You'll Soon be Able to Try Out Different Thumbnails for YouTube Uploads

For creators on YouTube, knowing the right kind of thumbnail to use for your video is an essential part of content production, especially since it often determines how people are likely to watch your videos. With that said, it looks like YouTube will soon roll out a much-anticipated feature for all creators on its platform soon.

Dubbed "Thumbnail Test & Compare," the feature was previewed to a select number of channels months ago, although the feature will be available for more users in the coming weeks. YouTube says that it's currently in the process of providing it to all creators with access to advanced features. Users with access to the feature will see a "Test & compare" for their thumbnails in YouTube Studio on desktop when publishing a new video, or updating an existing video.

Users can get access by going to the "Feature eligibility" section in their channel settings in Studio and checking for ‘Enabled' next to the "Advanced features" section. This will allow them to use Test & Compare as soon as they have access.

With that being said, there are some limitations - currently, Test and Compare is only accessible on YouTube Studio for desktop, with mobile support still under development.

Additionally, channels need to have Advanced features enabled (as mentioned earlier). The feature also has limitations on the type of videos it can test. While it works with public long-form videos, saved live streams, and podcast episodes, videos marked for kids, mature audiences, or ones set to private will not be compatible with the feature.