How to Upload YouTube Shorts: Phone and Desktop Steps (2026)
Upload a YouTube Short from the YouTube app or YouTube Studio in a few steps. This guide covers the specs that decide whether a video counts as a Short and how to fix uploads that fail.
On this page
To upload a YouTube Short, open the YouTube app, tap Create (+), choose Short, then record a clip or pick one from your gallery, add a title and tap Upload Short. On a computer, use Create > Upload videos in YouTube Studio. Any square or vertical video of 3 minutes or less becomes a Short automatically.
YouTube never asks whether your upload is a Short: it decides from the file. A square or vertical video of 3 minutes or less is a Short. A horizontal or longer file uploads as a regular video, and no hashtag changes that. Music is the costlier mistake: a Short longer than one minute with an active Content ID claim is blocked worldwide and can't be monetized, so one borrowed song can sink a longer Short the day it goes live.
What makes a video upload as a Short
YouTube classifies a video as a Short when it is square or vertical and up to 3 minutes long. This rule applies to uploads since October 15, 2024. On desktop there is no Short option to pick: you upload the file and YouTube sorts it.
So fix the file before you upload. If your clip is horizontal, convert it to 9:16 with a free online video resizer or reframe it in your editor. If it runs past 3 minutes, cut it down, or post it as a regular video on purpose.
YouTube Shorts upload specs
| Setting | What to use | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 vertical (1:1 square also counts) | Anything wider than square uploads as a regular video |
| Resolution | 1080x1920 pixels | Sharp on phones, the screen most Shorts are watched on |
| Length | Up to 3 minutes | Longer files become regular videos |
| File format | MP4 or MOV | The most reliable formats for upload |
| Audio | Stereo | Clean playback on phones and TVs |
| Title | Up to 100 characters | The first words show in the feed, so front-load the topic |
| Description | Up to 5,000 characters | Room for context, links and hashtags |
| Custom thumbnail | 9:16, 2160x3840 recommended, minimum height 640 px | Verified accounts only, uploaded in YouTube Studio on a computer |
| Audio Library music | Most tracks up to 90 seconds; some capped at 60 or 30 | Songs stop at their limit, even in a 3-minute Short |
How to upload a YouTube Short from your phone
The flow is the same on Android and iPhone. The icons look slightly different, but the steps and button names match.
- Open the YouTube app and switch to the channel you want to post on.
- Tap Create (+) at the bottom of the screen, then tap Short.
- Record with the Shorts camera, or tap the gallery icon to pick a video already on your phone.
- Trim the clip if needed, then tap Next or Done.
- Add sound, text, filters or a voice-over in the editor (all optional).
- Tap Next, write a title, set the visibility and choose your audience (made for kids or not).
- Tap Upload Short.
Stay on a stable connection until the upload bar finishes. Wi-Fi is safer than mobile data for long or high-resolution files.
How to upload Shorts on YouTube from a computer
Desktop gives you a bigger screen for titles and descriptions, custom thumbnails (verified accounts) and scheduling.
- Go to YouTube, sign in, click Create (the camera icon with a plus) and choose Upload videos. This opens YouTube Studio.
- Drag in your vertical or square file of 3 minutes or less.
- On the Details screen, add a title and description, upload a thumbnail if your account is verified, and answer the audience question.
- If the video shows realistic AI-generated or altered people, events or places, turn on the AI use disclosure.
- Wait for Checks to finish. This is where YouTube flags copyright problems before you publish.
- On Visibility, choose Public, Unlisted, Private or Schedule, then click Publish or Schedule.
The Short then appears in YouTube Studio under Content, on the Shorts tab. If you edit in Adobe Premiere Pro or another desktop editor, set the sequence to 1080x1920 before you start cutting, so you don't have to crop at export. For a screen-by-screen walkthrough, see our guide to uploading Shorts from a PC.
Prompt to try
Make a 45-second vertical YouTube Short titled '3 kitchen hacks that save you 10 minutes a day'. Open on the payoff: 'Stop peeling garlic by hand.' Show each hack with close-up b-roll, an upbeat voice-over and bold captions kept clear of the bottom and right edges.
Before you tap Upload: a 6-point checklist
- Hook. Open on the payoff or the claim, not on a logo or a greeting. Viewers decide in the first second whether to swipe.
- Title. Put the topic in the first few words and stay under 100 characters. A YouTube title generator helps when you're stuck.
- Safe zone. The like, comment and channel buttons cover the right edge and the bottom of the screen. Keep captions and key text clear of them with the YouTube Shorts safe zone checker.
- Hashtags. A few relevant hashtags in the title or description help people find the Short. #Shorts is optional.
- Music. Use the Shorts Audio Library and check each track's limit (90, 60 or 30 seconds).
