MP4 is the most common video format, used by phones, cameras, screen recorders and video sites. PNG is lossless: it stores the frame exactly as decoded, without compression artifacts. This tool takes the first frame of each MP4 video and saves it as a PNG, without uploading anything.
How to extract a PNG thumbnail from MP4
- Drop your MP4 videos in the box above, or click to pick them. You can add as many as you like.
- PNG is already selected as the output format. Switch on other formats if you want them too.
- Optional: open Advanced Settings to resize the thumbnail by percentage, width or height, and add more sizes.
- Click Extract Thumbnails, then download each image or all of them at once. Nothing is uploaded: everything runs in your browser.
Why save MP4 thumbnails as PNG?
A thumbnail is the first thing people see before pressing play. Taking it straight from the MP4 gives you an image at the exact resolution and colors of the video, ready to use as a poster on your website, a cover in a video gallery or a preview in a document. Choose PNG when you will edit the frame afterwards, add text or graphics to make a cover, or need a pixel-exact still for documentation. The file is bigger than a JPG or WebP.
Frequently asked questions
Which MP4 videos are supported?
MP4 files with H.264 video work in every modern browser. MP4 files with HEVC (H.265) or AV1 work when your browser and device can decode them.
Why is the PNG so large?
PNG is lossless and a video frame is full of detail, so the file is several times the size of a JPG. Pick JPG or WebP if size matters.
Are my videos uploaded?
No. The first frame is decoded and saved as an image in your browser, on your device. Your videos are never sent to a server, so this works for private files too.