Troubleshooting: Why Are Your Shorts’ Thumbnails Hiding?

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.

Building Captivating Online Media Summaries

How to Make a Channel Trailer

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Your channel trailer is the video viewers who are not already subscribed to you will see when they visit your channel page. It is your chance to make a quick pitch to them about why they should subscribe. You can use your channel trailer to let new visitors to your channel know what kind of videos you make and to convince them to subscribe. Here are 5 tips to make an effective YouTube channel trailer.

Part 1: 5 Tips for Making a Great Channel Trailer

Here are our top 5 recommendations for anybody creating a YouTube channel trailer:

Reach Out – It’s All About Your Viewers

Use your channel trailer to try to connect to the individual viewer watching it. Greet that one person as one person, as a ‘you’, instead of as a member of a group (i.e., avoid saying ‘you guys’).

The more you can make your trailer about the person watching it, the better. You are telling them about yourself, but you are doing it for their benefit. Address them directly (i.e. ‘If you like…’ or ‘you don’t want to miss’.) and make everything you say about them. For example, instead of saying ‘I post tutorials about’, try ‘you can learn about’.

Flaunt Your Personality – It’s All About You

One of the golden rules of YouTube is ‘be yourself’. People will subscribe because they enjoy your personality and want to see more of it.

Use your trailer as an opportunity to showcase your unique perspective. Be yourself, and be the person that is excited to be making great YouTube videos. You are at your best when you let people see how much you care about something, so show your viewers how much you care about delivering great video content. This is what will make people want to subscribe.

Talk about All the Cool Stuff You Do

The best channel trailers give viewers a window into your channel. You need to show people what to expect from you as a personality, but you also need to tell them what to expect in terms of your videos.

Your channel trailer should include information like: what kinds of videos you make, why you make them, and what your upload schedule is.

Be specific. Instead of saying you make videos about makeup, say you make look tutorials and talk about your favorite styles. Instead of saying you are a gamer, tell your potential subscribers what games you post about and what some of your favorites are.

A specific schedule is important for getting people to subscribe. Generally, viewers do not subscribe to channels that have not posted in a long time. They subscribe because they do not want to miss out on new content, and if you follow a schedule, they will trust that that new content is on its way.

Ask Them to Subscribe

Do not forget to ask the person to view your trailer to subscribe.

A lot of people go into YouTube thinking people will subscribe if they like their videos, and so making great videos is the only way to get people to subscribe. This is not true.

Making great videos is the first step to getting subscribers, but the second step is to ask for them. Not everyone subscribes to every channel they visit and enjoy. A person who enjoys your videos is more likely to subscribe if you prompt them to.

30 Seconds

The ideal length for a YouTube channel trailer is 30 seconds, or between 30 seconds and 1 minute.

The people viewing your trailer did not come to YouTube for the purpose of watching it. They are unlikely to give it much time before they continue browsing. This means you need to grab their attention tightly right away, but it also means you need to keep your trailer bite-sized.

Thirty seconds should be long enough to tell people what your channel is about, show off your personality, and ask them to subscribe. If you take much longer, viewers will click away before they hear your full pitch.

Part 2: How to Add a Channel Trailer Using Wondershare Filmora

Here are a few simple steps to setting up your channel trailer.

1. Turn on channel customization. Go to My Channel and click the gear icon over your channel’s banner. Switch Customize the layout of your channel from off to on.
2. Upload your trailer video like you would any other video.
3. Go to your channel and click on the For new visitors tab, which should appear after you’ve turned on customization.
4. Click Channel trailer and choose your video, or paste in its URL.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Your channel trailer is the video viewers who are not already subscribed to you will see when they visit your channel page. It is your chance to make a quick pitch to them about why they should subscribe. You can use your channel trailer to let new visitors to your channel know what kind of videos you make and to convince them to subscribe. Here are 5 tips to make an effective YouTube channel trailer.

Part 1: 5 Tips for Making a Great Channel Trailer

Here are our top 5 recommendations for anybody creating a YouTube channel trailer:

Reach Out – It’s All About Your Viewers

Use your channel trailer to try to connect to the individual viewer watching it. Greet that one person as one person, as a ‘you’, instead of as a member of a group (i.e., avoid saying ‘you guys’).

The more you can make your trailer about the person watching it, the better. You are telling them about yourself, but you are doing it for their benefit. Address them directly (i.e. ‘If you like…’ or ‘you don’t want to miss’.) and make everything you say about them. For example, instead of saying ‘I post tutorials about’, try ‘you can learn about’.

