How to Add ANY Thumbnail to YouTube Shorts (UPDATED!)

How to Add ANY Thumbnail to YouTube Shorts (UPDATED!)

CHAT WITH US!
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[vidIQ]

Looks like YouTube have closed off this workaround. A crying shame. I will keep fighting to try and get custom thumbnails for shorts creators!

[MrCommentGod]

Pointless knowledge of the day: *This YouTube short is exactly 59 seconds long*

[TheAdamHawk]

No interest in uploading via mobile when I edit on PC. They need to give us custom shorts again. Very pointless updates. (I know it's not your fault lol ty guys)

[DereksHorrorStuff]

This reminds me of when youtube first came out and we would put a "custom thumbnail" at a specific timeframe in each video to cheat the system

[ecadventures]

To the person who is reading this, don't give up on your channel. Keep going, Its going to be better. 💯

[SpawkenToons]

you just outsmarted YouTube. I'll be using this trick every time now.

[mariarzyt_D]

It's really a mystery to me what YT is trying to achieve by making it as difficult as possible, but here's a workaround:
1. have your thumbnail ready on your mobile device and YouTube Studio installed. Make sure it's 16:9 format (normal screen size) and not 9:16 (YT Shorts format)
2. upload your video (can be from PC)
3. open YouTube Studio to edit the video that is currently uploading
4. click on the pencil icon and chose custom thumbnail (sometimes the UI doesn't load properly, but clicking in the bottom left corner sill still lead to your gallery)

Mist important thing is that you do this while it's uploading, because after the upload is finished, you can't change it.

[JawadSoomro]

I know all this already. I do this every time. Now PUSH YouTube to bring back thumbnails for Shorts.

[PhantomTheWolf]

To be straight, this method can only work on phone. You can't do it though PC browser. It's quite the hassle the move the video to you phone just for the thumbnail, but that's youtube for you.

[growingoutthebox]

Thanks for this hack! I’m on Mac and iPhone so no thumbnails for the past few months until now! This really helps a small channel like mine. I need every tool available. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[jordani_war]

They need to atleast give us the option to pick a specific frame from the short on pC like in the mobile app. It doesn't make sense to have it on phone but not on PC where you actually edit most of the shorts.

[lys_is_me]

this is the one last part to my shorts that ive been struggling with. nothing was working, so thank you. ill be getting my thumbnail game on in my next short

[ItsMrBanana_]

Vid IQ, you have inspired me so much with your videos and you make it really fun to try and be a content creator. Thanks a lot.

[MichaelianEntertainment]

Thank you for this. I don't know how but I uploaded custom thumbnails, with the option to choose through my camera roll for over a year. Yesterday YouTube took that option away from me. I was upset, but then came across your short. And..Easy peezy again! Thank you ❤

[enchanterdancer]

I tried everything as you suggested, but when I click on "Trim and Cut" in the desktop editor, I get the message, "This video can't be trimmed because it's a YouTube Short." What should I do? Great channel by the way!!!

[TapiTalk]

OMG you genius! I cant believe I'm this hyped over custom thumbnails I love my job haha!

[dierex]

This is my opinion, as someone who works in short videos, the last 7 frames of the video will give you better results

[NjordrYT]

YouTube gotta add all the features that are anivable on computer to mobile, that would make it so much easier for a lot of creators.

[jkirschart]

Can you trim it on mobile, or only on desktop?

[Mauricemrrovero]

it works perfectly for me also, I noticed when uploading 15 to 18 seconds videos the image on the 8th seconds will be on the thumbnail.