YouTube profile picture size
YouTube Help: the profile picture renders at 98 × 98 pixels, must not exceed 15 MB, and can be JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG (no animated GIFs). YouTube's artist avatar help asks for 800 × 800 at a 1:1 ratio.
Our frame tool exports YouTube profile pictures at 800 × 800 pixels, which gives YouTube plenty of detail to scale down to the 98-pixel display size and smaller.
Source: YouTube Help: manage your channel branding, checked 17 October 2026.
How small it really appears
At 98 × 98 on your channel page, and much smaller next to comments and in subscription lists, fine detail disappears. A face filling most of the circle, or a simple logo with strong colours, works far better than a full-length photo or small text.
Banner size limit
YouTube's branding help says banner images should be 6 MB or smaller and warns that they are cropped differently on TVs, computers and phones. It also asks you not to add shadows, borders or frames to the banner itself. Our tools do not make banners.
Tips for a channel icon
- If you use a face, zoom in to head and shoulders and pick a background colour that matches your channel art.
- If you use a logo, use a PNG with a transparent background in the frame tool and add a solid or gradient background so it does not vanish in dark mode.
- Skip text badges: anything smaller than a few letters will be unreadable at icon size.
- YouTube does not accept animated GIFs for the profile picture.
Open the frame and resize tool
Choose “YouTube” in the download panel to get a 800 × 800 square. Want a new look first? Try the AI profile picture generator.