How to Prevent Thumbnail Absence in Shorts Uploads

Video thumbnails are important since they encourage people to click and watch the video. But what if your set YouTube Shorts thumbnail is not showing? YouTube will use a random part of the video as the thumbnail. It may be an unflattering or uninteresting shot. Then, your Shorts video is doomed.

That said, it is a problem you want to solve. Here are 7 FAQs about YouTube Shorts thumbnails. They may help you with fixing this issue.

Q1. Can I Customize YouTube Shorts Thumbnails?

Yes, you can. YouTube did allow short-form video creators to upload custom thumbnails for their Shorts. However, they aren’t that optimized. For instance, some people may not see them on the Shorts shelf. Also, if you share a link to the video somewhere else, the old video thumbnail may show instead of the new one.

Adding a custom thumbnail for YouTube Shorts is the same as adding one for long-form videos on the platform. Follow these steps:

• Open the YouTube mobile app. Click the “Plus” icon at the bottom center > “Create Short.” Upload, edit, and post your video.

• Get to your desktop computer or laptop. Open your channel’s YouTube Studio.

• On the left navigation menu, click “Content.”

• Click the “pencil” icon next to the Shorts you just uploaded. This video should be at the top of the list.
• Navigate to the Thumbnail section. Click “Create Thumbnail.”

Q2. Why Are YouTube Shorts Thumbnails Not Showing?

It’s not you who’s the only one with Shorts thumbnails not showing. Many short-form content creators on the platform are also facing this issue. A YouTuber took to Reddit to complain about how he uploaded custom thumbnails for all his videos. The thumbnails are correct in the editor. However, YouTube still displays a random frame as the thumbnail on the Shorts shelf.

“They ALL have randomly selected different parts of each video I have uploaded & somehow generated a new/unknown thumbnail that was neither what I uploaded as the custom option nor 1 of the 3 that YouTube auto populated.”

YouTuber on Reddit

The reason behind this is the difference in the thumbnail size. Regular YouTube video thumbnails are in the ratio of 16:9. Meanwhile, Shorts uses a ratio of 9:16. The thing is that YouTube does not yet allow you to upload 9:16 thumbnails. Thus, the thumbnail for Shorts may show correctly on the video section but not on the Shorts shelf.

Q3. How to Fix YouTube Shorts Thumbnail Problem?

Unfortunately, there is no reliable fix to this problem yet. YouTubers have tried different things in hopes that YouTube will display the correct thumbnail for their Shorts.

Some YouTubers have tried using different images. Others have experimented with changing the aspect ratio of the thumbnail or using Adobe editor for ratios. Clearing histories and cache, using different browsers, resizing, and changing the images’ resolution have also been done. Sadly, these are all failed attempts.

Q4. How To Boost Views When I Have no Control Over YouTube Shorts Thumbnails?

Attracting viewers on Shorts is the same as attracting viewers on the main YouTube. You use interesting thumbnails and video titles. Since thumbnails are out of the options, selecting great video titles has become even more important.

Here are some pointers. Your title should be at most 40 characters. Also, it should be concise and irresistible. And forget about SEO since no one is searching for YouTube Shorts anyway. People consume what they see in their feeds. So instead, the title should be “snappy.” It should intrigue, entertain, or enlighten the viewers. That will net you some views for your Shorts content.

Q5. How To Get More Views on YouTube Shorts?

Forgoing the intro is the way to go. An intro will just prolong the video when people are in Shorts to find bite-sized videos. So jump right into the video content. You can also start the video with a still frame instead. Using hashtags, captions, and text effects are also recommended. And interacting with your audience through comments and pinned comments will keep them coming back to your Shorts channel.

Of course, ensuring that the video quality is high is key to getting more views. For that, you need a good video editor. You can try Wondershare Filmora , a powerful and easy-to-use video editor.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

The best thing is that you don’t need to transfer the video from your phone to your computer and back. Wondershare Filmora is available on mobile. And it’s one of the best tools for enhancing a short-form video.

Short-form video watchers love filters, transitions, and effects. And Filmora gives you access to all of that. It provides you with fun and amazing filters, effects, transitions, and stamps that can add a wow factor to your short-form video.

Q6. Do YouTube Shorts Make Money?

