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Free YouTube Thumbnail Downloader (HD & 4K)

Paste any video link to save YouTube thumbnails in high quality instantly. No watermark.

How to Download YouTube Thumbnails in 4K

1

Copy the Video URL

Open any YouTube video in your browser, then copy the full URL from the address bar — or right-click the share button and copy the link.

2

Paste & Fetch

Paste the link into the input box above and click Fetch. Our tool instantly extracts all available thumbnail resolutions — MaxRes, HQ, and SD.

3

Choose Quality & Download

Select Max Resolution (1280×720) for the best quality, or pick HQ/SD if you need a smaller file. The .jpg image saves directly to your Downloads folder.

Why Use Our Thumbnail Grabber?

100% Free

No hidden fees, no subscription, no credit card required — ever.

No Watermark

You get the original, clean image directly from YouTube's CDN — zero overlays.

Instant Results

No upload, no processing queue. Results appear in under a second.

No Install Needed

100% browser-based. Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile.

For YouTube Creators & Affiliates

Tired of losing affiliate income to broken links?

A great thumbnail gets you clicks — but if the links in your video descriptions are returning 404 errors or silently redirecting, you're leaving money on the table every single day. BrokenTube automatically scans your entire channel for dead affiliate links, expired redirects, and compliance issues.

Scan My Channel — Free

No credit card • Takes 30 seconds

Frequently Asked Questions

Thumbnails are publicly served by YouTube's image CDN, so downloading them for personal use, research, or inspiration is generally accepted. However, thumbnails may be protected by copyright. Do not use a creator's thumbnail for commercial purposes without their explicit permission.

After clicking the download button, the thumbnail (a .jpg file) saves directly to your device's default Downloads folder — the same location as any browser download. On mobile, it usually goes to your Photos or Gallery app.

The maximum resolution depends on the video's upload quality. Most modern videos have a MaxRes thumbnail at 1280×720. Some 4K uploads serve a higher-res version. If MaxRes is unavailable, our tool automatically falls back to the best available quality (HQ 640×480 or SD 480×360).

No account is needed for basic use — guests get 3 free fetches per day. Create a free BrokenTube account to unlock unlimited downloads and access the full suite of YouTube channel tools.

Yes! YouTube Shorts use the same thumbnail format. Just paste the Shorts URL (e.g. https://youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID) and it works identically to a regular video link.