YouTube Thumbnail Downloader | HD & 4 K Fast · Free · High-Quality

Our grabber lists every resolution YouTube makes available, from 1280×720 (max) down through 640×480, 480×360, 320×180 and 120×90. Just pick the size that suits your project.

• Maximum Resolution (maxresdefault) - 1280×720 pixels, suitable for high-quality display
• Standard Definition (sddefault) - 640×480 pixels, balancing quality and file size
• High Quality (hqdefault) - 480×360 pixels, suitable for most needs
• Medium Quality (mqdefault) - 320×180 pixels, suitable for mobile devices
• Default Quality (default) - 120×90 pixels, suitable for thumbnail previews

Our downloader automatically detects and displays all available resolution options.

We pull the original file straight from the platform's CDN without extra compression. Choose the 1280×720 option for maximum clarity.

For the best quality, we recommend selecting the "Maximum Resolution" (maxresdefault) option.

Absolutely. Drop the Shorts link (youtube.com/shorts/…) and the extractor will return the vertical preview image.

The method is the same as for regular YouTube videos - just copy the Shorts video link and paste it into our tool.

Thumbnail rights stay with the video creator. Use saved images only for fair-use activities such as commentary, teaching or personal reference, unless you have permission for commercial work.

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• Personal non-commercial use (e.g., learning, reference)
• Commentary, analysis, or educational purposes
• News reporting with clear citation of the original creator
• Downloading thumbnails of videos you created yourself

Please avoid using these images for commercial promotion without authorization.

Hit "Contact" in the menu, email us, or open the live chat if the thumbnail downloader isn't working. We reply quickly.

• Submit feedback through the Contact Us page in the top navigation bar of the website
• Send an email to our support email (visible on the contact page)
• Use the online customer service chat feature (if available)

Our team will respond and resolve your issues as soon as possible.

Older uploads, low-resolution footage or custom images sometimes ship without the highest tier. When that happens we show you the next best size automatically.

• Early upload time - YouTube videos uploaded earlier may not have generated high-resolution thumbnails
• Low original video resolution - If the original video itself has insufficient resolution, YouTube may not generate high-resolution thumbnails
• Custom thumbnail limitations - In some cases, custom thumbnails uploaded by creators may not be available in all resolution versions
• YouTube policy changes - Platform policy adjustments may affect thumbnail availability

In these cases, our YouTube Thumbnail Downloader will automatically provide other available lower resolution options.

You're free to use covers from videos you own. For others, create an original design or get the owner's green light.

• Your own created videos - If you are downloading thumbnails of your own YouTube videos, you can freely use them as video covers on other platforms
• Reference and inspiration - Can be used as design references to inspire you to create your own original covers
• Analysis and research - For teaching or analyzing popular YouTube thumbnail design trends

However, please note that directly using others' YouTube thumbnails as covers for your own videos may involve copyright issues.

• Obtaining authorization from the original creator
• Using downloaded thumbnails only as design inspiration
• Creating your own original cover images

This both respects the rights of the original creator and provides a unique visual identity for your content.

Always select the highest resolution offered and save directly—never screenshot. Edit non-destructively if you must tweak the JPG.

1. Select the highest resolution option - Prioritize the "Maximum Resolution" (maxresdefault) thumbnail, which typically provides a high-quality image at 1280×720 pixels
2. Download the original file directly - Use the download button provided by our tool to save the image directly, avoiding obtaining it through screenshots, which would reduce image quality
3. Save in JPG format - Our downloader maintains the original JPG format, which is the standard format for YouTube thumbnails, providing the best balance of quality and file size
4. Avoid secondary editing compression - If editing is needed, it is recommended to use lossless editing tools and maintain original resolution and quality settings in the final output

Our YouTube Thumbnail Downloader fetches original images directly from YouTube's official servers, without any quality compression or processing.