An old upload doesn't have to stay on your YouTube channel. You can delete your videos from YouTube Studio on a computer or the YouTube app on your phone. Deletion is permanent, so keep a backup before you confirm.
Delete a YouTube video on your computer
Sign in to YouTube Studio with the channel that owns the video.
Select Content to find your uploads. For a Short, open the Shorts tab under Content.
Open Options by hovering over the video you want to remove.
Select Delete forever.
Check the acknowledgment box confirming that you understand the deletion is permanent.
Select DELETE FOREVER to finish.
If you can't complete the deletion on your computer, try the YouTube app using the phone steps below.
On Android, iPhone, or iPad, use the YouTube app
The same steps work in the YouTube app on all three devices.
- 1.Sign in to YouTube with the account for your channel.
- 2.Tap your profile picture, then Your videos.
- 3.Beside the upload you want to remove, tap More.
- 4.Select Delete.
- 5.Tap Delete again to confirm.
Remove several uploads or drafts at once
Clearing out more than one upload? YouTube Studio on a computer lets you delete multiple videos or uploaded video drafts together.
Open Content in YouTube Studio.
Check the boxes beside the videos or drafts you want to delete.
Review your selections before moving on, since deletion applies to every selected item.
Open More actions.
Select Delete forever.
Check the acknowledgment box.
Click DELETE FOREVER to remove the selected uploads.
Make a video private instead of deleting it
If you only want to restrict who can watch, change the video's visibility. Private limits viewing to you and selected people. Unlisted lets anyone with the link watch and reshare it.
On a computer, find the video under YouTube Studio > Content, or YouTube Studio > Content > Live for a live-stream archive.
Choose Private or Unlisted from the dropdown under Visibility.
Select Save. Neither setting deletes the upload, and you can change its visibility again later.
Clear out a live-stream archive
Open YouTube Studio > Content > Live on a computer.
Select the archive's detail icon.
Open More at the upper right.
Choose Delete.
Confirm the deletion in the dialog by selecting Delete forever.
If YouTube Studio still shows Save, select it to finish.
Tip: Choose Private instead if you want to keep the archive without leaving it publicly viewable.
Erase the entire channel when you want everything gone
Channel deletion removes the whole channel, including all its videos. It also removes channel comments, messages, playlists, and history, while keeping your Google Account.
Use a computer for this process, since YouTube does not support channel deletion on mobile devices.
In YouTube Studio, open Settings > Channel > Advanced Settings > Remove YouTube Content.
Authenticate if prompted.
Select I want to permanently delete my content.
Review what will be removed.
Check the confirmation boxes.
Select Delete my content to complete the deletion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a YouTube video after deleting it?
You can't undo deletion. If you kept a backup, you can upload that copy again, but the new upload will have a new URL.
Can I temporarily hide my entire YouTube channel?
Yes. Hiding your channel makes its name, videos, likes, subscriptions, and subscribers private. You can re-enable the channel later.
Why can't I delete published videos on a channel I help manage?
Your channel permission role controls what you can delete. Owners and Managers can delete content. Editors can delete drafts, but they cannot delete published content or scheduled, live, or completed streams. Ask an Owner or Manager to delete the upload.
Does deleting a YouTube Clip remove the original video?
No. Deleting a Clip you created removes only that Clip, not the underlying uploaded video.