Skip to content

YouTube thumbnail downloader

Paste a YouTube video link to see its thumbnail and save it in up to four sizes, the largest 1280 × 720 when the video has one. We leave out any size YouTube's image server says it does not have. Free, with no YouTube login.

Any video link, Shorts included, or the 11-character video ID.

The thumbnail shows here.

What the thumbnail downloader gives you

Up to four sizes as JPG files, leaving out any size YouTube's image server says it does not have.

  • Up to four sizes

    1280 × 720, 640 × 480, 480 × 360 and 120 × 90, when YouTube's image server has them for the video.

  • The largest when it exists

    Not every video has a 1280 × 720 image. We check, and leave out any size YouTube's image server says it does not have.

  • Any video link

    Watch, youtu.be, Shorts, embed and stream links, or the bare video ID.

  • An email after one free save

    One save in this browser is free. After that, we ask you to confirm an email once, with a 6-digit code.

How the thumbnail is found

You paste a video link or the video ID. Your browser sends it to our server. You never log in to YouTube, and we never ask for a password.

Our server reads the video ID from the link and checks which sizes YouTube's image server has for that video. No third-party service is involved, and we keep no cache of the answer.

The preview loads in your browser from YouTube's image server. When you save a size, the file goes through our server, which passes it on unchanged.

One save in this browser is free, and that free save is shared with our other free tools. After that, we ask you to confirm an email once, with a 6-digit code that works for 10 minutes. The address joins our email list.

More free tools

More free tools from Likes.io.

What to know about the thumbnail downloaderThumbnails: questions and answers

Answers written from how the tool works on our server. If your question is not here, our support page shows how to reach our team.

How do I use this YouTube thumbnail downloader?

Copy the video's link on YouTube (Share, then Copy link), paste it in the box and press Get thumbnail. The thumbnail shows with a row for each size; press a row to save that size as a JPG file.

Which sizes can I save?

As a YouTube thumbnail grabber, the tool lists up to four sizes: 1280 × 720, 640 × 480, 480 × 360 and 120 × 90. We check the three larger sizes and leave out any size YouTube's image server says it does not have for the video.

Why is there no 1280 × 720 thumbnail?

YouTube's image server does not have a 1280 × 720 image for every video. When it has none, the tool leaves that size out, and the preview shows the largest size it has.

Does it work with Shorts?

Yes. Paste the Shorts link or its ID. The tool reads the video ID from it the same way and lists the sizes YouTube's image server has for it.

Is it free, and why do you ask for an email?

It is free. One save in this browser is free, and that free save is shared with our other free tools. After that, we ask you to confirm an email once, with a 6-digit code that works for 10 minutes; saves in this browser then run without asking. The address and the link you were saving are kept, and the address joins our email list.

What file type do I get?

A JPG file. It is the image YouTube's image server holds, passed on unchanged: we do not resize or re-encode it, and we add no watermark.

What happens to the link I paste?

Our server uses only the video ID from it, to find the images on YouTube's image server and check which sizes exist. It logs the request with your IP address. A saved file passes through our server, and our CDN may keep a copy for up to an hour. If you confirm an email, the link is kept with it.

Growing your own channel?

Our YouTube subscribers packages ask for your public channel handle, never your password. Sizes and prices are on the page.

See subscribers packages