How-To

How to Upload a YouTube Short (Phone and Desktop)

Updated 10 min read
Illustration of a vertical phone frame with an emerald upload arrow rising into a cloud and small video cards beside it, with the title 'How to Upload a YouTube Short (Phone and Desktop)'

On a phone: open the YouTube app, tap Create, then Upload a video, and pick a square or vertical video of up to 3 minutes. On a computer: in YouTube Studio, click Create, then Upload videos, and choose a file that fits the same rule. YouTube documents no Shorts toggle at upload; a video’s length and shape decide. Checked against YouTube Help: Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts

Those two lines are how to upload a YouTube Short in brief. The full steps for each route follow, then what to check when a video lands as long-form, and how to add sound, text and a cover frame. Shorts are one part of our plan for growing a YouTube channel.

Table of Contents

How to upload a YouTube Short from your phone

Use Create, then Upload a video, in either the YouTube app or the YouTube Studio app, and pick a video with a square or vertical aspect ratio. In the YouTube app, a video of up to 3 minutes opens in a trim editor, and a longer one can be cut down with Edit into a Short. YouTube publishes the same steps for Android and iPhone:

On any device: YouTube app:

  1. Tap Create > Upload a video.
  2. Select a video with a square or vertical aspect ratio: videos up to 3 minutes will show a trim editor (drag the sides of the bar to change the start and end times; anything not in the box won't show in the Short); for videos longer than 3 minutes, tap Edit into a Short to trim your video to 3 minutes or less.
  3. Tap NEXT to go to the editor screen where you can add text, filters, music, or other audio to your Short.
  4. Tap NEXT to add details to your video, such as a title (max 100 characters) and the privacy settings.
  5. Tap Select audience > "Yes, it's made for kids" or "No, it's not made for kids" to choose your audience.
  6. Tap UPLOAD to publish your Short.

On any device: YouTube Studio app:

  1. Open the YouTube Studio app.
  2. On the top, tap Create > Upload a video.
  3. Select the file that you'd like to upload.
  4. Add details to your video, such as a title (max 100 characters), the privacy settings, and your audience.
  5. Tap Show more to see additional details.
  6. Tap UPLOAD SHORT to publish your Shorts.

Checked against YouTube Help: Upload YouTube Shorts (Android phone & tablet; iPhone & iPad variant identical).

Two details on the details screen. Every upload needs an audience answer: YouTube requires every uploader, in every country, to say whether each video is made for kids, under an agreement with the US Federal Trade Commission. Checked against YouTube Help: Determining if your content is "made for kids" And privacy has an age-based default, Private for creators aged 13 to 17 and Public at 18 or older, which anyone can change. Checked against YouTube Help: Upload YouTube videos (Computer)

Recording a Short in the app instead

The Shorts camera (Create, then Short) records one or more segments adding up to 3 minutes and then leads to the same details screen. YouTube says the camera isn’t available on tablets right now.

On any device: YouTube app (Shorts camera):

  1. Sign in to the YouTube app.
  2. Tap Create and select Short.
  3. Hold Capture or tap it to start recording and then again to stop. (You can change the duration on the upper-right corner.)
  4. Once you're done recording, you can add music, apply filters, or use other effects; tap Undo to remove the previous clip or Redo to add it back; or tap Close > Delete or Save and exit.
  5. Tap Done. From here you can preview your video, add sounds, text-to-speech, and other effects, or tap Back to return to the record screen.
  6. Tap Next to add details to your video.
  7. From this screen, add a title (max 100 characters), and choose settings, like video privacy. Tap Show more to see additional details.
  8. Tap Select audience > "Yes, it's made for kids" or "No, it's not made for kids" to choose your audience.
  9. Tap Upload Short to publish your Short or Save draft to save it as a draft for later.

Checked against YouTube Help: Create YouTube Shorts.

Shorts drafts are saved on your device rather than your channel, so deleting the YouTube app or replacing your phone loses them. Checked against YouTube Help: Create YouTube Shorts

How do I upload a YouTube Short from my computer?

Through YouTube Studio’s normal upload. On a computer, a Short goes up the same way as any video: Create, then Upload videos, then a file of up to 3 minutes with a square or vertical aspect ratio.

On a computer: YouTube Studio:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the top-right corner, click CREATE > Upload videos.
  3. Select a short-video file: up to 3 minutes, with a square or vertical aspect ratio.

Checked against YouTube Help: Upload YouTube Shorts (Computer).

You can choose up to 15 short videos at a time, but YouTube says to click EDIT DRAFT on each one to complete its details before publishing. After you pick the files, Studio takes you through its usual Details, Video elements, Checks and Visibility pages. Checked against YouTube Help: Upload YouTube videos (Computer) If you close the upload window before choosing Visibility, the video is saved as Private on your Content page. Checked against YouTube Help: Upload YouTube videos (Computer)

Want it to go live later rather than now? See how to schedule YouTube videos and Shorts.

Why didn’t my video upload as a Short?

Because it runs longer than 3 minutes, or because its frame is wider than square. YouTube uploads a video as a Short when it is 3 minutes or less with a square or vertical aspect ratio, Checked against YouTube Help: Upload YouTube videos (Android phone & tablet; iPhone & iPad variant identical) a rule that applies to videos uploaded on or after 15 October 2024; earlier uploads keep their old category (YouTube Help: Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts).

