CareerByteCode

YouTube Thumbnail Text Readability Checker

For creators whose thumbnails look great on a laptop and unreadable on a phone. Enter the text, colours and size to see it at real phone sizes with a score out of 100.

FreeRuns in your browserNothing uploadedNo sign-up neededAll 13 tools in the Creator & Influencer Toolbox
Keep this resultSign in to email it to yourself or save it to your profile. The tool itself never needs an account.

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How to use

How to use the Thumbnail Text Readability Checker

  1. Type the text you plan to put on the thumbnail.
  2. Pick the text colour and the background colour.
  3. Enter the text height in pixels on the full 1280 x 720 image and the font weight.
  4. Read the score, check the two phone previews and apply the fixes listed.
Worked example

An example, step by step

You enter

AWS IN 10 MIN, white text on pink, 140 px tall, extra bold

The tool shows

Readability score 100: 4 words, contrast 4.6:1 and 18.4 px text height in the suggested videos slot

FAQ

Questions about the Thumbnail Text Readability Checker

How many words should a thumbnail have?

Three or four words is the sweet spot. On a phone the suggested-video thumbnail is about 168 pixels wide, so long text turns into a blur.

What contrast is good enough?

Aim for a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 or more between text and background. White or yellow text on a dark or bold colour, often with an outline, reads best.

How big should thumbnail text be?

Big enough to be at least 9 to 12 pixels tall on a phone. On the full 1280 x 720 image that means roughly 70 to 100 pixels or more.

Is the Thumbnail Text Readability Checker free and private?

Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up and runs entirely in your browser, so what you type is not uploaded. You only sign in if you want to email a result to yourself or save it to your CareerByteCode profile.