YouTube states that Shorts thumbnails are less crucial compared to regular video thumbnails as users mainly discover Shorts while scrolling through a full-screen feed, not through clickable thumbnails.
Currently, Shorts thumbnails will only appear on search hashtag and audio pivot pages, as well as your channel, with potential plans for additional functionality next year.
YouTube is considering the introduction of custom shorts thumbnails, but for now, it is focusing on lower-spec solutions like thumb frame editing to evaluate user needs.
Despite the request for custom thumbnails, YouTube emphasizes assessing current user behavior related to Shorts and will determine the necessity for custom uploads based on user engagement.
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