YouTube Banner Size: 2560 x 1440 and the Safe Area
Quick answer
YouTube channel banners should be 2560 x 1440 pixels, under 6 MB, with 2048 x 1152 the minimum accepted. Only the centre 1235 x 338 pixels are guaranteed visible on every device, so your channel name, logo and schedule all have to live inside that strip.
Every YouTube channel banner size
| Use | Dimensions | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended uploadUse thisThe full file. Only television displays all of it. | 2560 x 1440 | 16:9 |
| Safe area for text and logosGuaranteed visible on every device. | 1235 x 338 | Approx 3.65:1 |
| Minimum acceptedBelow this YouTube rejects the upload. | 2048 x 1152 | 16:9 |
Maximum file size
6 MB
Aspect ratio
16:9
What the table does not tell you
- The banner is the most aggressively cropped asset on any platform. A design that reads on desktop can lose its left and right thirds entirely on mobile.
- Build the 1235 x 338 safe area first, then extend the background outwards to fill 2560 x 1440. Designing the full canvas first is how banners end up with the logo cropped off.
- Preview on TV as well as mobile in YouTube's own upload dialog. TV is the only surface that shows the whole 16:9 file, and untouched corners look obviously empty there.
- Avoid putting a call to action in the banner. Clickable channel links sit in the bottom right corner of the banner area and will overlap anything you place there.
Stop resizing the same asset five times
Crowbert formats one upload for every platform it publishes to, so a single channel banner goes out at the right dimensions everywhere without a round trip through a design tool.
Common questions
What size is a YouTube banner in 2026?
2560 x 1440 pixels, with a 1235 x 338 pixel safe area in the centre and a 6 MB file size ceiling.
Why is my YouTube banner cropped on mobile?
That is expected. YouTube crops the 2560 x 1440 upload down to roughly 1235 x 338 on phones. Anything outside that central strip is designed to be cut.
What is the minimum YouTube banner size?
2048 x 1152 pixels. Below that YouTube rejects the upload, and at exactly that size the banner looks soft on television.
Other YouTube sizes
Master YouTube next
Sizes on other platforms
Where these numbers come from
Figures marked “not published by YouTube” are working conventions rather than documented specifications. Everything else comes from the documentation above.
Checked against the documentation above on September 22, 2026.