Making money from YouTube Shorts was challenging. The platform pays content creators who are doing well through the Creator Fund. However, as Shorts grew, the payout became smaller.

Luckily, that’s going to change. Starting this year, Shorts will be a part of the YouTube Partner Program. This means that you can make money from the ads that people watch on Shorts. According to YouTube, creators will keep 45% of the revenue. It will be distributed based on your share of total Shorts views.

YouTube also adjusted the requirements to qualify for the YPP. They made it easier for Shorts content creators to get into the program.

Q7. How Do You Make YouTube Shorts Play Normal?

You can watch Shorts like normal YouTube videos where you can rewind when you want to. Follow these steps.

On a Desktop Computer

• Open a Shorts video on YouTube.

• Pause the video.

• Click “Library” on the left panel.

• Select the Shorts you just watched. It should be on the top and first on the list.

On a Mobile Phone

• Open the YouTube app. Watch a Shorts video.

• Like the Shorts video.

• Tap “Library”

• Scroll down to find “Liked Videos.” Click on it.

• Select the Shorts video you just watched. It should be at the top of the list.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, custom thumbnails not showing on Shorts does not have a fix yet. So to attract viewers, you must leverage the things in your control. You must title your videos in a way that will make users click the video. Also, adding effects and filters on the video using an editor like Wondershare Filmora can help.

Users can subscribe to Shorts channels. And if they see that your videos are well-edited and high-quality, they’ll be more likely to do so. Once they are subscribed, they will see and watch your videos more often.

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

The best thing is that you don’t need to transfer the video from your phone to your computer and back. Wondershare Filmora is available on mobile. And it’s one of the best tools for enhancing a short-form video.

Short-form video watchers love filters, transitions, and effects. And Filmora gives you access to all of that. It provides you with fun and amazing filters, effects, transitions, and stamps that can add a wow factor to your short-form video.

Q6. Do YouTube Shorts Make Money?

Making money from YouTube Shorts was challenging. The platform pays content creators who are doing well through the Creator Fund. However, as Shorts grew, the payout became smaller.

Luckily, that’s going to change. Starting this year, Shorts will be a part of the YouTube Partner Program. This means that you can make money from the ads that people watch on Shorts. According to YouTube, creators will keep 45% of the revenue. It will be distributed based on your share of total Shorts views.

YouTube also adjusted the requirements to qualify for the YPP. They made it easier for Shorts content creators to get into the program.

Q7. How Do You Make YouTube Shorts Play Normal?

You can watch Shorts like normal YouTube videos where you can rewind when you want to. Follow these steps.

On a Desktop Computer

• Open a Shorts video on YouTube.

• Pause the video.

• Click “Library” on the left panel.

• Select the Shorts you just watched. It should be on the top and first on the list.

On a Mobile Phone

• Open the YouTube app. Watch a Shorts video.

• Like the Shorts video.

• Tap “Library”

• Scroll down to find “Liked Videos.” Click on it.

• Select the Shorts video you just watched. It should be at the top of the list.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, custom thumbnails not showing on Shorts does not have a fix yet. So to attract viewers, you must leverage the things in your control. You must title your videos in a way that will make users click the video. Also, adding effects and filters on the video using an editor like Wondershare Filmora can help.

Users can subscribe to Shorts channels. And if they see that your videos are well-edited and high-quality, they’ll be more likely to do so. Once they are subscribed, they will see and watch your videos more often.

Effortless Guide to Share Your Videos as Shorts on Computers & Phones

How to Upload Shorts Video on YouTube? [2024]

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Quite recently, YouTube launched Shorts to compete with Tik Tok. At the time of this writing, the users in India have access to the fully functional version of the app. Although YouTube Shorts is available for both Android and iOS platforms, its functions are limited as the application is still in its Beta phase for the remaining part of the globe.

With that said, the following sections explain the step-by-step process on how to upload a short video on YouTube Shorts both from your smartphone and a PC.

Part 1: How to Upload Short Video on YouTube from PC?

