How to Change the Thumbnail on YouTube Shorts

Caught in a loop trying to change the thumbnail on a YouTube Short after you've already posted it? You're not alone. While YouTube Shorts operates a bit differently than long-form content, you still have control over that all-important first impression. This guide breaks down exactly how to select the best possible frame for your Short during the upload process, explains a clever workaround for more creative control, and clarifies what you can do once your video is live.

Why You Can't Upload a Custom Thumbnail for YouTube Shorts (The Official Answer)

Let's get the big question out of the way first. Unlike traditional long-form YouTube videos, you cannot upload a separate, custom-designed image file (like a JPEG or PNG) to serve as the thumbnail for a YouTube Short. The entire system is built for speed and a mobile-first experience.

YouTube’s reasoning seems centered on how Shorts are consumed. The majority of views happen on the Shorts shelf or feed, where videos autoplay almost instantly. The thumbnail in this context is less a "click-to-play" gateway and more of a momentary preview before the action starts. Because of this, YouTube streamlined the upload process by building in a frame-selection tool rather than a full custom upload feature.

However, that doesn't mean the thumbnail is useless. Your chosen thumbnail frame is still highly visible in several key places:

• Your YouTube Channel Page: When viewers browse your content, the thumbnails for your Shorts will be displayed in grids on the "Home," "Videos," and "Shorts" tabs. This is your chance to create a visually appealing and cohesive look.
• Subscription Feeds (Desktop): Subscribers browsing their feeds on a desktop computer will see your Short thumbnail before clicking.
• Search Results (Desktop): If your Short ranks in search, the thumbnail will appear alongside the title, influencing whether someone clicks.

So, while you can't upload a separate image, choosing the right frame from your video is a critical step in branding your content and encouraging clicks outside the main Shorts feed.

The Official Way: How to Select a Thumbnail Frame for Your YouTube Short

The good news is that YouTube gives you full control to pick any frame from your video to be the thumbnail. You just have to know where to find the option during the upload process. The steps are slightly different depending on whether you're using mobile or desktop, but the core feature remains the same.

IMPORTANT: You can only complete this step before you publish your Short. Once it's live, this option is gone forever.

Selecting a Thumbnail Frame on Mobile (YouTube App)

Most creators upload Shorts directly from their phones. Here's how to select your thumbnail frame using the YouTube app:

1. Open the YouTube app and tap the center create (+) icon at the bottom.
2. Choose "Create a Short."
3. Either record a new video or tap the gallery icon in the bottom-left corner to upload an existing video file from your phone.
4. After selecting or recording your video, tap the checkmark to move to the editing screen. Here you can add sound, text, filters, or voiceovers.
5. When you’re finished with your edits, tap "Next" in the top-right corner.
6. You're now on the "Add details" screen. A preview of your Short is at the top. Look closely at the top-left of this video preview for a pencil icon. Tap it.
7. This opens the thumbnail selector. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a filmstrip of your entire video.
8. Slide your finger along the filmstrip to scrub through and find the perfect frame. Take your time to find a moment that is clear, engaging, and represents your video well.
9. Once you’ve landed on the perfect frame, tap "Done" in the top-right corner.
10. Finish adding your caption, set publishing options, and tap "Upload Short."

Selecting a Thumbnail Frame on Desktop (YouTube Studio)

If you prefer to edit and upload from a computer, you can also select your Shorts thumbnail frame through YouTube Studio.

1. Navigate to your channel's YouTube Studio dashboard.
2. Click the "Create" button in the top-right and select "Upload videos."
3. Choose your vertical video file (it must be under 60 seconds to be classified as a Short).
4. As the video processes, you'll be on the "Details" page. Scroll down to the "Thumbnail" section.
5. You’ll see the main preview of your video. Hover over it and a pencil icon labeled "Edit thumbnail" will appear. Click it.
6. A selection window will pop up with a slider positioned below the video preview. Drag the selector along the timeline to scrub through frames.
7. When you find the frame you want to use, click "Done."
8. Complete the rest of the video details (title, description, etc.) and finish the publishing flow.

What Makes a Good YouTube Shorts Thumbnail?

