YouTube Banner Size: 2560 x 1440 Pixels
YouTube's own banner rules: 2560 x 1440 recommended, 2048 x 1152 minimum, text inside 1235 x 338, 6 MB or less. Plus profile picture and watermark sizes.
Make your YouTube banner 2560 x 1440 pixels, and keep your text and logo inside the middle 1235 x 338 pixels. That's YouTube's own advice. Its help center lists a "Minimum dimension for upload: 2048 x 1152 px with an aspect ratio of 16:9," a "Recommended dimension (especially for TV): 2560 x 1440 px," and a "File size: 6 MB or smaller."
We read YouTube's help pages on channel branding on October 24, 2026. Every size below comes from them.
About 201,000 people search "youtube banner size" each month, and 135,000 more search "youtube banner."
What are all the YouTube channel image sizes?
| Image | Size | File rules |
|---|---|---|
| Banner, recommended | 2560 x 1440 px | 6 MB or smaller |
| Banner, minimum | 2048 x 1152 px (16:9) | 6 MB or smaller |
| Banner safe area | 1235 x 338 px (at the minimum size) | Keep text and logos here |
| Profile picture | Shown at 98 x 98 px | JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG, up to 15 MB, no animated GIFs |
| Video watermark | At least 150 x 150 px, square | Under 1 MB |
YouTube Help, "Manage your channel branding" and "Channel banner & profile picture tips," read October 24, 2026.
One common myth: a resizer tool in Google's top results says banners "must be exactly 2560 x 1440 pixels." YouTube accepts anything from 2048 x 1152 up at 16:9, and only recommends 2560 x 1440.
What is the YouTube banner safe area?
It's the strip in the middle of the banner that shows on every screen. "At the minimum dimension, the safe area for text and logos: 1235 x 338 px," YouTube says. On a 2560 x 1440 file, that's the same middle band, scaled up.
This matters because YouTube uses one image everywhere. "The same banner image is used across computer, mobile, and TV displays, but it shows differently depending on your device," YouTube says. TVs show the most of it, and phones show little more than the middle band. Anything outside the safe area, like a name in the corner, can disappear on mobile.
How do you design a banner that works?
Start from YouTube's rules, then add a few habits.
- Use a 2560 x 1440 canvas. It gives "the best display on all devices," YouTube says.
- Mark the safe area first. Put your channel name, logo and any text inside the middle 1235 x 338 band.
- Fill the edges with background. YouTube's advice is that images "should accommodate the entire screen for larger devices," because they "will get cropped on certain views and devices."
- Skip borders and shadows. YouTube asks you not to add "shadows, borders, and frames."
- Add your schedule. YouTube's own tip: "let your fans know when to come back for new videos by adding your schedule to your banner image."
- Match your profile picture. YouTube points to a channel that "uses a consistent color scheme across their profile picture and banner image."
Export it under 6 MB. A JPG at high quality usually gets there more easily than a PNG.
How do you upload or change your YouTube banner?
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left menu, select Customization, then Profile.
- Under the banner, click CHANGE and choose your image.
- Check the crop for each device preview, then click DONE.
- Click PUBLISH.
The same Profile screen also holds your channel name and handle. YouTube lets you change each "twice within a 14-day period," and warns that "Changing your name will remove your verification badge."
What size is a YouTube profile picture?
YouTube shows it small: the image "renders at 98 X 98 px." Upload a larger square so it stays sharp on big screens. YouTube says "It's best to upload a square or round image," in "JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG" format, under 15 MB, and with "no animated GIFs."
Your picture appears "on your channel page, when you comment, and on the bottom right of videos in most playback modes," YouTube says, so keep it readable at a tiny size.
What about the video watermark?
The watermark is a small channel logo on your videos, and YouTube reports the subscribers it brings in its Subscription source report. YouTube wants a square image of at least 150 x 150 pixels and "less than 1 MB." You can show it for the last 15 seconds, from a custom start time, or for the whole video. Watermarks "aren't available on videos set as made for kids."
Frequently asked questions
What size is a YouTube banner?
2560 x 1440 pixels is YouTube's recommendation. The minimum is 2048 x 1152, at 16:9, and the file must be 6 MB or smaller.
What is the YouTube banner safe area?
The middle 1235 x 338 pixels at the minimum size. Keep all text and logos there so they show on phones, computers and TVs.
What size is a YouTube profile picture?
It displays at 98 x 98 pixels. Upload a larger square or round image, up to 15 MB.
Why does my YouTube banner look cropped on my phone?
Phones show only the middle strip of the banner. Move important text into the 1235 x 338 safe area.
What's the maximum file size for a YouTube banner?
6 MB.
Hclout doesn't sell YouTube services, but if you're building a channel, our guides on the YouTube thumbnail size, how to start a YouTube channel, the YouTube monetization requirements and the best time to post on YouTube cover the next steps.
Sources
- YouTube Help, "Manage your channel branding," "Channel banner & profile picture tips" and "Manage your YouTube channel's profile," read through our server on October 24, 2026
- A Reddit r/youtubers thread (June 23, 2025), a YouTube tutorial (July 31, 2026), and the Pi7, Canva, Shopify and Figma pages, as Google showed them on October 24, 2026
- Google results for "youtube banner size," US, October 24, 2026 (our read)
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, worldwide, read October 24, 2026
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