4 Ways to Make Your YouTube Thumbnails Visible Again in Chrome

Get rid of missing or broken thumbnails issue on YouTube

Browsers » Chrome

Reading time icon 4 min. read

Calendar icon Updated on

by Loredana Harsana 

updated on

Share this article

Readers help support Windows Report. We may get a commission if you buy through our links. Tooltip Icon

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team Read more

Key notes

  • Your YouTube video thumbnails play an important role in the reception you get from your audience.
  • They give your viewers an idea of what to expect when they click on your video and sometimes act as an appetizer for the things to come.
  • Issues such as internet speed, cached data on your browser, or simply not following YouTube’s policies on thumbnails could affect how you see these thumbnails.
make your YouTube thumbnails visible again in Chrome

Facing the issue of Chrome YouTube thumbnails not showing can be a little unnerving for you if you are trying to upload your content on YouTube.

If you are familiar with YouTube, you know that other than the title of the video, the thumbnail plays an important role in attracting viewers to your content, and the same can be said about how your page looks.

The last thing you want to happen is losing views because of this issue we are talking about. Your custom thumbnail is missing or not showing may occur on Chrome, Edge, or even Firefox as well.

Why are YouTube thumbnails not showing?

YouTube thumbnails not showing errors on Chrome may occur due to several reasons. These are:

  • Corrupted cache and cookies
  • Poor internet connection
  • Your browser is not compatible
  • YouTube is having some problems generating or loading thumbnails

How do I restore thumbnails on YouTube?

1. Check your internet speed

  1. Open your Google Chrome browser. 
  2. Go to this Speedtest page.
  3. Click on Run Speed Test and wait as the information on your internet speed shows up.ookla speed test chrome
  4. If your internet speed is slow, consider refreshing your internet and checking your thumbnails. 

2. Clear your browsing cache

  1. Open your browser.
  2. Press CTRL + Shift+ Del on your keyboard.
  3. Choose All time as the time range.choose clear browsing data time range
  4. Check Cache images and files and then click on Clear data.metamask not showing balance

After that, go to YouTube and see if the thumbnails are still broken or not.

3. Use a YouTube Banner software 

If you are having problems creating a good thumbnail for your video, or if YouTube keeps rejecting your custom thumbnail, consider using YouTube banner software. 

There are several effective thumbnail makers on the internet today. 

These are professional tools that enable you to meet YouTube’s standards on thumbnails, allowing you to create content that is both visually appealing and acceptable. 

4. Use a YouTube thumbnail maker

Sometimes, the issue of Chrome YouTube thumbnails not showing won’t be your browser or the internet, but your thumbnails. 

It could be because your thumbnails don’t meet YouTube’s community guidelines or thumbnail policies for custom thumbnails.

When this happens, it is important to rely on a good thumbnail maker. This is usually a tool that allows you to create a visible thumbnail of the right size. 

Whatever you decide to have as a thumbnail, always ensure that you stay within YouTube’s policies regarding thumbnails. 

What is the recommended YouTube thumbnail size?

YouTube Thumbnails are snapshots that represent your content. They give viewers an idea of what the video is about. 

There are 3 ways to add thumbnails to your video: 

  1. Through YouTube’s automatically generated thumbnails. 
  2. Use a custom-generated thumbnail if you have a verified account.
  3. Through the YouTube studio app on your mobile device. 

The size should be 1280×720 px with the JPG, GIF, or PNG formats. It should also be less than 2MB in size. If you choose the wrong size, the YouTube thumbnail does not show issues that may occur on platforms like Facebook and other social media.

YouTube also encourages users to try and maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio on all their thumbnails. 

Also, make sure that your thumbnails are relevant and clear enough for your audience to get them to click on your video. 

This article has shown you how to fix YouTube thumbnails not showing problems on Chrome and other browsers, not only for particular videos but for playlists as well.

In case you’re having additional problems, discover 6 simple methods to restore Google Thumbnails, we have a dedicated article for that.

Feel free to share what method worked for you by using the comment section found below this article.

Loredana Harsana

Loredana Harsana Shield

Windows Software Expert

Loredana is a passionate writer with a keen interest in PC software and technology. She started off writing about mobile phones back when Samsung Galaxy S II was on top of the world and she fell in love with tech of all sorts. Whenever she’s not at her work desk, you'll find her enjoying refreshing tea flavors, spilling stories on paper, and listening to the radio.