YouTube shows profile pictures and banners scaled down to fit the page. If you right-click and save, you usually get a small, soft image. Getting the full-size file takes a different approach.
The manual way
On a computer, open the channel page, right-click the profile picture and choose Open image in new tab. The address ends with =s followed by a number. That number is the image size. Raise it and reload, and YouTube serves a larger version.
Banners are harder. The page loads a version cropped for your screen, and the parameters at the end of the address are long and inconsistent, so finding the full original by hand is fiddly.
If it's your own channel, your original design file is always the best copy. The method below is for when you don't have it.
How our Image Downloader helps
Paste a channel URL or @handle into the Image Downloader to see the channel's profile picture and banner in every available size. A video URL works too; we look up the channel that uploaded it.
- Profile picture: common sizes from 72 to 900 pixels, plus the original file as uploaded.
- Banner: versions cropped for desktop, tablet, phone and TV, plus the original.
We check every size before listing it and show its real pixel dimensions. Sizes larger than the original are upscaled by YouTube, so we mark them as upscaled. They won't be any sharper. We don't store the images: previews load directly from YouTube, and downloads are passed through without being saved.
Why banners look different on every device
YouTube crops the same banner differently depending on where it's viewed. TVs show the whole image, desktops show a wide strip across the middle, and phones show only the center. The only part guaranteed to appear everywhere is the central safe area.
The Image Downloader previews each crop side by side, so before you change your banner you can confirm that no text or logo gets cut off.
Recommended sizes (YouTube Help)
Banner
- 16:9 aspect ratio, at least 2048×1152 pixels
- 6 MB or smaller
- Keep text and logos inside the central 1235×338-pixel safe area (on a 2048×1152 image)
Profile picture
- 800×800 pixels recommended; it's displayed at 98×98 pixels
- 4 MB or smaller
- JPG, PNG, BMP or GIF (no animated GIFs)
Because the profile picture is shown as a circle, keep the important part away from the corners.
Common problems
- The image looks blurry. You probably saved a scaled-down copy. Pick the original, or the largest size that isn't marked as upscaled.
- No banner appears. Not every channel has one. In that case only the profile picture is listed.
- The picture changed after you downloaded it. Creators can replace their images at any time, and the result reflects the moment we read the page.
Respect the creator's rights
A channel's profile picture and banner belong to its owner. Downloading them to check your own channel or to study design is fine for personal use. Reposting them, using them on your channel, or using them commercially needs the owner's permission.