Module 4: Testing and workflowsLesson 11 of 113 min read
YouTube channel banners: the safe area from TV to phone
A channel banner is one image that YouTube crops differently for TVs, computers and phones. On a TV you see almost the whole picture; on a phone you see a thin strip from the middle. Designing for that strip first is the whole trick.
YouTube's current numbers
YouTube asks for a banner of at least 2048×1152 pixels, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a file of 6 MB or less, and recommends 2560×1440, especially for TV. The safe area, the part visible on every device, is the central 1235×338 pixels measured at the 2048×1152 size. Text, logos and faces belong inside it.
Templates built on 2560×1440 show a safe box of about 1546×423. That's the same safe area, scaled up by 1.25 to the larger canvas, which is why both pairs of numbers circulate. Use whichever canvas you like; just keep the proportions.
What each screen shows
TVs show the widest view, close to the full 16:9 image, so the whole picture should look finished. Computers show a wide, shallow strip across the middle. Phones show the narrowest view, roughly the safe area. Anything above or below that strip is decoration that some viewers will never see.
Proportions
The safe area is 1235×338 inside 2048×1152: about 60% of the width and less than a third of the height. Most of the image is background.
Designing a banner that survives
Start with the safe area, then build outward:
- Put the channel name, tagline or schedule inside the central 1235×338.
- Extend the background to the full 2048×1152 so TVs don't show empty space.
- Keep text large: on a phone the whole safe area is only a strip across the screen.
- Avoid putting key details right at the safe area's edge; leave a margin.
Check before and after
Use a preview with the safe area drawn on top before you upload, then check the channel page on a phone and a computer afterwards. YouTube Studio also shows a preview of the crops when you upload.
Resize your banner to 2048×1152 with the 1235×338 safe area drawn on top.
Make a banner with the safe areaQuick check
Three questions. Pick an answer to see why.
What is YouTube's minimum banner size?
Show the answer
Answer: 2048×1152 pixels With a 16:9 aspect ratio and a file of 6 MB or less.
What is the banner's safe area, visible on every device?
Show the answer
Answer: The central 1235×338 pixels Text and logos belong inside it.
What happens to text outside the safe area?
Show the answer
Answer: Some devices crop it away, phones most of all Only the safe area shows on every device.
Rules change
Platform rules change often. Each guide shows the date it was last checked; when in doubt, the platform's own help page has the final word.
Sources
Last checked October 25, 2026