Since you're choosing a frame instead of designing a graphic, your approach needs to be slightly different. The goal is to find a single, powerful moment in your video that hooks a potential viewer.

Choose an Action-Packed or High-Emotion Frame

A static shot of you just standing there is rarely the best choice. Look for the peak of the action: the moment of impact in a prank, the biggest laugh in a comedy bit, the reveal of a transformation, or the point of highest tension. Evoking curiosity or emotion is the key. What moment in your video summarizes the core feeling you want to convey? Find it and make it your thumbnail.

Make Sure It's Clear and High-Quality

When scrubbing through your video, motion blur can be an issue. Carefully review the frame you’re about to select. Is it sharp and in focus? Does it look professional? A blurry or pixelated-looking thumbnail can instantly devalue your video in the eyes of a viewer browsing your channel page. Take the extra second to land on a frame that looks crisp.

Leverage Your On-Screen Text

If your video includes titles or text-based callouts, a thumbnail featuring this text can work wonders. A frame containing a question like "Did it work?" or a bold statement like "You won't believe this!" can stop a scrolling user and make them want to watch to find the answer. A good tactic is to place your hook text at the very beginning of the video so it's easy to select as a thumbnail frame.

Focus on Faces and Eye Contact

People are naturally drawn to other people. A frame that clearly shows a human face - and especially one making eye contact with the camera - is a timeless marketing technique that works just as well for Shorts thumbnails. Expressive faces in particular (shock, joy, surprise) are incredibly effective at capturing attention.

The "Custom Thumbnail" Workaround (For Advanced Creators)

So you read all of the above and you still want the complete control of a fully designed thumbnail. There is an unofficial workaround often used by growth-focused creators that combines video editing with the frame selection tool.

The strategy is simple: embed your custom thumbnail as a single frame within the video file itself.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

1. Design Your Thumbnail: Using a tool like Canva or Photoshop, create your desired thumbnail image. Make sure it has a 9:16 aspect ratio to match the dimensions of your Short. Use vibrant colors, bold text, and a compelling image that reflects your brand.
2. Edit Your Video: Open your Short in a video editing software (Premiere Pro, Final Cut, CapCut, etc.).
3. Insert the Image: Add your newly designed thumbnail image as a single frame (or for around 0.1 seconds) at the very beginning or the very end of your video. This is so brief that it will be an almost imperceptible flash to viewers in the feed, but it exists as a selectable frame for you during the upload process.
4. Export and Upload: Export the modified video file and upload it to YouTube using either the mobile app or on desktop.
5. Select Your Frame: When you get to the thumbnail selection screen (clicking the pencil icon), scrub all the way to the start or end of the video. You will now be able to select your custom-designed image. It essentially becomes just another frame in the video that only you can pick.

This method gives you the best of both worlds: full design control over your thumbnails while still working within YouTube’s system. It takes a little extra effort but can make your channel page look far more polished and professional.

Can You Change a Shorts Thumbnail After Posting?

This is the final, crucial detail: No, you cannot change the thumbnail of a YouTube Short after it has been published.

Once your video is live, YouTube locks in the thumbnail you selected. If you go into YouTube Studio and try to edit the details of an existing Short, you will notice that the pencil icon for changing the thumbnail is no longer there. This is a critical difference from long-form videos, where you can swap out the thumbnail at any time to test different designs.

This makes your pre-publish checklist extremely important. Before you hit that final "Upload Short" button, double-check the frame you’ve selected. If you publish and immediately realize you’ve made a mistake, your only option is to delete the video and re-upload it with the correct thumbnail selected.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the YouTube Shorts thumbnail is all about working smart within the platform's rules. While you're limited to picking a frame, having a strategy for selecting a dynamic, high-quality moment (or even editing in your own) can significantly impact how your channel is perceived. Always remember to make your selection during the upload process, because once it's published, it's set in stone.

Planning your social content, from the videos you create down to the perfect thumbnail frame, can be a lot to manage. That's why we built the visual calendar in Postbase. Being able to see all your scheduled YouTube Shorts, Reels, and TikToks in one place helps you create a coherent brand identity, spot gaps in your schedule, and stay on top of the small details. Because we designed it for today's short-form, video-first world, you can schedule your content with confidence and trust that it will go live exactly as you planned it.