If you’re interested in checking out or even downloading the thumbnail of any YouTube video in either high or default resolution, there’s a simple way to do it. By searching for the OG image tag in the HTML source page of the video, you can easily access and view the thumbnail. Let’s take a look at the steps:
Method 1: Viewing the Thumbnail Using the Video ID
If the previous method doesn’t work for you, you can try this alternative approach:
Step 1: First, copy the 11-character alphanumerical ID of the YouTube video you want to view the thumbnail for.
For instance, let’s use the following video’s ID as an example: 8hYlB38asDY
Step 2: Next, paste the ID you just copied where it says “ID” in the URLs provided below:
- High-resolution thumbnail URL:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ID/hqdefault.jpg - Max resolution thumbnail URL:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ID/maxresdefault.jpg
For example:
- High-resolution thumbnail URL:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8hYlB38asDY/hqdefault.jpg - Max resolution thumbnail URL:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8hYlB38asDY/maxresdefault.jpg
Step 3: Open these URLs in your browser, and you will be able to see the thumbnail image. If you want to download the thumbnail, simply right-click on the image and choose “Save Image” to save it to your computer.
It’s important to note that the “hqdefault.jpg” URL will provide you with the standard-definition image, while the “maxresdefault.jpg” URL will give you the maximum resolution image. However, not all videos have high-resolution thumbnails available. If a video lacks a max resolution thumbnail, you’ll receive a 404 error when trying to access the “maxresdefault.jpg” URL.
Method 2: (This method is not working as of now)
Step 1: Open the YouTube video in your browser. For this example, I’ll use Firefox, but these instructions work for Chrome and Internet Explorer as well.
Step 2: Press CTRL + U on your keyboard to open the HTML source of the page.
Step 4: On the HTML source page, use CTRL + F to search for the phrase ‘og:image’.
You should now be able to see the thumbnail URL as shown in the image below. From this tag, the URL of the thumbnail image would be: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mcixldqDIEQ/maxresdefault.jpg
You can copy and paste this URL in your browser to view and download the image if desired.
Step 5: To download the image, simply right-click on it, select “Save Image As,” and then click “Save” to save it to your computer.
Method 3:
This method can be a little confusing since YouTube has obfuscated its HTML code, but if you want to give it a try, here’s how:
Step 1: Open the YouTube video you want to see the thumbnail for in your browser.
Step 2: View the HTML source of the video by clicking CTRL + U or CMD + U if you’re on a Mac. You can also right-click on a black area of the screen, select “View Source,” and access the source page.
Step 3: Once you’re on the HTML source page, press CTRL + F to bring up the search box in your browser, and search for the term “hqdefault.jpg”.
Step 4: When you find it, copy the entire URL starting from “HTTPS” and ending in “hqdefault.jpg”. The URL should look something like this: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8hYlB38asDY/hqdefault.jpg
Step 5: Remove all the backslashes from the URL, so it appears like this: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8hYlB38asDY/hqdefault.jpg
This is the URL for the standard-definition thumbnail.
Step 6: To find the URL for a higher resolution thumbnail, search for “maxresdefault.jpg” and repeat the previous steps. It’s important to note that not all videos have a max resolution thumbnail available.
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That’s it! Now you’re equipped with the knowledge to easily access and view YouTube thumbnail images in high resolution. Happy viewing!