- Disclosures. Answer the made-for-kids question honestly and disclose realistic AI content. YouTube says disclosure alone does not limit a video's audience or earnings. Since May 2026, it also labels undisclosed videos with significant photorealistic AI automatically.
If you are still planning the video itself, Project Aeon's walkthrough from idea to finished Short covers concept and filming.
How to post a Reel or TikTok on YouTube Shorts
You can post your own Instagram Reels and TikToks as Shorts. Upload the original file, not a screen recording:
- Instagram: export from your editor, or from Instagram's Edits app, which exports without a watermark.
- TikTok: save the original from your editor before you add TikTok text or stickers, so nothing points viewers to another app.
- Length: Reels can run up to 20 minutes and TikToks up to 60 minutes, but on YouTube only vertical or square videos of 3 minutes or less become Shorts. Longer ones land as regular videos.
Only post videos you made. Re-uploading someone else's clip counts as reused content, which YouTube does not let you monetize. To send your Instagram audience to the new Short, testimonial.to's guide to adding links on Instagram covers bio and Story links.
How to repost on YouTube Shorts
What "repost" means depends on whose Short it is:
- Someone else's Short: tap Share to send the link to your audience, or tap Remix (where the creator allows it) to make your own Short that uses part of theirs. When you remix a music video, you can sample up to 90 seconds of its audio, but some videos are limited to 30 seconds.
- Your own Short: download it from YouTube Studio (Content, Shorts tab, Options, Download), re-edit it and upload it as a new Short. Change the hook, the cut or the angle rather than posting an identical copy. On July 15, 2025, YouTube renamed its repetitious content policy to inauthentic content, and the policy covers repetitive or mass-produced uploads.
- Your long videos: cut new Shorts from them instead of reposting old ones. Revid's YouTube clip maker turns a long YouTube link into vertical clips.
Why your Short won't upload or won't show as a Short
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Uploaded as a regular video | The file is horizontal or longer than 3 minutes | Resize to 9:16 or square, trim to 3 minutes or less, and upload again |
| Upload stuck or failed | Unstable connection or an unusual file format | Switch to Wi-Fi and export as MP4 or MOV |
| Blocked in every country | Over one minute with a Content ID claim | Replace the audio with an Audio Library track or trim to one minute or less |
| Song stops partway through | The Audio Library track's limit (90, 60 or 30 seconds) | Pick a track with a longer limit or shorten the video |
| No option to upload a custom thumbnail | The account isn't verified, or you're on a phone | Verify the account and upload the thumbnail in YouTube Studio on a computer |
| Short removed | A Community Guidelines violation | Review the notice in YouTube Studio and appeal if you disagree |
Make and publish Shorts with Revid
If you have an idea but no footage, Revid's AI YouTube Shorts generator turns an idea, a script or a link into a finished vertical video. It writes the script and adds the visuals, voice-over, synced captions and music.
- Paste your idea, script or link.
- Choose a voice (1,000+ AI voices in 70+ languages) and a caption style.
- Review the scenes in the timeline editor and export in 1080p or 4K.
- Connect your YouTube channel and publish or schedule the Short from Revid's social media publishing queue, alongside TikTok and Instagram.
Sign-up is free, and new accounts get free credits to try video creation (no credit card needed). Regular creation then uses the monthly credits of a paid plan, from $39/month.
After the Short is live
Since August 24, 2026, YouTube counts a view the moment a video starts to play, Shorts included. Monetization still runs on engaged views, so judge a Short by watch time and retention, not by the view counter alone. To grow those numbers, read our guides on how to get more views on YouTube Shorts and how to promote YouTube Shorts.
YouTube said in August 2026 that Shorts get over 200 billion daily views. Our sourced YouTube Shorts statistics collect the official figures. Third-party roundups from Global Media Insight, StoryLab and Photutorial list more numbers, but check each one against its original source before you quote it.
FAQ
Do I need to add #Shorts to the title?
No. YouTube classifies a Short by its shape and length: square or vertical, 3 minutes or less. The hashtag is optional and won't turn a horizontal video into a Short.
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to 3 minutes, for square or vertical videos uploaded since October 15, 2024. Longer uploads are published as regular videos.
Can you add a custom thumbnail to a YouTube Short?
Yes, if your account is verified: upload it in YouTube Studio on a computer. YouTube recommends 9:16 at 2160x3840 with a minimum height of 640 px.
Can you schedule a YouTube Short?
Yes. In YouTube Studio on a computer, set Visibility to Schedule and pick a date and time. Publishing tools such as Revid can also schedule Shorts to YouTube.
Does labeling a Short as AI-generated hurt its reach?
No. YouTube says disclosure alone does not limit a video's audience or its eligibility to earn. Creators who keep failing to disclose realistic AI content risk labels, removal or suspension from the YouTube Partner Program.
