Free YouTube Banner Size Checker
The correct YouTube banner (channel art) size is 2560×1440 pixels, but the part that actually matters is the 1546×423 safe area in the center — the only region visible on every device. This free tool shows the exact dimensions for TV, desktop, tablet, and mobile, lets you drop in your own image to see precisely what gets cropped on each screen (the file never leaves your browser), and exports a 2560×1440 safe-zone template you can design against. No signup, no upload, free.
FREE TOOL · YOUTUBE
YouTube Banner Size Checker
See exactly how your YouTube banner gets cropped on TV, desktop, tablet, and mobile — then download the 2560 × 1440 safe-zone template. No account, runs in your browser.
- Free
- No account
- Image never uploaded
Full image (upload this)
Max file 6 MB · JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP
Safe area (visible on ALL devices)
Centered — keep text & logo here
TV
Whole image shows on TV apps
Desktop
Full-width strip on desktop browsers
Tablet
Sides cropped vs desktop
Mobile
Same crop as the safe area
Your image is processed in-browser and never uploaded
YouTube Banner Size & Safe Zone (2026)
The correct YouTube banner size — what YouTube calls channel art — is 2560 × 1440 pixels. That is the single image you upload, and YouTube then crops it differently on every device. Upload at full resolution with a 16:9 ratio and keep the file under 6 MB. Anything smaller than 2560 × 1440 gets upscaled and looks soft, especially on large TV screens.
The number that actually matters, though, is the safe area: 1546 × 423 pixels, centered in the frame. That is the only slice of your banner guaranteed to be visible on every device, from a phone to a 4K TV. Everything you need a viewer to read or recognize has to live inside it. Here are the exact YouTube banner dimensions for each surface:
Full upload image
The file you upload to YouTube. Max 6 MB.
Safe area (all devices)
Centered. The only region guaranteed visible everywhere.
TV
The entire image shows on TV / living-room apps.
Desktop
A full-width horizontal strip in desktop browsers.
Tablet
Same height as desktop, sides trimmed in.
Mobile
Identical to the safe area.
Why the 1546 × 423 Safe Area Matters
YouTube does not resize your banner to fit each screen — it crops a fixed region out of the same 2560 × 1440 file. So the difference between a banner that looks intentional and one that looks broken comes down to where things sit relative to that centered safe area. Here is exactly what each device shows:
Mobile (most of your viewers)
Phones crop the banner down to the centered 1546 × 423 strip — the same as the safe area. Anything outside that band is invisible to the majority of people who open your channel. If your logo or channel name lives near the edges, mobile viewers never see it.
Desktop browsers
Desktop shows a 2560 × 423 full-width strip. You get the whole width but a shallow height, so tall artwork gets clipped top and bottom. Horizontal layouts read far better here than stacked or centered-tall compositions.
Tablet
Tablets land between the two: 1855 × 423. The sides are pulled in compared to desktop, so content that sits about two-thirds of the way out from center can show on tablet but vanish on mobile.
TV apps
Smart-TV and console apps display the full 2560 × 1440 image — every pixel you upload. This is the only surface that uses the corners, which is why backgrounds, textures, and atmosphere belong out there rather than anything you need read.
How to Make a Banner That Looks Right on Every Device
Once you understand the crop, designing for it is simple. Follow these five rules and your channel art will hold up from a phone to a living-room TV:
- Design at the full 2560 × 1440 size, but keep every must-see element — channel name, logo, tagline, upload schedule — inside the centered 1546 × 423 safe area.
- Treat the area outside the safe zone as bleed: background color, texture, gradient, or imagery that looks fine partially cropped. Never put text there.
- Lay things out horizontally, not stacked. The visible strip is wide and short (about 3.65 : 1), so tall compositions get chopped.
- Keep text large and high-contrast. On a phone the banner is only a few hundred pixels wide, so thin or small type turns to mush.
- Stay under the 6 MB file limit and export as PNG (crisp text/logos) or high-quality JPG (photographic art). Preview on a real phone before you commit.
How to Use the YouTube Banner Size Checker
- 1
Review the exact YouTube banner dimensions: 2560×1440 full image with a centered 1546×423 safe area
- 2
Optionally preview your own image — it is processed in your browser and never uploaded
- 3
See how the banner crops on TV, desktop, tablet, and mobile in the live preview
- 4
Download the free 2560×1440 template and keep all key elements inside the safe zone