How to Edit Thumbnail on YouTube Shorts (2026 Guide)

Why Shorts thumbnails still drive clicks

Even though Shorts thumbnails do not show in the main Shorts feed, they appear on your channel page, in search results, and in suggested videos. That means the thumbnail is still the first impression for high intent viewers searching for your topic.

Official method: select a frame during mobile upload

YouTube only lets you set a Shorts thumbnail by choosing a frame from the video during upload in the mobile app. If you skip it, YouTube picks a random frame.

• Upload a Short in the YouTube mobile app and go to the details screen
• Tap the pencil icon on the video preview
• Drag the slider to the clearest frame and tap Done
• Publish the Short with your chosen frame

How to use a fully custom Shorts thumbnail

Since you cannot upload a separate image, the workaround is to embed your custom thumbnail as a single frame inside the video. Then you select that frame during upload.

• Design a 9:16 thumbnail at 1080x1920
• Insert the image as a 0.1 second frame at the start or end of the Short
• Upload the video and select that embedded frame using the slider

Change a Shorts thumbnail after publishing

You can re-select the thumbnail after publishing, but only from frames already in the uploaded video. You cannot add a new custom image later.

• Open the YouTube app and go to your channel
• Open the Shorts tab, tap the three dots, and choose Edit
• Tap the pencil icon and select a new frame
• Save changes

Shorts vs long-form thumbnail differences

Shorts thumbnails come from video frames and are mobile-only for selection, while long-form videos allow custom uploads in YouTube Studio.

• Shorts source: video frame only, long-form: custom image allowed
• Shorts upload: mobile app only, long-form: Studio on desktop
• Shorts edits: re-select frames only, long-form: swap any image
• Shorts size: 9:16 (1080x1920), long-form size: 16:9 (1280x720)

High-CTR Shorts thumbnail tips

Keep the design simple and bold so it reads on a phone screen. Use one clear subject, strong contrast, and minimal text.

• Use large, high-contrast text with one or two words
• Pick frames with strong facial expressions
• Avoid placing key elements in the lower right where UI overlays appear
• Test the frame at small size before publishing

Quick recap

How to edit thumbnail on YouTube Shorts is simple: pick the right frame in the mobile app, embed a custom frame if you want full control, and re-select after publishing if needed.

Quick takeaway

Select the best frame during mobile upload, or embed a custom frame to control your Shorts thumbnail, then optimize it for search and suggested placements.