Do you have a YouTube video thumbnail you love but don’t know how to get it? Here is how to download a YouTube thumbnail.

If you love a thumbnail and would love to replicate the design or view it in large size, there are various ways on how to download a YouTube thumbnail. 

The miniature clip containing images you can click to see the content of a video is a YouTube thumbnail. The minimized video version is what you usually see when searching for relevant content that meets your satisfaction. 

There are diverse reasons why you need to download a YouTube thumbnail. Some download it to serve as inspiration for design, to add to blogs, or for other work uses. 

You can also download it to save it on your device after uploading the video. Sometimes, you may just want to use it as wallpaper or even share it with friends.

 Whatever reason you have, know that it is now possible to download YouTube thumbnails. We will show you how to do it in this article. 

How To Download a YouTube Thumbnail

Here are three ways to download a YouTube thumbnail:

Option 1: How To Download A YouTube Thumbnail From Your Own Videos

Sometimes, you already have YouTube videos with thumbnails and wish to download them to your device. If that is the case, then you can follow these steps:

1. First, go to YouTube and open the Video manager.
2. It will give you a list of your videos with a button to edit each. So, click the Edit button for the video you wish to get the thumbnail for.
3. Once opened, move your mouse pointer over the thumbnail to reveal more options. Look for the Download image option and click or tap on it.
4. The thumbnail image for that video will pop up. Now, it is time to save the image on your device. The easiest way to do it is to right-click on the image and, from the dropdown options, click Save image as. You can then select where you want to save the image.
5. That is it. You can now open the image from the location where you saved it.

Option 2: How To Download A YouTube Thumbnail Using A Custom URL

Another viable option for downloading random YouTube thumbnails is using a custom URL. This method works for mobile and desktop gadgets, but in our case, we will use the desktop to illustrate how it works. 

Let us see how this method works:

1. First, you need to get the ID of the video with the thumbnail you want to download. To do so, open a web browser on your device and open the YouTube site.
2. After that, search for the relevant video.
3. Once the video page opens, head to the browser’s web address to get the video ID from the video URL. YouTube usually assigns random letters and numbers at the tail end of your video’s URL. Specifically, you check the numbers and letters that appear after ‘v=’. The numbers and letters after ‘v=’ are the ID of that video.
4. Now that you have the unique ID of your video, you can now access its thumbnail by using the custom link below. You need to substitute ‘ID’ in this URL with the unique ID you got earlier:

 https://img.youtube.com/vi/ID/maxresdefault.jpg 

1. So, if the unique ID is LoL8mjntZFA, then the new custom URL will appear as this:

 https://img.youtube.com/vi/LoL8mjntZFA/maxresdefault.jpg 

1. Once you have done that, open your custom URL with the unique ID in your web browser. You can open it in a new browser tab. This URL will give you the best resolution of the video thumbnail you want to download.
2. The thumbnail will appear on the new tab, which is a larger-sized version. So, you can now save it on your computer. The obvious method is to right-click on the picture and then wait for the list of options. From here, click on the Save image as option. 
3. Please select where to save the thumbnail image and access it from there.

Option 3: How To Download A YouTube Thumbnail Using Online Thumbnail Downloaders (Free Tools)

If the above steps are too technical, you can use online YouTube thumbnail downloading tools. The good thing is that most of these downloaders are reliable and free to use. 

In fact, you don’t have to register anywhere. You just activate the tool and feed it relevant URLs.

There are tons of these free tools. Unfortunately, not all of them are secure and reliable. To find the right one, you must test several of them, which can be tedious and time-consuming. 

Luckily, we have done the homework for you. Here are some of the reliable online thumbnail downloaders:

1. FreeWebTools YouTube Thumbnail Downloader

This YouTube thumbnail downloader is easy-to-use, fast, and secure. It doesn’t come with several confusing buttons and options. 

All you need to get a YouTube thumbnail is to follow these simple steps:

1. Open the YouTube Thumbnail Downloader here.
2. Open the YouTube video with the thumbnail you want to download and copy its URL.
3. Now paste the video URL into the provided field and click the Get Thumbnail button. The thumbnail will appear just below the Get Thumbnail button.
4. Right-clicking the image will give you options to work on it. In this case, you click Save image as and then decide where you want to save the picture on your device, and it will download automatically.

2. ThumbnailSave

It is a free online YouTube thumbnail downloader that allows you to grab thumbnails in seconds. It supports 4K, 1080p, and HD formats. Its simplified interface ensures that everyone can use the tool.

3. Filmora YouTube Thumbnail Grabber

YouTube Thumbnail Grabber is another powerful tool that allows you to download both YouTube and Vimeo thumbnails. 

The app has a field for you to paste the video URL and a straightforward Get Thumbnail Images button. Another added feature is the free extension for both Firefox and Chrome browsers.

4. YouTube-thumbnails.com

It is a fantastic tool for anyone seeking high-quality YouTube thumbnails. It has a simple user interface and supports several resolutions, including HQ and HD.

 So, you can choose the quality you wish to save.

5. YT Thumbnail Downloader

This lightning-fast tool allows you to download YouTube thumbnails of different qualities. You can choose the resolution you want before saving the image. 

It prides itself on being the fastest YouTube thumbnail downloader on the market.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I view a YouTube thumbnail in high resolution?
To view YouTube thumbnail images in full size, open the video with the thumbnail you want to view, then right-click on it and select the Open YT Thumbnail option. It will open the image in full size. Alternatively, you can download the image using a YouTube thumbnail downloader that supports high resolution.

How do I make YouTube thumbnails for free?
With so many available tools, creating a beautiful YouTube thumbnail has never been easier. You can use free thumbnail makers like Snappa, Canva, Pixlr, Visme, PicMonkey, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Fotojet to customize graphics, images, fonts, and colors to match your video theme. Most of these tools are easy to use and support different resolutions and image formats. Once you are done designing the thumbnail, just download the image file in the required resolutions and upload it to YouTube.

What is the best YouTube thumbnail-downloading app?
YouTube thumbnail downloaders are robust tools that let you get the best thumbnail without a charge. You can use any of the above-recommended tools because they are reliable, fast, and secure. Choose one that supports higher-resolution images when looking for a YouTube thumbnail downloader. It is also crucial that the tool has a simple interface and is fast at downloading images.

Are YouTube thumbnails copyright-free?
No, they are not. If it is not your video, then the copyright of a thumbnail belongs to the uploader of that video, unless the owner has permitted the use of it. So, you will be infringing on his or her rights if you intend to use them as your own. YouTube is strict on content that violates copyrights and is usually quick to pull down such works. So, it is better to contact the owner and ask permission to use it. However, you may just like the thumbnail and want to share it with friends, which is perfectly okay. You could also borrow a design without expressively copying the thumbnail. That is also legally allowed.

Conclusion

While there are different ways on how to download a YouTube thumbnail, they are all easy to master. It is even better when you have a tool that automates the process. 

The ones we have recommended above will help get you started. Just be keen on why you are downloading the thumbnail.

 If you want to create flashy YouTube thumbnails, you can use free tools like Canva or engage an expert. Here are some of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers you can use to create nice thumbnails that attract views.

These thumbnails play a crucial role in improving your SEO.