Flaunt Your Personality – It’s All About You

One of the golden rules of YouTube is ‘be yourself’. People will subscribe because they enjoy your personality and want to see more of it.

Use your trailer as an opportunity to showcase your unique perspective. Be yourself, and be the person that is excited to be making great YouTube videos. You are at your best when you let people see how much you care about something, so show your viewers how much you care about delivering great video content. This is what will make people want to subscribe.

Talk about All the Cool Stuff You Do

The best channel trailers give viewers a window into your channel. You need to show people what to expect from you as a personality, but you also need to tell them what to expect in terms of your videos.

Your channel trailer should include information like: what kinds of videos you make, why you make them, and what your upload schedule is.

Be specific. Instead of saying you make videos about makeup, say you make look tutorials and talk about your favorite styles. Instead of saying you are a gamer, tell your potential subscribers what games you post about and what some of your favorites are.

A specific schedule is important for getting people to subscribe. Generally, viewers do not subscribe to channels that have not posted in a long time. They subscribe because they do not want to miss out on new content, and if you follow a schedule, they will trust that that new content is on its way.

Ask Them to Subscribe

Do not forget to ask the person to view your trailer to subscribe.

A lot of people go into YouTube thinking people will subscribe if they like their videos, and so making great videos is the only way to get people to subscribe. This is not true.

Making great videos is the first step to getting subscribers, but the second step is to ask for them. Not everyone subscribes to every channel they visit and enjoy. A person who enjoys your videos is more likely to subscribe if you prompt them to.

30 Seconds

The ideal length for a YouTube channel trailer is 30 seconds, or between 30 seconds and 1 minute.

The people viewing your trailer did not come to YouTube for the purpose of watching it. They are unlikely to give it much time before they continue browsing. This means you need to grab their attention tightly right away, but it also means you need to keep your trailer bite-sized.

Thirty seconds should be long enough to tell people what your channel is about, show off your personality, and ask them to subscribe. If you take much longer, viewers will click away before they hear your full pitch.

Part 2: How to Add a Channel Trailer Using Wondershare Filmora

Here are a few simple steps to setting up your channel trailer.

1. Turn on channel customization. Go to My Channel and click the gear icon over your channel’s banner. Switch Customize the layout of your channel from off to on.
2. Upload your trailer video like you would any other video.
3. Go to your channel and click on the For new visitors tab, which should appear after you’ve turned on customization.
4. Click Channel trailer and choose your video, or paste in its URL.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Your channel trailer is the video viewers who are not already subscribed to you will see when they visit your channel page. It is your chance to make a quick pitch to them about why they should subscribe. You can use your channel trailer to let new visitors to your channel know what kind of videos you make and to convince them to subscribe. Here are 5 tips to make an effective YouTube channel trailer.

Part 1: 5 Tips for Making a Great Channel Trailer

Here are our top 5 recommendations for anybody creating a YouTube channel trailer:

Reach Out – It’s All About Your Viewers

Use your channel trailer to try to connect to the individual viewer watching it. Greet that one person as one person, as a ‘you’, instead of as a member of a group (i.e., avoid saying ‘you guys’).

The more you can make your trailer about the person watching it, the better. You are telling them about yourself, but you are doing it for their benefit. Address them directly (i.e. ‘If you like…’ or ‘you don’t want to miss’.) and make everything you say about them. For example, instead of saying ‘I post tutorials about’, try ‘you can learn about’.

Flaunt Your Personality – It’s All About You

One of the golden rules of YouTube is ‘be yourself’. People will subscribe because they enjoy your personality and want to see more of it.

Use your trailer as an opportunity to showcase your unique perspective. Be yourself, and be the person that is excited to be making great YouTube videos. You are at your best when you let people see how much you care about something, so show your viewers how much you care about delivering great video content. This is what will make people want to subscribe.

Talk about All the Cool Stuff You Do

The best channel trailers give viewers a window into your channel. You need to show people what to expect from you as a personality, but you also need to tell them what to expect in terms of your videos.

Your channel trailer should include information like: what kinds of videos you make, why you make them, and what your upload schedule is.

Be specific. Instead of saying you make videos about makeup, say you make look tutorials and talk about your favorite styles. Instead of saying you are a gamer, tell your potential subscribers what games you post about and what some of your favorites are.

A specific schedule is important for getting people to subscribe. Generally, viewers do not subscribe to channels that have not posted in a long time. They subscribe because they do not want to miss out on new content, and if you follow a schedule, they will trust that that new content is on its way.

Ask Them to Subscribe

Do not forget to ask the person to view your trailer to subscribe.

A lot of people go into YouTube thinking people will subscribe if they like their videos, and so making great videos is the only way to get people to subscribe. This is not true.

