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.

Click here


• 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.

Building Connections Through Collaborative Playlists

YouTube has become the most popular video-sharing platform on the internet, with users from all over the world uploading and watching videos daily. You can find content on just about any topic you can think of on YouTube, making it an excellent resource for entertainment and education.

But what if you’ve created a playlist of your favorite videos and think your friends or family would enjoy it? To help you with this, we’ve put together an extensive guide on how to share a YouTube playlist on your computer and mobile devices.

So, let’s get started with our guide without any further delay!

Why Doesn’t The Share Function In The Playlist Work?

Firstly, let’s figure out why the “Share” function doesn’t work. The “Share” function in the playlist does not work because it is set to “private,” and YouTube doesn’t allow you to share them. To fix this, you must first change the privacy settings of the playlist to “public” in the following way:

Step1 Head to the YouTube website using a browser on your PC and sign in to your account.

Step2

• Click the three-line “Menu” icon at the top-left of your screen.
• Go to “Library.”
• Scroll down to the “Playlist” section.

Step3 Select your playlist labeled as “Private.” On the next page, click the “Private” option in the playlist details section and select “Public” to change the visibility of your playlist.

Once the privacy setting has been changed, the “share” function will work as intended.

How To Share The YouTube Playlist?

If you want to share the playlist on YouTube using your computer or mobile device, read the instructions below carefully:

1. For Computers

Here are four different ways to share your YouTube playlist using your laptop or desktop computer:

How To Share Your Own YouTube Playlist With A Link To View?

Sharing your YouTube playlist is a perfect way to increase the number of views and subscribers, allowing your viewers to see all the videos in one place.

This is especially helpful if you have a series of videos that you want viewers to watch. Here are the step-by-step instructions for achieving this task:

Step1 Visit the YouTube website using a browser on your computer and sign in to your account. Click your Profile in the top-right of the screen and select “Your Channel” from the drop-down menu, which will take you to your YouTube channel’s dashboard.

Step2 Next, go to the “Playlist” tab and click the “View Full Playlist” option under your playlist to access it.

Step3 Finally, click the “Share” icon in the playlist’s details section, and a window will pop up. From here, you can either click “Copy” to save the link to your clipboard or share the playlist directly to WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Email, KakaoTalk, Reddit, and more platforms.

How To Share Someone Else’s YouTube Playlist With A Link To View?

If you want to share someone else’s YouTube playlist with a link, do the following steps in sequence:

Step1 In the first step, launch your preferred browser, visit the YouTube website, and sign in to your account using your credentials.

Step2 On the left side of the website’s main interface, click the “Library” option and scroll down to the Playlists section.

Step3 Under the “Playlists” section, click on the playlist you want to share. Now, click the “Share” icon in the playlist’s details section, and a pop-up window will appear. In the “Share” section, copy the URL and paste it into an email, message, or social media post to share.

That’s all there is to it! Anyone you’ve shared the link with can watch the entire playlist.

How To Share The Playlist While Watching?

We all love using YouTube for research or just scrolling through videos to pass the time, and we often share our favorite videos with others. What if you wish to share a whole YouTube playlist while watching it?

Fortunately, there’s a simple and quick way to do this, and here are the step-by-step instructions for this method.

Step1 In the first step, head to the YouTube website using a browser and use the search bar to access the playlist.

Step2 Click the playlist to start watching it. Next, click the playlist title in the grey box on the right-hand side.

Step3 On the playlist page, click the “Share” icon in the details section, and a window will pop-up. Click “Copy” to save the link or directly share the playlist to social platforms.

That’s it! The recipient will now be able to watch the entire YouTube playlist you’ve shared.

How To Share A YouTube Playlist With A Link To Collaborate

Through the “Collaborate on playlists” feature, YouTube allows you to add friends to your playlist, who can then add videos to it.

Here’s how you can share a YouTube playlist with a link to collaborate with your friends:

Step1 In the first step, go to the YouTube website using your preferred browser, and sign in to your channel’s Gmail account using your email address and password.

Step2 Click your “Profile” icon, choose the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu and go to the “Playlist.”

Step3 In the next step, click the “View Full Playlist” option under your preferred playlist. This will take you to your playlist page.

Step4 In the details section of your YouTube playlist on the playlist page, click the three dots (ellipsis) icon and select the “Collaborate” option.

Step5 A pop-up window will appear on your screen. Toggle on the “Collaborators can add videos to this playlist” option to enable it, and the “Allow new collaborators” option will appear.

Toggle on the “Allow new collaborators” option, click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard, and click “Done” to apply the changes.

That’s about it! You can now share the playlist link with your friends, who can now add videos to it.

2. For iOS and Android

If you want to quickly share a YouTube playlist using your iOS or Android device, follow these instructions step-by-step:

Note: The method of sharing the YouTube playlist on an iOS device is the same as mentioned above.

Step1 Since most devices have YouTube already installed, locate the YouTube app in your device’s app drawer and launch it.

Step2 On the app’s main interface/Home screen, tap the “Library” option at the bottom right corner of your device’s screen.

Step3 Now, scroll down to the “Playlists” section and open the playlist you wish to share with your friends.

Step4 In the playlist’s details section, tap the “Share” icon above the “Play All” button. Now, tap the “Copy” icon to save the playlist’s URL on your clipboard, or use other available options to share the playlist directly.

Bonus: Do You Want To Create Your Own YouTube Videos?

We hope you have found the solution to share your YouTube Playlist. Supposing you are a common YouTube user and like to share the fantastic things you found on this platform, are you interested in making a YouTube video by yourself? If yes, please watch the video below to start editing your own videos with a user-friendly video editor - Wondershare Filmora . With it, you can create your video with ease:

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve explored why the share function in the playlist is not working and how to share a YouTube playlist using your computer and mobile device.

Step1 Since most devices have YouTube already installed, locate the YouTube app in your device’s app drawer and launch it.

Step2 On the app’s main interface/Home screen, tap the “Library” option at the bottom right corner of your device’s screen.

Step3 Now, scroll down to the “Playlists” section and open the playlist you wish to share with your friends.

Step4 In the playlist’s details section, tap the “Share” icon above the “Play All” button. Now, tap the “Copy” icon to save the playlist’s URL on your clipboard, or use other available options to share the playlist directly.

Bonus: Do You Want To Create Your Own YouTube Videos?

We hope you have found the solution to share your YouTube Playlist. Supposing you are a common YouTube user and like to share the fantastic things you found on this platform, are you interested in making a YouTube video by yourself? If yes, please watch the video below to start editing your own videos with a user-friendly video editor - Wondershare Filmora . With it, you can create your video with ease:

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve explored why the share function in the playlist is not working and how to share a YouTube playlist using your computer and mobile device.