The fact is, if you are using a computer to upload short videos to YouTube, the process is identical to publishing your other, regular footage. However, there are a few guidelines that your clips must comply with so that the streaming platform could specifically identify them as YouTube Shorts. These norms include:

• Your videos must not be more than 60 seconds long in duration
• They must be shot in portrait orientation, ideally in the 9:16 aspect ratio
• The title or the description must contain ‘#Shorts’ (without quotes) in it

Once you have a video recorded using the first two guidelines from the above list, you can use the instructions given below to upload the media on YouTube:

Step 1: Select a Short Video to Upload

Launch your favorite web browser on your PC, go to YouTube, make sure to sign in to your YouTube account, click the Create (Camera) icon from the top-right corner of the web page, click SELECT FILES on the Upload videos window, and locate, select, and upload a short video from your PC to the portal.

Step 2: Mark the Video as Short

On the Details window that appears, add #Shorts in the Title or Description field, optionally pick a thumbnail from the suggested images present under the Thumbnail section (or upload a custom picture from your PC), select your preferred radio button from under the Audience section, make the other necessary changes if need be, and click NEXT. When the Video elements window comes up, choose your preferred options and elements, click NEXT.

Step 3: Publish the Short Video

On the Visibility window, choose your preferred radio button from under the Save or publish section or select Schedule to set a different time when the short video should be published automatically. Finally, click SAVE to publish the clip as a short video on YouTube from your computer.

To sum up, uploading YouTube Shorts video from desktop has nothing different from uploading regular YouTube video besides the requirements listed at the beginning of this article. If you prefer to edit videos for YouTube Shortson a computer, I recommend you to try our video editor Filmora , which is an ideal solution for YouTubers. Download the free trial version below and get started.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Secure Download

---

Part 2: How to Upload Short Video on YouTube Mobile App?

The process of uploading YouTube Shorts from the mobile app is fairly simple compared to the method used on a computer. While using the app, you can either upload an existing video or shoot a new one from within the program itself then and there, add music and text, and upload it right away. Both these methods are explained below in detail:

Note: The guidelines for creating and uploading short videos to YouTube remain the same, regardless of the platform or device you use.

Method 1: Upload an Existing Short Video

Note: Make sure to have the target video on the smartphone and that you have downloaded, installed, and signed in to the YouTube app before proceeding.

Step 1: Select a Video to Upload

On your Android or iOS smartphone, launch the YouTube app, tap the + (Create) icon from the bottom, tap Create a Short from the Create box that pops up from the bottom, tap Upload from the bottom-right corner of the next screen, and select and upload a short, 60 seconds video recorded in portrait orientation from your device’s storage to the app.

Step 2: Add Details

On the next screen, tap NEXT, user the Music and Text icons at the bottom-left corner to add a background music and caption to the video respectively, and tap NEXT from the top-right corner. On the next screen, enter a name for the video in the Title field along with the #Shorts tag, and tap Select audience to choose your preferred audience.

Step 3: Upload the Video

Finally tap UPLOAD from the top-right corner to upload the short video on YouTube.

Method 2: Record a Short Video and Upload

Step 1: Record Shorts Video

Previously, I have introduced how to record and upload YouTube Shorts videos , so I will keep the content concise here.

Please note you will not see the Create a Short option if you are outsides of India.

In the YouTube app, tap the + (Add) button and select Create a Short. Please note you will not see the Create a Short option if you are outsides of India.

Next, use the Speed and Timer icons to set the speed of the video and the countdown timer duration before the app starts recording the video when you press the Record button respectively.

Now tap the Record button from the bottom to start recording a video and stop to stop the recording. Make sure to shoot the footage in the portrait mode (ideally in the 9:16 aspect ratio). Tap NEXT from the bottom-right corner to proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Add Text and Music to the Short Video

On the next window, use the Music and Text buttons from the bottom-left corner to add a background music and caption to the video, and tap NEXT from the top-right corner.

Step 3: Upload and Post the Short Video

On the Add details window, enter a name for the video along with the #Shorts tag in the Create a title field, tap Select audience to select the target audience, and tap UPLOAD from the top-right corner to upload the short video on YouTube.

Conclusion

Learning the process of how to post short videos on YouTube is fairly simple as long as you have the video recorded in the portrait orientation, it is up to 60 seconds long, and contains the ‘#Shorts’ tag (without quotes) in the title or description. The good thing is, if you don’t have access to the YouTube app on your smartphone, the method for how to upload short video on YouTube explained in the first section can be followed while using your desktop computer.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Also read: