How to change a YouTube playlist thumbnail
Change a YouTube playlist thumbnail by opening the playlist, selecting Edit, then Choose from library. On a phone you can also take a photo or create a cover with AI.
3 min read ThumbnailsYouTubeGuidesOpen your playlist, select **Edit**, then select **Choose from library** and pick the photo you want. That's the whole job on a computer. On a phone you get two more options: take a new photo, or have YouTube make a cover with AI.
A cover you picked yourself tells people what the series is before they click. If you're looking for how to swap a single video's image instead, see [how to change a YouTube thumbnail](/blog/how-to-change-youtube-thumbnail).
Change it on a computer
YouTube's Help page lists four steps for the computer:
That happens on YouTube itself, not in YouTube Studio. If you manage everything from Studio, it has a shortcut that hands you over.
The YouTube Studio route
Sign in to YouTube Studio and select **Content** from the left menu. Click the **Playlists** tab. Hover over the playlist you want to update and click **Menu**.
Select **Edit on YouTube**, and the playlist opens in a new tab. From there, follow the computer steps above.
Change it on your phone
The Android and iPhone & iPad steps on the same Help page give you three ways to get a cover. Each one starts the same way: open your playlist and select **Edit**.
**Use a photo you already have.** Select **Choose from library** and pick the photo you'd like to use.
**Take a new one.** Select **Take photo** and shoot it with your camera.
**Create one with AI.** Select **Create with AI** and pick a theme to get options. If you want more choices, change a few words in the description. When you see one you like, select **Create**.
With a library photo or a new photo, you can also add text, filters, or stickers before you finish. That's handy for putting the series name right on the cover without opening another app. For more phone tips on video thumbnails, see [how to change a YouTube thumbnail on mobile](/blog/how-to-change-youtube-thumbnail-on-mobile).
Podcast playlists get a square cover
If a playlist is a podcast, the cover is part of the podcast setup in YouTube Studio. Go to **Content**, then **Playlists**, and hover over the playlist. Click **Menu** and select **Set as podcast**.
Review the podcast details and add a square podcast thumbnail. The details also include the title, the description, and who can view your podcast. Click **Done** to confirm.
Square is a different shape from a regular 16:9 video thumbnail, so make it on its own canvas instead of cropping a wide image. The exact 1:1 spec is in [YouTube thumbnail size](/blog/youtube-thumbnail-size).
Make the cover read at small sizes
This part is our advice, not YouTube's. A playlist cover often shows up small, and it has a different job from a video thumbnail. It should say "this is a series" at a glance.
Use one subject. A single face, object, or icon reads at phone size, while a busy collage turns into noise. Pick something that fits every video in the playlist, not just the first one.
Add a short series name, two or three words at most. Make it big and give it strong contrast with the background. If people see the same name and style on every cover in your channel, they learn to spot your series fast.
Check it small before you save. Shrink the image to about the size of a thumbnail in the feed. If you can't read the name or tell what the subject is, make them bigger or cut something.
Make the cover in Thumbly
You can build a playlist cover the same way you build a video thumbnail: one clear subject, a short line of text, strong contrast. Thumbly helps you make it and check it reads before you upload. Then open your playlist, select **Edit**, and add it.
