Social Media Video Cover & Thumbnail Sizes 2026 — by Platform
Every video cover and thumbnail size for 2026 in one chart — the pixel size to upload, the aspect ratio, and the crop each platform applies on the profile grid or in-player. Most vertical covers share one canvas (1080×1920, 9:16) but get cropped differently, so keep text and faces in the centre square.
Video cover & thumbnail sizes 2026 — one chart
A cover (Reels/TikTok) and a thumbnail (YouTube/Facebook) are the still image that represents your video. Vertical-video platforms share a 1080×1920 px (9:16) canvas, but each crops it on the profile grid, so keep key elements centred. YouTube uses a horizontal 1280×720 px (16:9) thumbnail. Per-platform upload size, ratio and crop are below.
| Platform / placement | Upload (px) | Ratio | Crop applied | Keep safe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels cover | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | Profile grid crops to 1080×1440 (3:4) | Centre 1080×1080 square — text/face here |
| TikTok cover | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | Profile grid crops to ~1:1 | Centre square; avoid bottom caption/UI band |
| YouTube Shorts thumbnail | 1280×720 | 16:9 | In-player derives a 9:16; sides sliced off | Centre vertical strip (~405×720) |
| YouTube video thumbnail | 1280×720 | 16:9 | Minimal; scales down to 320×180 | Large legible text; min width 640; under 2 MB |
| Facebook video thumbnail | 1280×720 | 16:9 | Minimal (feed), reels use 9:16 | Keep text <20% for best reach |
| X / Twitter video thumbnail | 1280×720 | 16:9 | Feed scales; may letterbox | Centre subject; JPG/PNG |
Why covers get cropped twice
Vertical covers are shown in two places with different shapes: full-screen in the feed (9:16) and small on your profile grid (3:4 on Instagram, ~1:1 on TikTok). Anything outside the centre square is cut on the grid, so design the cover at the full 1080×1920 but place the title, logo and face inside the central 1080×1080 area. For YouTube Shorts the opposite happens — you upload a 16:9 custom thumbnail and the in-player view crops the sides to make a 9:16, so centre the subject horizontally.
The one upload that works
For vertical video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts in-feed) export the cover at 1080×1920 px, 9:16, keeping the subject centred. For YouTube and Facebook video thumbnails use 1280×720 px, 16:9 (max 2 MB on YouTube). Those two sizes cover every platform in this chart.
Method
Dimensions reflect each platform's 2026 published upload recommendations and in-app crop behaviour, cross-checked across current creator size guides (October 2026). Where a platform recommends a design canvas larger than the displayed size, the upload value is the recommended canvas, with the crop column noting what gets trimmed. Maintained by Priya Nair.
FAQ
What is the best Instagram Reels cover size in 2026?
Design the cover at 1080×1920 px (9:16) — the full Reel canvas. Instagram crops it to 1080×1440 (3:4) on your profile grid, so keep the title, logo and face inside the central 1080×1080 square so nothing important is cut.
What size is a TikTok cover?
1080×1920 px (9:16), the same as the video. TikTok crops the cover to roughly 1:1 on your profile grid, so centre the key elements and avoid the bottom band where the caption and UI sit.
What size is a YouTube Shorts thumbnail?
Upload a custom thumbnail at 1280×720 px (16:9). YouTube derives the 9:16 in-player version by cropping the sides, so keep your subject and text in the centre vertical strip (about 405×720).
What is the standard YouTube video thumbnail size?
1280×720 px, 16:9 aspect ratio, minimum 640 px wide, under 2 MB (JPG/PNG/GIF/BMP). It scales down to 320×180 in feeds, so use large, legible text.
Is there one cover size that works everywhere?
Two sizes cover everything: 1080×1920 px (9:16) for vertical covers (Reels, TikTok, Shorts in-feed) and 1280×720 px (16:9) for YouTube and Facebook video thumbnails. Keep subjects centred to survive each platform's crop.