YouTube PFP Size and Every YouTube Image Size
YouTube pfp size is 800 × 800 px. Every YouTube image size: banner 2560 × 1440 with safe area, thumbnail, Shorts cover and watermark.
Published October 15, 2026
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The YouTube pfp (profile picture) size is 800 × 800 px, a square image that YouTube shows as a circle. The channel banner is 2560 × 1440 px (16:9) with a safe area for text, and a video thumbnail is 1280 × 720 px at 16:9. Every size is in the table below, with the rules behind each one.
| Image | Size | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Profile picture (pfp) | 800 × 800 px | 1:1, shown as a circle |
| Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 px | 16:9 |
| Banner minimum | 2048 × 1152 px | 16:9 |
| Banner safe area | about 1546 × 423 px | centered strip |
| Video thumbnail | 1280 × 720 px | 16:9 |
| Shorts cover | 2160 × 3840 px | 9:16 |
| Video watermark | 150 × 150 px minimum | 1:1 |
File limits: profile picture 15 MB, banner 6 MB, thumbnail 2 MB from a phone or 50 MB from a computer, watermark under 1 MB.
You can resize any photo to these sizes in the free YouTube photo resizer. The rest of this guide explains what each image does and where YouTube crops it.
YouTube pfp size (profile picture)
Your profile picture appears beside your channel name on your channel page, next to every video you upload, and next to every comment you leave. It is a square upload that YouTube crops into a circle.
The long-standing recommendation is 800 × 800 px. YouTube's own help page says the picture is rendered at 98 × 98 px, so a bigger file only gives you a sharper image on high-resolution screens. It accepts JPG, GIF, BMP and PNG files up to 15 MB. Animated GIFs are not allowed.
Because of the circle, anything in the corners is cut off. Keep your face or logo in the middle and leave a margin of roughly 10 percent around it. A simple shape, a face with a plain background, or two or three bold letters survives a 98-pixel render far better than a detailed scene.
What is a good size for a PFP?
For YouTube, 800 × 800 px is the safe answer: large enough to stay sharp, small enough to upload fast. The same photo also works on other platforms, but each one asks for something different, so check the social media character limits guide and each platform's size before reusing it unchanged.
YouTube channel banner size and safe area
The banner is the wide image across the top of your channel page. YouTube recommends 2560 × 1440 px, and the minimum upload is 2048 × 1152 px, both at 16:9. The file must be 6 MB or smaller, and YouTube says to avoid shadows, borders and frames.
Is a YouTube banner 16:9?
Yes, the file you upload is 16:9. But YouTube does not show all of it everywhere. A TV shows the whole image. Computers and phones show only a wide strip through the middle.
YouTube's safe area for text and logos is 1235 × 338 px at the minimum size of 2048 × 1152. Scaled to 2560 × 1440, that is about 1546 × 423 px, centered. Keep your channel name, logo, tagline and any upload schedule inside that strip. Put the background, color and scenery in the outer area, where it can be cropped without harm.
A quick way to check your design: on a 2560 × 1440 canvas, draw a rectangle 1546 px wide and 423 px tall, centered. If the text fits in the rectangle, it will show on every device.
YouTube thumbnail size
A thumbnail is the cover image for a video. Use 16:9. YouTube's help page recommends 3840 × 2160 px and sets a minimum width of 640 px, while 1280 × 720 px is the size most creators export because it is sharp on every screen and stays under the file limit.
The file must be a JPG or PNG. The limit is 2 MB when you upload from a phone and 50 MB from a computer. Keep the main subject and any text away from the bottom-right corner, where the video length badge sits, and make text large enough to read at the size of a postage stamp, because that is how it appears in a crowded feed.
Is YouTube 1920 × 1080?
Videos play at up to 1920 × 1080 px (1080p) and higher, but that is the video, not the thumbnail. A 1920 × 1080 image is 16:9, so it works as a thumbnail, but it is bigger than needed. Is YouTube 16:9 or 4:3? Widescreen 16:9 is the standard for videos and thumbnails. A 4:3 image gets black bars or a crop.
YouTube Shorts cover size
A Short is a vertical video, so its cover is vertical too. YouTube recommends 2160 × 3840 px at 9:16, with a minimum height of 640 px. As with regular thumbnails, the file can be a JPG or PNG up to 50 MB on desktop.
If you upload a 16:9 image for a Short, YouTube will not fill the vertical frame, so design the cover at 9:16 from the start. Keep the main subject in the middle of the frame so it survives any crop.
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Video watermark size
The watermark is a small logo that appears in the corner of your videos while they play. YouTube asks for a square image of at least 150 × 150 px, under 1 MB. A simple logo on a transparent background works best, since a busy image gets lost on top of moving video.
How to resize an image for YouTube
- Pick the image you need from the table: profile picture, banner, thumbnail or Shorts cover.
- Open the YouTube photo resizer and upload your image.
- Choose the matching preset so the crop uses the right ratio.
- Check that your face, logo or text sits inside the safe area, then download the file.
- Upload it in YouTube Studio, under Customization for the profile picture and banner, or on the video page for a thumbnail.
Start from a larger original when you can. Shrinking an image keeps it sharp, while enlarging a small one makes it blurry. When you rename your channel at the same time, the channel naming guide helps you choose a name that fits the new look.
Common YouTube image mistakes
- Text outside the safe area. The banner is cropped on phones and computers, so a tagline near the edge disappears.
- A detailed profile picture. At 98 px, small details turn into noise.
- Wrong ratio on a thumbnail. A 4:3 or square thumbnail is letterboxed or cropped.
- A thumbnail over the limit. Phone uploads stop at 2 MB, so compress a large PNG to a JPG.
- Forgetting the TV view. On a TV the banner shows in full, so the background should look good edge to edge.
If you also post video clips to YouTube Shorts on a schedule, SociaHive can schedule posts to YouTube and eight other platforms from one calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best YouTube pfp size?
Upload 800 × 800 px. YouTube shows the picture as a circle and renders it at 98 × 98 px, so 800 × 800 gives a sharp result on any screen. Keep the subject centered.
What size should a YouTube banner be?
2560 × 1440 px at 16:9, up to 6 MB. The minimum is 2048 × 1152 px. Put text and logos inside the central safe area, about 1546 × 423 px at full size.
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
16:9. YouTube recommends 3840 × 2160 px with a minimum width of 640 px, and most creators export 1280 × 720 px. It must be a JPG or PNG under 2 MB from mobile or 50 MB from desktop.
Can I use a GIF as my YouTube profile picture?
You can upload a GIF file, but not an animated one. YouTube accepts JPG, GIF, BMP and PNG profile pictures up to 15 MB and does not allow animated GIFs.
Why is my YouTube banner cut off?
The banner is cropped to fit each device. TVs show the whole 2560 × 1440 image, while computers and phones show a central strip. Move your text and logo inside the safe area and the crop stops affecting them.
Do YouTube Shorts have a different cover size?
Yes. A Short is vertical, so its cover is 9:16, recommended at 2160 × 3840 px, with a minimum height of 640 px.
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