Can I add a YouTube watermark from my phone?

No. YouTube Help says for both Android and iPhone and iPad that this setting is available on a computer.

What size should a YouTube watermark be?

YouTube asks for at least 150x150 pixels, equal width and height, and less than 1 MB. It does not give a recommended size.

How long does the YouTube watermark show?

You choose End of video (the last 15 seconds), Custom start time or Entire video.

Is the YouTube watermark a subscribe button?

YouTube's page does not say so. It says the watermark is not clickable on mobile and points to the Subscription source report for metrics.

Why can viewers not see my watermark?

YouTube says watermarks are not available on videos set as made for kids, and they do not show on custom chromeless players.

How to add a watermark to your YouTube videos

On a computer, open YouTube Studio, select Customization then Profile, choose when the watermark shows, pick an image and click PUBLISH. YouTube asks for an image of at least 150x150 pixels with equal width and height, under 1 MB. The setting is not available in the YouTube mobile apps.

Published October 30, 2026. Drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources linked on this page. How we write our guides.

How to add a YouTube watermark in YouTube Studio

YouTube's own watermark is a channel branding feature. YouTube Help says you can add a video watermark to promote your channel's branding, and that the setting is available on a computer. Both the Android phone and tablet tab and the iPhone and iPad tab of YouTube's page on managing channel branding say only that this setting is available on a computer.

On a computer, in YouTube Studio (steps from YouTube Help, checked October 2026):

Sign in to YouTube Studio.
From the left menu, select Customization, then Profile.
Select your display time.
Click CHANGE and select an image. Change the size of your image, then click DONE.
Click PUBLISH.

YouTube's page names the area under Customization as Profile. The page itself is titled "Manage your channel branding", but it does not call the menu item Branding.

YouTube watermark size and file rules

YouTube Help lists the criteria your video watermark must meet. The image is a minimum of 150x150 pixels, and it must be an image with equal width and height that is less than 1 MB in size. The page gives these as a minimum and a limit, not as a recommended size.

The image rules on YouTube Help (computer tab)
Rule	What YouTube says
Minimum size	150x150 pixels
Shape	Equal width and height
File size	Less than 1 MB

The page does not list file types, a maximum size in pixels or a rule on transparency, so we do not state any here. For how large a mark should look on screen, see our guide to watermark size.

YouTube watermark display time

There are three display-time options on YouTube Help. End of video shows the watermark for the last 15 seconds of the video. Entire video shows it throughout the whole video. Custom start time begins showing it at a time you choose.

YouTube watermark subscribe button: what YouTube documents

YouTube's page does not describe the watermark as a Subscribe button, and it does not say what a click on it does. What it does say is that the channel watermark is available in landscape view on computers and mobile devices, and that it is not clickable on mobile. For results, it points to the Subscription source report in YouTube Analytics. Treat that report, not a guess about clicks, as the place to look.

Who sees the YouTube watermark

Per the same page, channel watermarks do not show on custom YouTube chromeless players. It also says video watermarks are not available on videos set as made for kids: if you added one and the video is later set as made for kids, viewers will not see it.

A branding watermark versus a mark burned into the video

This part is our reading, not YouTube's. The YouTube feature is an image that YouTube shows over the player, set for the channel in Studio. YouTube's page does not describe a mark that is part of the video file itself. A mark burned into the file travels with it wherever the file goes, such as a copy saved to a drive or shared elsewhere.

If you want that second kind, Fix Watermark can add a text or logo mark to a video file in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. Open the video watermark tool, drop in your video, place the mark, and download the copy. Free: videos up to 60 seconds. Nothing of ours added. Pro removes the limit; your device sets the rest. Pro is a one-time purchase of US$29. If you edit in Adobe software first, see our guide to adding a watermark in Premiere Pro, and keep the mark away from the edges, as our guide to watermark safe zones explains.

YouTube watermark examples

We suggest a simple, one-colour logo or the first letter of your channel name on a transparent background, so the picture stays clear behind it. That is our advice, not a YouTube rule.

Sources

Checked October 30, 2026.

support.google.com/youtube/answer/10456525

Questions

Can I add a YouTube watermark from my phone?: No. YouTube Help says for both Android and iPhone and iPad that this setting is available on a computer.
What size should a YouTube watermark be?: YouTube asks for at least 150x150 pixels, equal width and height, and less than 1 MB. It does not give a recommended size.
How long does the YouTube watermark show?: You choose End of video (the last 15 seconds), Custom start time or Entire video.
Is the YouTube watermark a subscribe button?: YouTube's page does not say so. It says the watermark is not clickable on mobile and points to the Subscription source report for metrics.
Why can viewers not see my watermark?: YouTube says watermarks are not available on videos set as made for kids, and they do not show on custom chromeless players.