Making great videos is the first step to getting subscribers, but the second step is to ask for them. Not everyone subscribes to every channel they visit and enjoy. A person who enjoys your videos is more likely to subscribe if you prompt them to.

30 Seconds

The ideal length for a YouTube channel trailer is 30 seconds, or between 30 seconds and 1 minute.

The people viewing your trailer did not come to YouTube for the purpose of watching it. They are unlikely to give it much time before they continue browsing. This means you need to grab their attention tightly right away, but it also means you need to keep your trailer bite-sized.

Thirty seconds should be long enough to tell people what your channel is about, show off your personality, and ask them to subscribe. If you take much longer, viewers will click away before they hear your full pitch.

Part 2: How to Add a Channel Trailer Using Wondershare Filmora

Here are a few simple steps to setting up your channel trailer.

1. Turn on channel customization. Go to My Channel and click the gear icon over your channel’s banner. Switch Customize the layout of your channel from off to on.
2. Upload your trailer video like you would any other video.
3. Go to your channel and click on the For new visitors tab, which should appear after you’ve turned on customization.
4. Click Channel trailer and choose your video, or paste in its URL.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Your channel trailer is the video viewers who are not already subscribed to you will see when they visit your channel page. It is your chance to make a quick pitch to them about why they should subscribe. You can use your channel trailer to let new visitors to your channel know what kind of videos you make and to convince them to subscribe. Here are 5 tips to make an effective YouTube channel trailer.

Part 1: 5 Tips for Making a Great Channel Trailer

Here are our top 5 recommendations for anybody creating a YouTube channel trailer:

Reach Out – It’s All About Your Viewers

Use your channel trailer to try to connect to the individual viewer watching it. Greet that one person as one person, as a ‘you’, instead of as a member of a group (i.e., avoid saying ‘you guys’).

The more you can make your trailer about the person watching it, the better. You are telling them about yourself, but you are doing it for their benefit. Address them directly (i.e. ‘If you like…’ or ‘you don’t want to miss’.) and make everything you say about them. For example, instead of saying ‘I post tutorials about’, try ‘you can learn about’.

Flaunt Your Personality – It’s All About You

One of the golden rules of YouTube is ‘be yourself’. People will subscribe because they enjoy your personality and want to see more of it.

Use your trailer as an opportunity to showcase your unique perspective. Be yourself, and be the person that is excited to be making great YouTube videos. You are at your best when you let people see how much you care about something, so show your viewers how much you care about delivering great video content. This is what will make people want to subscribe.

Talk about All the Cool Stuff You Do

The best channel trailers give viewers a window into your channel. You need to show people what to expect from you as a personality, but you also need to tell them what to expect in terms of your videos.

Your channel trailer should include information like: what kinds of videos you make, why you make them, and what your upload schedule is.

Be specific. Instead of saying you make videos about makeup, say you make look tutorials and talk about your favorite styles. Instead of saying you are a gamer, tell your potential subscribers what games you post about and what some of your favorites are.

A specific schedule is important for getting people to subscribe. Generally, viewers do not subscribe to channels that have not posted in a long time. They subscribe because they do not want to miss out on new content, and if you follow a schedule, they will trust that that new content is on its way.

Ask Them to Subscribe

Do not forget to ask the person to view your trailer to subscribe.

A lot of people go into YouTube thinking people will subscribe if they like their videos, and so making great videos is the only way to get people to subscribe. This is not true.

Making great videos is the first step to getting subscribers, but the second step is to ask for them. Not everyone subscribes to every channel they visit and enjoy. A person who enjoys your videos is more likely to subscribe if you prompt them to.

30 Seconds

The ideal length for a YouTube channel trailer is 30 seconds, or between 30 seconds and 1 minute.

The people viewing your trailer did not come to YouTube for the purpose of watching it. They are unlikely to give it much time before they continue browsing. This means you need to grab their attention tightly right away, but it also means you need to keep your trailer bite-sized.

Thirty seconds should be long enough to tell people what your channel is about, show off your personality, and ask them to subscribe. If you take much longer, viewers will click away before they hear your full pitch.

Part 2: How to Add a Channel Trailer Using Wondershare Filmora

Here are a few simple steps to setting up your channel trailer.

1. Turn on channel customization. Go to My Channel and click the gear icon over your channel’s banner. Switch Customize the layout of your channel from off to on.
2. Upload your trailer video like you would any other video.
3. Go to your channel and click on the For new visitors tab, which should appear after you’ve turned on customization.
4. Click Channel trailer and choose your video, or paste in its URL.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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