Free, no sign-up
Your channel picture has been separate from your Google Account photo since 2021: changing one no longer changes the other. This free tool removes the background from a photo you already have, frames the subject for the circular mask YouTube applies in comments and search, and exports a square 800 x 800 PNG. Everything is computed inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device.
Your photo never leaves your device. Everything runs in your browser, and nothing is uploaded to a server.
Drop in a JPG or PNG from your phone or desktop. YouTube accepts uploads up to 15 MB, not the 4 MB that older guides still quote, so there is no need to shrink the file first. Head-and-shoulders shots survive the small render best.
The background is cut away on your device, and the subject is centered inside the circle YouTube masks over every avatar: channel page, watch page, comments, and search. Adjust the crop so nothing important sits in the corners, which are hidden for good.
Save the PNG at 800 x 800, then open YouTube Studio and upload it under Customization, then Profile. YouTube renders it at 98 x 98 on your channel page, and the change can take a few minutes to appear across the site.
| Recommended upload size | 800 x 800 px, square |
|---|---|
| Where it appears | 98x98 px on the channel page (official render size); roughly 32 to 48 px next to comments, search results, and video listings |
| Crop shape | Displayed as a circle |
| Minimum size | 98x98 px (the size YouTube renders; Sprout Social lists 98x98 as the practical minimum upload) |
| File size limit | 15 MB (current official limit; many older third party guides still quote 4 MB) |
| Formats | JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG (no animated GIFs) |
Upload limits are from YouTube's own documentation (checked July 2026). Display sizes are observed in the app and can change.
The export is fixed at 800 x 800, the standard recommendation for a channel avatar. It gets scaled down to 98 x 98 on your channel page and smaller in comments, so the extra pixels are there for high resolution screens.
Nothing is uploaded. The cutout runs on your own hardware through the browser, so the original photo stays in your folder and no copy of your face lands on a server you do not control.
Animation is off the table: GIF is an accepted format, but YouTube's spec rules out animated ones. Your one static frame does all the work, so a clean subject on a plain background reads better at comment size.
Upload a square image at 800x800 px. YouTube only requires an image that renders at 98x98 px, but 800x800 is the standard recommendation because it stays sharp on high resolution displays while YouTube scales it down for the channel page, comments, and search results.
No. GIF is an accepted file format, but YouTube's help documentation explicitly says no animated GIFs. If you upload one, only a static image is used. There is no supported way to get a moving avatar on a standard channel.
YouTube displays every avatar inside a circle, so the corners of your square upload are always cropped away. Center your face or logo, keep it comfortably inside an imaginary circle touching the middle of each edge, and avoid putting anything important near the corners.
No. Since 2021 your channel identity is separate from your Google Account. A picture changed in YouTube Studio (Customization, then Profile) shows only on YouTube, and your Google Account photo elsewhere stays as it is.
JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG, with a maximum file size of 15 MB. Some older guides still cite a 4 MB limit, but the current YouTube Help page for channel branding states 15 MB.
Probably not. YouTube says it may take a few minutes for a new profile picture to update across the platform, and cached copies in your browser or the mobile app can make it look stale for a while longer. Check in an incognito window if you want to confirm the change went through.
Try it free, right in your browser. No sign-up required.