, from 1280×720 HD down to 120×90, and save the one you need as a JPG.
Short answer: copy the video link, paste it below, press Get thumbnails, then Download under the largest size. It works the same on a computer and on a phone.
Don't copy it. Make a better one.
Say what your own video is about. Base.Tube gives you three thumbnail ideas with your face and your channel's style. Change anything in plain words, then download them for YouTube Test & Compare.
- Three ideas for each video
- Your face and your channel’s style
- Change anything in plain words
Download a YouTube thumbnail in three steps.
Copy the video link
On a computer, copy the address from the browser bar. In the YouTube app, tap Share under the video, then Copy link. Shorts and live links work too.
Paste it above
Paste the link (or the 11-character video ID) in the box and press Get thumbnails. You see every size YouTube keeps for that video, largest first.
Download the size you need
Press Download under a size. The JPG is saved with the video ID and the size in its name, for example dQw4w9WgXcQ-1280x720.jpg, so files from different videos never mix up.
Which thumbnail size should you download?
When a video is published, YouTube saves its thumbnail in several sizes, each with a fixed file name. Take 1280×720 when it exists. It is the full-quality image, in the same 16:9 shape as the video. If it is missing, 640×480 is the next best, with black bars above and below.
1280×720 · Max resolutionmaxresdefault.jpg
Full HD thumbnail, no black bars. Missing on some older or low-resolution videos.
640×480 · Standardsddefault.jpg
4:3 shape. A widescreen video gets black bars above and below.
480×360 · High qualityhqdefault.jpg
4:3 shape with black bars. Exists for almost every video.
320×180 · Mediummqdefault.jpg
16:9, no black bars. Exists for every video.
120×90 · Smalldefault.jpg
Tiny 4:3 preview, the size of an old list icon.
Where the downloaded thumbnail ends up.
Computer
Press Download and the JPG goes to your Downloads folder. If your browser opens the image in a tab instead, right-click it and choose Save image as.
iPhone and iPad
Press Download, then tap the Share button on the image and choose Save Image. It goes to Photos. You can also press and hold the image and choose Save to Photos.
Android
Press Download and the file goes to your Downloads folder, where Photos and Gallery apps find it. Or press and hold the image and choose Download image.
Study other thumbnails. Then make your own.
Saving the thumbnails of videos that did well is one of the fastest ways to learn. Put ten of them in a folder and look for what repeats: how big the face is, how many words there are, which colours stand out, where the eye goes first.
Use them to plan A/B ideas. If the top videos in your niche all show a result rather than a person, try one version of your thumbnail each way. Then let YouTube's own test tell you which one gets more clicks.
Keep the downloads as reference, not as your thumbnail. A thumbnail belongs to the creator who made it. Reposting it as yours is copying, and it does not match your video anyway. Take the idea, not the image.
Questions about downloading thumbnails.
How do I download a YouTube thumbnail?
Copy the video link, paste it in the box at the top of this page and press Get thumbnails. You see the thumbnail in every size YouTube keeps. Press Download under the size you want, usually the largest one, 1280×720. The image is saved as a JPG file.
How do I download a YouTube thumbnail on my phone?
In the YouTube app, tap Share under the video, then Copy link. Open this page in your phone browser, paste the link and press Get thumbnails, then Download. On iPhone the image opens with a Share button: tap it and choose Save Image to put it in Photos. On Android it goes to your Downloads folder. If nothing happens, press and hold the image and choose Save image.
Why is there no 1280×720 (maxresdefault) version?
YouTube only makes the 1280×720 version when the video was uploaded in HD or the creator added a custom thumbnail at that size. Many older videos and some low-resolution uploads do not have it. When it is missing, the tool tells you and the next best size is 640×480 or 480×360.
Why do some sizes have black bars?
Three of the five sizes (640×480, 480×360 and 120×90) use the old 4:3 shape. A normal widescreen video does not fill that shape, so YouTube adds black bars above and below the picture. The 1280×720 and 320×180 versions are 16:9 and have no bars.
Does it work for Shorts and live streams?
Yes. Paste a Shorts link (youtube.com/shorts/...) or a live link (youtube.com/live/...) like any other video. You get the same five sizes. YouTube stores them in wide shapes even for Shorts, so a vertical video usually shows up with bars on the sides.
Can I use a thumbnail I downloaded on my own channel?
Not as it is. The thumbnail belongs to the creator who made it. Downloading it to study, to compare with your own, or to show a team what you like is a normal part of the work. Reposting it as your thumbnail is copying. Use what you learn, such as the layout, the colours or how big the face is, to make your own.
Keep going.
You have their thumbnail. Now make yours.
Theirs was made for someone else's video. Describe yours and Base.Tube gives you three ideas with your face and your channel's style. Change anything in plain words, get a review, then download them for YouTube Test & Compare.
