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The platform said the experiment is designed to improve the impact of header images in order to better conform to different device configurations.
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YouTube is testing a new way to present video thumbnails that involves using variable display formats for video header images, in order to better align with different viewer experiences and devices.
This could be a significant change for creators, depending on how it’s enacted.
As explained by YouTube: “To help content stand out on mobile screens, we’re currently running a limited experiment that would automatically adjust video and thumbnail sizes for your device. During this experiment, you may notice that some thumbnail or video sizes are more varied.”
That could significantly disrupt things for YouTube creators, many of whom expend a lot of time and energy crafting the best, most attention-grabbing thumbnail images.
Indeed, YouTube’s biggest star MrBeast has a whole team of people who work on his video thumbnails, creating up to 20 images to choose from for each clip. They then run a range of experiments to decide on the best option.
Given his channel’s success, it’s likely the time and effort are worth it. However, if thumbnails end up displaying differently on different devices, this change could make things even more difficult for creators.
YouTube acknowledged this to some degree. “While some thumbnails may appear cropped, we’re not editing or altering the original files,” YouTube said. “This experiment is intended to help us understand and improve the impact of thumbnail presentation, with the ultimate goal of driving increased engagement for your videos.”
YouTube also announced a new test video previews last month, which will enable users to view short preview snippets of recommended video clips, in order to better highlight the actual content before users click.
Does that mean that the importance of thumbnails is declining, and users might see fewer shocked face pictures posted over random images to lure people in?
Not yet, but it does seem that YouTube is looking to refine the presentation of thumbnails, in order to better reflect each video’s content, while also aligning with variable viewing formats and devices.
Only time will tell whether that’s a better solution or not, but it’s another experiment for creators to be aware of.