YouTube Timestamp Link Generator
Create a shareable YouTube link that starts at a specific time.
YouTube Thumbnail Viewer & Downloader
View available thumbnail sizes for any YouTube video and download the thumbnail you need.
View a YouTube thumbnail
Thumbnail images are served by YouTube. Availability and image quality depend on the source video.
Use downloaded thumbnails only when you have the appropriate rights or permission to use them. StreamTiles does not claim ownership of third-party YouTube thumbnails.
About the YouTube thumbnail viewer
Paste the link to a YouTube video, Short or live stream and the tool finds its video ID, builds YouTube's standard thumbnail addresses from it, and checks which of those images exist. You see only the ones that do, each with its real dimensions, and you can download it, open it in a new tab or copy its address.
Everything happens in your browser. Nothing is scraped, no YouTube account or API key is involved, and the images come straight from YouTube rather than through a StreamTiles server. Watch, Shorts, live, youtu.be and embed links all work, and extra parts of the link such as ?si= or &t= are ignored.
How to download a YouTube thumbnail
- Copy the YouTube video URL.
- Paste it into the tool.
- View the available thumbnail sizes.
- Choose the thumbnail you need.
- Download or open the image.
If your browser doesn't allow a direct download for an image, the tool says so and you can use Open Image, then save the picture from the new tab.
Available YouTube thumbnail sizes
- Maximum Resolutiontypically 1280 × 720
maxresdefault.jpg - Standard Definitiontypically 640 × 480
sddefault.jpg - High Qualitytypically 480 × 360
hqdefault.jpg - Defaulttypically 480 × 360
0.jpg - Medium Qualitytypically 320 × 180
mqdefault.jpg - Alternate Thumbnails 1–3typically 120 × 90
1.jpg, 2.jpg, 3.jpg
These are the sizes YouTube usually serves, not a promise for every video. The maximum-resolution image in particular doesn't exist for every video, and the alternate thumbnails are small frames from the video. The tool checks each one and shows only what loads.
Related tools
YouTube Live Stream Embed & Compatibility Tester
Check whether a YouTube live stream can be loaded through an embedded player before using it in StreamTiles.
See all StreamTiles tools.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download a YouTube thumbnail?
Copy the video's URL, paste it into the tool above and press View Thumbnail. The tool shows the thumbnail sizes that are available for that video. Choose the one you need and press Download, or use Open Image to view it in a new tab and save it from there.
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
YouTube can provide a thumbnail in several resolutions, from small previews to a 1280 × 720 image. Which sizes exist depends on the video, so the tool checks each one and shows the actual dimensions of the images that load.
Can I download a thumbnail from a YouTube Shorts video?
Yes, when the Shorts URL contains a valid YouTube video ID and the corresponding thumbnail is available.
Can I download thumbnails from YouTube live streams?
Yes. The tool can process supported YouTube live URLs using their video ID. It doesn't need to determine whether the stream is currently live.
Why is the highest-resolution thumbnail unavailable?
A maximum-resolution thumbnail is not guaranteed to exist for every video. When it doesn't, the tool leaves it out and shows the other sizes that are available.
Does StreamTiles host the YouTube thumbnails?
No. Thumbnail images are retrieved from YouTube's thumbnail infrastructure. StreamTiles does not claim ownership of them.
Does StreamTiles save the links I enter?
No. The link is read in your browser and isn't stored or sent to a StreamTiles server. Your browser requests the images directly from YouTube, which receives the usual technical details such as your IP address.