How To Fix Custom Thumbnail Not Showing In Vertical Youtube Videos

 

🎬 How to Add a 16:9 Thumbnail to a 9:16 YouTube Video

If you create YouTube Videos, you’ve probably faced this issue: when you upload a 9:16 vertical video (the standard format for Shorts) and try to add a custom thumbnail, it doesn’t always display correctly. On your own channel it might look fine, but when people search for your video or see it suggested, the custom thumbnail often disappears.

Luckily, there’s a simple trick to make sure your thumbnail shows up everywhere—even on Shorts videos. In this guide, I’ll explain how to properly add a 16:9 thumbnail to a 9:16 video so your video looks professional and clickable.

🔹 Why This Happens

YouTube was originally designed for 16:9 horizontal videos. Even though Shorts (9:16) are popular now, the YouTube system still expects thumbnails in 16:9 format. That’s why when you upload a vertical video with a custom thumbnail, it sometimes doesn’t show up outside of your channel.

🔹 The Simple Solution

The fix is to convert your 9:16 Shorts video into a 16:9 format before uploading. Don’t worry—you don’t have to change the actual content. You just add black bars or a background on the sides, so the video fits into a 16:9 frame.

This way, YouTube recognizes the video as 16:9 and accepts your custom thumbnail everywhere.

🔹 Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prepare Your Shorts Video

  • Open your 9:16 video in a video editing app (like CapCut, VN, Premiere Pro, or even free online editors).

2. Change the Aspect Ratio

  • Set the project or sequence settings to 16:9.

  • Your vertical video will now have empty space on the left and right sides.

3. Add Background (Optional)

  • You can leave the sides black (which looks clean).

  • Or, add a blurred version of your video or a colorful background to make it look more engaging.

4. Export the Video in 16:9

  • Export the video as a 16:9 file (usually 1920x1080).

  • Don’t worry, it will still look like a vertical video, just inside a horizontal frame.

5. Upload to YouTube

  • Upload this 16:9 version of your Shorts video to YouTube.

  • Now, when you add a custom thumbnail, YouTube will display it everywhere, not just on your channel.

🔹 Why This Works

  • YouTube’s system is built for 16:9 thumbnails.

  • By “tricking” the system into thinking your Shorts is in 16:9, your custom thumbnail becomes valid.

  • The actual video content still looks like a normal Shorts clip, so the viewer experience doesn’t change.

🔹 Final Tips

  • Always design your thumbnails in 16:9 (1280x720 pixels).

  • Keep text big and clear so it looks good even on mobile.

  • Use bright colors or faces to grab attention.

  • Test different thumbnail styles to see which gets the most clicks.

🎯 Final Thoughts

If you want your Videos to stand out on YouTube, thumbnails are key. By simply converting your 9:16 video into a 16:9 format before uploading, you can make sure your custom thumbnail is shown everywhere—in search results, on recommended videos, and on your channel.

It’s a small extra step in editing, but it makes a huge difference in how professional your channel looks and how many viewers click on your videos.

Personally, I have compilation channel on youtube and i used to get confused cause the video used to be vertical, And thumbnail needs to be horizontal. It used to be uploaded but when i search my videos the thumbnail was not shown there so while doing research i found this way. I hope it helps you too if you are facing the same problem.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How To Draw In W Place Using Blue Marble

  🎨 How to Make Pixel Art in Wplace Using Blue Marble Pixel art has become one of the most exciting forms of online creativity, and Wplace is a platform that makes it possible for anyone to contribute. On Wplace, users paint pixel by pixel, slowly building amazing artworks together with the community. However, when it comes to creating complex or detailed images , it can feel overwhelming. This is where the Blue Marble extension/app comes in handy. In this guide, we’ll explain how to make images or art in Wplace easily using Blue Marble , even if you are a beginner. 🔹 What is Wplace? Wplace is a collaborative online art platform where people can place one pixel at a time on a huge shared canvas. Over time, these pixels combine into larger artworks, ranging from simple flags to detailed portraits and creative designs. The challenge is that every pixel matters , and without guidance, it’s hard to recreate complex images perfectly. 🔹 What is Blue Marble? Blue Marble is an...
Read more

How to Install Blue Marble on iPhone for Wplace

  📱 How to Install Blue Marble on iPhone for Wplace Creating pixel art on Wplace is fun, but if you’ve ever tried making something detailed, you know it can be challenging to place every pixel correctly. That’s where Blue Marble comes in. It’s a tool that overlays a shadow or guide on the Wplace canvas, so you know exactly what color goes in each pixel. But here’s the catch: installing Blue Marble on an iPhone is a bit different than on a desktop. Don’t worry—I’ll walk you through the entire process step by step. By the end, you’ll be able to use Blue Marble on your iPhone and start making amazing art. 🔹 Step 1: Install the Orion Browser The regular Safari or Chrome app on iPhone doesn’t support extensions properly. That’s why you need to install a browser called Orion , which allows extensions on iOS. Open the App Store on your iPhone. Search for Orion Browser . Download and install it. 🔹 Step 2: Enable Chrome Extensions Now that you have Orion, you’ll use...
Read more