YouTube banner checker
Check your channel banner against YouTube's size, shape and file limits, and see the centred safe area that shows on every TV, computer and phone.
- Free, no sign-up
- Your image stays on your device
- Specs from YouTube Help
Drop your banner here
Or paste it with Ctrl+V or ⌘V. JPG or PNG.
Spec check
Against YouTube's banner requirements, as read on October 15, 2026.
Safe area
Safe for text and logos
What every device is guaranteed to show:
YouTube banner size, in one place
YouTube asks for a banner of at least 2048 × 1152 pixels, in a 16:9 shape, 6 MB or smaller, and Google's developer documentation recommends uploading 2560 × 1440. At the minimum size the area where text and logos are guaranteed to show on every device is the centred 1235 × 338 pixels. The rest of the image is shown on some screens and cropped on others.
Designing to the safe area
Put your channel name, tagline, upload schedule and logo inside the centred box, and treat everything outside it as background that some viewers never see. Avoid borders and frames around the edge, which get cut unevenly, and check the result on a phone as well as a computer. Our guide to the sizes YouTube actually renders covers the avatar, watermark and thumbnails too.
Sources: YouTube Help: Manage your channel branding and Google for Developers: YouTube Data API, ChannelBanners: insert, read on October 15, 2026.
Questions, answered.
Anything else? Message Mark and you'll get a written reply within one business day.
What size is a YouTube banner?
YouTube asks for a banner image of at least 2048 × 1152 pixels in a 16:9 shape, 6 MB or smaller, and Google recommends uploading 2560 × 1440. At the minimum size, the area where text and logos are guaranteed to show on every device is 1235 × 338 pixels in the centre.
What is the YouTube banner safe area?
The centred 1235 × 338 pixels of a 2048 × 1152 banner. YouTube crops the banner differently on TVs, computers, tablets and phones, and only that box shows everywhere. On a larger 16:9 banner the box scales with it, so at 2560 × 1440 it is about 1544 × 423.
Why does my banner look cropped on my phone?
Phones and computers show a wide, short strip from the middle of the banner, not the whole 16:9 image. Anything outside the centred safe area can be cut off, so keep names, taglines and logos inside it and use the rest for background.
What file types can I use for a YouTube banner?
Export a JPG or PNG under 6 MB. A JPG at high quality keeps a detailed banner well under the limit.
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The image is read in your browser to measure it and draw the preview. It never leaves your device.
Why does the checker say my aspect ratio is wrong?
Because the image isn’t 16:9. YouTube fits the banner into that shape, so a different shape gets cropped or stretched in ways you don’t control. Extend the background or crop the design to 16:9 before you upload.
Rather have the banner designed?
Banners, avatars and thumbnail templates as one channel kit, sized to what YouTube renders, and you work directly with Mark.
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