The invention provides a color image storage thumbnail encryption algorithm based on a genetic algorithm. The algorithm comprises the following steps: 1, performing population initialization processing on a color image P to obtain a plurality of initial populations; 2, generating five groups of pseudorandom sequences D, E, F, H and I; 3, selecting a cross object by adopting D, selecting a cross point by adopting E, and carrying out cross operation on the cross pair to obtain a new chromosome sequence A '; 4, selecting variant chromosomes from the A' by adopting F, selecting variant gene positions by adopting H, and mutating the variant chromosomes one by one until all chromosomes in the population are mutated to obtain a new population; 5, executing step 2 to the step 4 on the new population iteratively until a preset iteration round number T is completed, and ending the evolution of the current population; continuing the next population, and executing the step 2 to the step 5 until the evolution of all populations is completed; and 6, decoding the chromosomes of the evolved population, and generating a color ciphertext in combination with the channel information.