Video frame extractor (video screenshot)
Choose a video, step to the exact frame you want and save it as a picture at the video's full size. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Free · no signup Runs in your browser
How do I save a frame from a video as a picture?
Choose the video and scrub or use the step buttons to find the moment you want, then press Save frame. The frame is saved as a PNG (lossless) or JPG at the video's full size, so a 1920 × 1080 video gives a 1920 × 1080 picture, not a smaller screenshot of the player. Your browser plays the video, so it is never uploaded.
Better than a screenshot
A screenshot of a video player captures the player's controls and whatever size the window happens to be, and the picture is often compressed twice. Saving the frame from the video itself gives you exactly the video's own pixels at its own size, with nothing else around it.
Use the player's scrub bar to get close, then the step buttons to move back or forward by a tenth of a second or about one frame (a thirtieth of a second) until you reach the right moment. You can also type an exact time in seconds. The frame is whatever your browser shows at that moment, which is accurate to within a frame; the first frame after a jump can occasionally be a fraction of a second off in videos that are stored with sparse key frames.
It runs in your browser. Your video is never uploaded, and there is no watermark or sign-up.
How it works in detail
Your browser opens the video on your device, and you move to the moment you want with the player, the step buttons or a typed time. The frame at that time is drawn on a canvas at the video's own size, so a 1920 × 1080 video gives a 1920 × 1080 picture, and the canvas is saved as a lossless PNG or a high-quality JPG. The step buttons move the video by 0.1 second or by 1/30 of a second, and the browser shows the frame at that time. Videos made for streaming store full pictures only every second or two, so very small steps can show the same frame twice. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use it
- Choose the video. Its size appears.
- Scrub the player, use the step buttons, or type a time in seconds.
- Choose PNG (lossless) or JPG (smaller).
- Press Save frame.
- Repeat for other moments.
What changes and what stays the same
What the tool does to your file, and what it leaves alone.
| Aspect | What happens |
|---|---|
| Picture size | The video's own width and height |
| Quality | PNG is exact; JPG is slightly lossy but smaller |
| The video | Not changed |
| Sound | Not included |
| Exact frame | The browser shows the frame at the time; neighbouring steps can look the same |
| Privacy | Your file is read on your device and is not uploaded; there is no account and no watermark |
When to use it
- Making a thumbnail or cover picture from a video
- Saving a still of a moment from a recording
- Capturing a slide or a screen from a recorded meeting
- Getting a picture of a product from a video clip
Problems you may run into
Most problems come from the file itself, not from the tool.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Two steps show the same frame | Streaming videos store full pictures only every second or two | Step by a larger amount, or scrub |
| The picture looks blurry | The video itself is low resolution or compressed | A frame cannot be sharper than the video |
| The frame is black | The player has not loaded that moment yet | Wait for the video to load, then step again |
| The video will not play | The browser cannot decode its format | Try an MP4 (H.264) or WebM file, or Chrome, Edge or Firefox |
| The file will not open | Your browser cannot decode this format, or the file is damaged | Try Chrome, Edge or Firefox on a computer, or open the file elsewhere to check that it plays |
| The browser slows down or stops | A very large file is processed on your own device | Close other tabs, try a computer, or use a smaller file |
Mistakes it helps you avoid
- Taking a screenshot of the player, which includes controls and loses resolution.
- Saving a frame in the middle of motion: step a few frames for a sharper one.
- Using JPG for a frame with text, which can blur edges: choose PNG.
- Using someone else's video without the right to.
How it works
The browser plays your video and this page reads frames from it.
1. Your browser opens the video on your device.2. You move to the moment you want with the player, the step buttons or a typed time.3. The frame is drawn on a canvas at the video's own size.4. The canvas is saved as a PNG or a high-quality JPG. Nothing is uploaded.
The picture has the video's native width and height (shown after you choose the file). Stepping moves the video by the amount on the button (0.1 s or 1/30 s) and the browser shows the frame at that time. Videos made for streaming store full pictures only every second or two, so very small steps can show the same frame twice.
Example: a thumbnail
You want a thumbnail of the moment 12 seconds into a 1920 × 1080 video.
- Go to12.00 s
- StepNudge by 0.1 s until the frame looks right
- SavePNG, 1920 × 1080 px
A full-size 1920 × 1080 picture named video-12_00s.png
Use the picture resizer to make a smaller thumbnail.
Terms on this page
- Frame
- One still picture in a video.
- Key frame
- A full picture stored in a video; the frames between are stored as changes from it.
Common questions
What size is the saved picture?
The video's own size, for example 1920 × 1080 pixels, not the size of the player on the screen.
PNG or JPG?
PNG is lossless and sharp for text and graphics. JPG is smaller and fine for photographic frames.
Is my video uploaded?
No. Your browser plays the file on your own device and the page reads frames from it. Nothing is sent over the network.
Why does stepping show the same frame twice?
Some videos store full pictures only every second or two, so tiny steps can land on the same displayed frame.
What video formats work?
Those your browser can play, usually MP4 with H.264, WebM and most phone videos.
Where these numbers come from
- MDN Web Docs — HTMLMediaElement.currentTime How a page moves a video to a chosen time.
- MDN Web Docs — CanvasRenderingContext2D.drawImage() How a video frame is drawn onto a canvas.
- MDN Web Docs — Media container formats Which video file types browsers can play.
- MDN Web Docs — Using files from web applications How a page reads a file you choose without uploading it.
Last verified 2026-10-25 The method on this page is checked against the sources above at least once a year. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
Related tools
Video to GIF
Turn a few seconds of a video into an animated GIF, with your choice of start, end, frames per second and width. Nothing is uploaded.
Open toolImage resizer
Change a picture's size in pixels by width, height, percentage or exact size. Many files at once, nothing uploaded.
Open toolScreen recorder
Record your screen, a window or a browser tab with sound, a webcam bubble, a timer and a countdown. Take screenshots while recording. Free, private, no watermark.
Open toolRotate video
Turn a sideways video upright, rotate it 90 or 180 degrees, or mirror it. Free, private, runs in your browser: your video is never uploaded.
Open toolSpeed changer
Speed up or slow down an audio file from half speed to double speed and save the result as MP3 or WAV. Nothing is uploaded.
Open toolVideo trimmer
Cut the start and end off a video and save just the part you want. Free, private, runs in your browser: your video is never uploaded.
Open tool🎙️ Audio and video tools
Record and (soon) convert sound and video without installing anything. The recording stays on your device and you choose when to save it.
See all 19 tools in this section