Changing the thumbnail of a video in iOS can be a useful way to make your videos stand out more in the Photos app or when sharing them online. The thumbnail is the still preview image that represents the video. By default, iOS automatically selects a thumbnail from a frame within the video. However, you may want to customize the thumbnail to feature a specific part of the video or make it more eye-catching. Fortunately, iOS makes it easy to change video thumbnails right on your iPhone or iPad.
Requirements for Changing Video Thumbnails in iOS
Here are the requirements for changing the thumbnail of a video in iOS:
- The video must have been recorded on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 14 or later. Thumbnail editing is not available for videos recorded with older iOS versions or other devices.
- Your iPhone/iPad must be updated to the latest iOS version to access all thumbnail editing features. Update iOS under Settings > General > Software Update.
- The video needs to be stored in the Photos app on your device. Thumbnail changing is not possible for videos stored in other apps or locations.
- You need to use the Photos app to change thumbnails. This cannot be done from the Camera app or other video players.
As long as your video meets these requirements, you can easily change its thumbnail image on your iPhone or iPad.
How to Change Thumbnail of a Video in Photos App
Here is the step-by-step process to change the thumbnail of a video within the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad:
- Open the Photos app and find the video you want to edit the thumbnail for. Tap on the video to open it.
- With the video open, tap on the Share button in the top right corner of the screen. It looks like a square with an arrow pointing upwards.
- In the share options menu, scroll down and select the “Change Thumbnail” option.
- The video timeline will now appear below the video player. Drag the playhead to move through the video frames.
- When you find a frame you want to use as the new thumbnail, tap on the “Set” button to set it as the thumbnail.
- Preview the new thumbnail, then tap “Done” to save the changes.
The video’s thumbnail in the Photos app will now be updated with your selected image. The new thumbnail will be visible whenever you view that video in your library or share it elsewhere.
Tips for Selecting a Good Thumbnail Image
When choosing a video thumbnail, keep these tips in mind:
- Pick an eye-catching frame that captures the essence of the video.
- Avoid selecting a low-quality or blurry frame for the thumbnail.
- The subject should be clearly visible and framed well in the thumbnail.
- Colorful images tend to make for good thumbnails.
- Facial expressions are important for thumbnails with people in them.
Experiment with different frames from key moments in your video to see which makes the most appealing thumbnail.
Changing Video Thumbnails in Photos Editing
The Photos app also allows changing a video’s thumbnail through the editing interface:
- Open the video in Photos and tap “Edit” in the upper right.
- In video editing, tap the thumbnail preview to open thumbnail selection.
- Drag the playhead to choose a new thumbnail frame.
- Tap “Choose” to set the thumbnail, then “Done” to save changes.
This achieves the same result as changing the thumbnail via the Share menu. The editing approach may be easier if you’re already trimming or modifying the video.
Setting a Video Poster Frame on iPhone
You can choose a specific video poster frame that will appear before playback starts when viewing the video full screen. This is similar to the thumbnail but appears only on the device itself, not externally. To set a video poster frame:
- Open the video in Photos and tap “Edit”.
- Tap the crop icon to show the poster frame editor.
- Select your desired poster frame and tap “Choose.”
- Tap “Done” to apply the poster frame.
Like with thumbnails, selecting an eye-catching poster frame can enhance the video viewing experience.
Storing Custom Thumbnails in iCloud Photos Library
When you change a video thumbnail in Photos, the custom thumbnail gets saved right within the video file in iCloud. This means your custom thumbnails will remain in place and sync across any devices using the same iCloud Photos library.
Some key points about custom thumbnails in iCloud:
- They appear correctly on iOS devices, Macs, apple.com, and other Apple environments.
- They may not appear on some third-party services or non-Apple devices.
- Changes apply only to the shared or exported video, not the original in your library.
- Others who you share the video with will see the custom thumbnail.
So you can confidently customize thumbnails knowing they will persist within your iCloud library ecosystem.
Resetting or Deleting a Custom Video Thumbnail
If you wish to revert to the original auto-generated thumbnail for a video, follow these steps:
- Open the video in Photos and tap “Edit”.
- Tap the thumbnail to open thumbnail selection.
- Tap “Reset” in the bottom left corner to clear your custom thumbnail.
- Tap “Done” to apply the change.
This will restore the video back to its original thumbnail from before your edits.
Alternatively, you can change the thumbnail to a different frame if you want to set a new custom thumbnail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change video thumbnails on iPhone?
On iPhone, open the video in Photos, tap Share, select Change Thumbnail, then choose a new frame from the timeline. You can also change thumbnails using the Photos editing interface.
Can you edit video thumbnails on iPad?
Yes, video thumbnails can be changed the same way on iPad as iPhone using the Photos app and editing features. iPad running iOS 14 or later required.
Which video formats support thumbnail changing in iOS?
Thumbnail changing works for videos captured on iPhone and iPad in standard formats like .MOV and .MP4. Limited availability for other video types.
Does changing the thumbnail affect the original video?
No, the source video file remains unchanged. Only the shared or exported video will show the custom thumbnail.
Can I choose multiple thumbnails for one video?
Unfortunately, iOS only supports one custom thumbnail per video. You can reset and change it as needed.
Conclusion
Customizing video thumbnails is a great way to enhance how your videos appear in iOS. Using the Photos app, you can easily select frames from your videos to use as eye-catching thumbnails. Just open the Share menu on a video or use Photos editing to access the thumbnail changing options. Choose a strong, representative image as the thumbnail and it will persist in iCloud and apply when sharing the video. Change video thumbnails on both iPhone and iPad for free with just a few taps.