We all love being able to share moments of our life with our friends. This is the guide for you, comprising the steps to change the thumbnail on Instagram!

How to Change Thumbnail on Instagram

We all love being able to share moments of our life with our friends and family through pictures and videos. Over the last decade, Instagram has become one of the most popular social networking services. 

Originally, Instagram was only a photo-sharing service. Later on, in June 2013, Instagram included a feature for sharing videos with a duration of 15 seconds. At that time, it was seen as Facebook, Inc.’s (now known as Meta Platforms, Inc. and trading as Meta) trying to compete against Vine, which was very popular among video-sharing applications back then. Widescreen videos were supported on Instagram starting from August 2015. In March 2016, the duration limit of 15 seconds for videos was raised to 60 seconds. February 2017 saw the introduction of albums. 10 minutes of video was enabled to be shared in a single post in albums. 

In June 2018, IGTV was launched. IGTV is short for Instagram TV. It happens to be a video application that uses a vertical format. 10 minutes is the duration of video allowed, with the file size being limited to 650 MB for normal users. On the other hand, popular users and those who are verified have a slight edge over the others here. The video duration is raised to 60 minutes, and the file size restriction is raised to 5.4 GB. Upon launching the application, the videos immediately start playing automatically.

The Reels feature of Instagram was first reportedly used in Brazil in November 2019 and later in France and Germany. When the Chinese social networking service TikTok (a video-sharing service) got banned in India in 2020, Instagram introduced the Reels feature in India in July 2020. In August of 2020, 50 countries, including the UK, the USA and Canada, were introduced to the Reels feature of Instagram. This feature is also connected with Instagram’s existing editing tools and filters.

How to Change Thumbnails on Instagram?

As easy as posting a video on Instagram may be, getting it to look interesting can be a little challenging. Usually, viewers are attracted to videos by attractive thumbnails. Thumbnails are, after all, the first thing people notice about a video. If the thumbnail does not look attractive enough, viewers are more likely to just scroll past the video without a second thought.

That said, it can be quite difficult to get your video to have your desired thumbnail. More often than not, when you post a video, regardless of what platform you are using, a default thumbnail is automatically chosen for your video from the clip unless set a specific thumbnail. Now you might be wondering how to change the thumbnail on Instagram. It could be owing to different reasons, such as the old thumbnail not attracting enough viewers for you.

Here are a few steps that you can follow to change the thumbnail on Instagram.

  1. You can make a great video for your Instagram using photos and video clips. You can check this one out if you are looking for a good Instagram video editor. Once you have made your video, upload it on your Instagram. You can upload a normal video, a reel or an IGTV. It is completely dependent on your choice. Once you are done uploading your video, select “Next.”
  2. Now, you can see a few options at the bottom of your screen. These include “Filter,” “Trim”, and “Cover.” You will want to choose the “Cover” option of these options.
  3. Once you have chosen the “Cover” option, you will be able to see a bar running under your video. Different stills from the video you have uploaded can be seen if you slide a finger of yours along this bar on your screen. Check out different stills and find one that you like. Choose the still of your liking and tap “Next.”
  4. Write a caption for your video. Be sure to make it catchy and interesting. Catchy captions, alongside good thumbnails, help you to hook a viewer’s attention and gain views.
  5. Once you have decided on a good caption, share your video. Your video will be posted on your Instagram with the thumbnail of your choice. 

You can read Moira West’s article here for further reference.

Now that you know how to change the thumbnail on Instagram, you can check out this article of ours to know how to check who viewed your Instagram video or this article to find out which video formats are ideal for Instagram.

We also provide services such as promoting your social media account on different social media platforms and helping you gain more viewership and followers. You can check out the services we provide and one that fits your requirements. Our services are monitored by experts who know the best ways of getting you at the top of your game.

FAQs

How do I change the thumbnail on Instagram after posting it?

You can use the steps outlined above. You could also do the following:-
You could tap the picture to open it and select the edit option. You can change the thumbnail by tapping the “Save Changes” option at the bottom of your screen. Another method is selecting the share option from your gallery or camera roll. You can then choose the “Use as Cover” option. Once you have done that, tap on the “Done” option to confirm your choice.

How can I change the thumbnail of a picture once I have already posted it?

Once you have posted the picture, you can click on the option “Change Thumbnail” that appears in your screen’s upper right corner.

What is an Instagram photo thumbnail?

An Instagram photo thumbnail is a little preview of the actual picture that appears on the social networking service. The main aim of this thumbnail is to attract viewers so that they view the entire photo by clicking on it.