Check three things:

Hashtags, including #Shorts, are covered in our guide to the best hashtags for YouTube Shorts.

How do you add music and text to a Short?

In the YouTube app, after you pick and trim your video, Next opens an editor where you can add text, filters, music or other audio. Checked against YouTube Help: Upload YouTube Shorts (Android phone & tablet; iPhone & iPad variant identical) YouTube’s detailed editing steps are written for Shorts recorded in the camera:

On any device: Before recording:

  1. Tap Add sound > make your selection.

On any device: After recording:

  1. Tap Sound > make your selection.
  2. Use Volume to adjust audio levels across music, your original video's audio, and voiceover.

Checked against YouTube Help: Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts.

On any device: Add text:

  1. Tap Text to put text on your video after you record.
  2. Place multiple messages over your video and change the color, style, and alignment on the screen.

On any device: Timeline:

  1. Tap Edit to open up the timeline to edit your Short, or swipe up on the screen.
  2. Adjust the start and stop points of a clip, such as text or video, to control how long they appear in your video.
  3. To reorder a clip section, tap and hold it. Drag and drop clips from top to bottom to control the order your clip is shown.

Checked against YouTube Help: Enhance your Shorts.

As you drag text or stickers, on-screen guides show where the like button, comments and description may cover them, and white lines mark a “non-safe” area near the edge. Checked against YouTube Help: Enhance your Shorts

On music, YouTube’s pages don’t agree on length. Its three-minute Shorts article says most songs can be used for up to 90 seconds of a 3-minute Short and some only for 60 or 30 seconds, while its upload article says library audio is limited to 15-second clips; the app shows how many seconds a track will cover. YouTube adds that its library music is “free of charge to use, but only for personal, non-commercial use, unless you have the appropriate licenses”, which matters if you post for a business. Royalty-free music from the YouTube Audio Library won’t receive a Content ID claim. Checked against YouTube Help: Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts

That last point matters for longer Shorts, because YouTube’s pages also disagree about a Short over one minute with an active copyright claim: two say it is blocked globally, while “Create YouTube Shorts” says it will no longer be blocked automatically and may remain playable. Checked against YouTube Help: Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts

Can you choose a Short’s thumbnail?

You can pick a frame from the Short as its thumbnail in the YouTube app, before or after uploading:

On any device: Before upload:

  1. Tap Create > Short.
  2. Record your Short and enter video detail.
  3. Navigate to the final upload screen > tap the Edit on the thumbnail of your video.
  4. Select a frame to use as your thumbnail.
  5. Tap Done.

On any device: After upload:

  1. Sign in to the YouTube app.
  2. Go to your channel page > Your videos.
  3. Tap More on a Short you want to edit > Edit.
  4. Select a frame to use as your thumbnail.
  5. Tap Done.

Checked against YouTube Help: Create YouTube Shorts.

YouTube’s article on frame-picking says it works from the YouTube app, not Studio. Uploading your own image is a different feature, and YouTube describes it two ways. Its Help Center says custom Shorts thumbnails can currently be added only in YouTube Studio on a computer and that your account must be verified, Checked against YouTube Help: Add custom thumbnails on YouTube while its 24 July 2026 announcement said YouTube Partner Program creators can start uploading them, expanding to more creators over time. Checked against YouTube Official Blog: New thumbnail updates in YouTube Studio (24 Jul 2026)

Is there a Shorts option in Outfeed?

Try Outfeed AI

Shorts upload questions, answered

How do I upload a YouTube Short from my computer?

Sign in to YouTube Studio, click Create, then Upload videos, and select a video file up to 3 minutes long with a square or vertical aspect ratio. A Short uploads the same way as any video, and YouTube documents no Shorts toggle. You can choose up to 15 short videos at a time; click EDIT DRAFT on each to finish its details before publishing.

In the YouTube app, tap Create, then Upload a video, and pick a video with a square or vertical aspect ratio. Videos up to 3 minutes open in a trim editor; for longer ones, tap Edit into a Short to cut them to 3 minutes or less. Tap Next to add text, filters or music, then add a title of up to 100 characters, choose your audience and tap Upload.

Why is my video not uploading as a Short?

Check its length and shape. YouTube uploads a video as a Short when it is 3 minutes or less with a square or vertical aspect ratio. A wider frame such as 16:9 keeps a video long-form; that is YouTube’s own advice for avoiding Shorts. A square or vertical video longer than 3 minutes can still become a Short if you trim it with Edit into a Short in the YouTube app.

Can I change the thumbnail of a YouTube Short?

You can pick a frame of the Short as its thumbnail in the YouTube app, before or after uploading. Uploading your own image is a separate feature: YouTube Help says custom Shorts thumbnails can currently be added only in YouTube Studio on a computer and need a verified account, while YouTube’s 24 July 2026 announcement said YouTube Partner Program creators can start uploading them, with more creators over time.

Where are YouTube Shorts drafts saved?

On your device, not on your YouTube channel. YouTube Help says that if you delete the YouTube app or replace your device, you lose your drafts, so finish any draft you want to keep before you switch phones.

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