Delete a subscription by clicking the bell icon next to the channel name

When you subscribe to a YouTube channel, a bell icon appears next to the channel name on their page. Click that bell icon and a menu opens with options: "All", "Personalized", or "None". Select "None" to stop following the channel entirely. YouTube will no longer send you notifications about new uploads, and the channel disappears from your subscriptions list.

This is the fastest way to remove a single channel you no longer want to watch. The bell icon works the same way whether you are on a computer, phone, or tablet — the menu appears in the same spot. You do not need to navigate anywhere else or confirm your choice; the subscription ends when ready when you select "None".

If you are already on the channel's page when you decide to unsubscribe, this method takes one click. You can also use this approach from your home feed if a channel tile appears there — the bell icon works the same way.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the bell icon next to any channel name and select "None" to delete that subscription when ready.
  • Your subscriptions list lives in the left sidebar on desktop or under the "You" tab on mobile — you can delete from there too.
  • Deleting a subscription does not delete your watch history, saved videos, or any playlists you have created.
  • YouTube does not charge you for subscriptions, so removing them only affects what content appears in your feed and which channels send you notifications.
  • You can change notification settings without unsubscribing if you want to keep the subscription but stop receiving alerts.

Remove subscriptions from your subscriptions list

On a computer, click "Subscriptions" in the left sidebar of YouTube. A grid of all your subscribed channels appears. Hover over any channel tile and a menu icon (three dots) shows up in the corner. Click it and select "Unsubscribe". The channel vanishes from your list when ready.

On a phone or tablet, tap the "You" tab at the bottom of the screen, then tap "Subscriptions". Long-press any channel name until a menu appears, then tap "Unsubscribe". The same action works on both Android and iPhone. If you are using the YouTube app, the process is identical on both platforms.

This method works well when you are reviewing your full subscriptions list and want to clean up multiple channels at once. You can move through your list and remove channels one by one without leaving the subscriptions page.

Manage notification settings without unsubscribing

If you want to keep a subscription but stop getting notifications, the bell icon gives you that choice. Click it and select "Personalized" to receive notifications only for videos YouTube thinks you will care about, or "All" to get notified every time that channel uploads. You remain subscribed either way — the channel still appears in your feed.

This is useful when you like a channel but do not want constant alerts. You can still find their videos in your subscriptions list whenever you want to watch. Changing the notification setting does not affect your watch history or any videos you have saved.

You can also select "None" from the bell icon menu to turn off all notifications from that channel while keeping the subscription active. This middle ground lets you stay subscribed without the distraction of alerts.

What happens when you delete a subscription

Unsubscribing removes the channel from your subscriptions list and stops notifications. It does not delete videos you have already watched, comments you have left, or playlists you have created. Your watch history stays intact. If you change your mind, you can always resubscribe to the channel by clicking "Subscribe" on their page again.

YouTube does not send you any confirmation when you unsubscribe. The channel straightforward disappears from your list the moment you click "Unsubscribe". If you unsubscribe by accident, you can when ready resubscribe by visiting the channel page and clicking the subscribe button.

The channel owner cannot see that you personally unsubscribed. They can only see their total subscriber count change over time, but not which individual viewers left or when.

Delete multiple subscriptions at once

YouTube does not have a built-in tool to delete all subscriptions in one action. You must remove them one at a time using either the bell icon or the three-dot menu. If you have hundreds of subscriptions, this takes time, but there is no faster official method within YouTube itself.

Some third-party tools claim to bulk-delete subscriptions, but they require you to give them access to your YouTube account. YouTube's own tools are safer and do not require sharing your password or granting permission to external services. The one-at-a-time approach is slower but protects your account security.

If you want to speed up the process, use the subscriptions list view on desktop — you can open multiple browser tabs and work through several channels at once, clicking the three-dot menu and selecting "Unsubscribe" in each tab.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the channel know I unsubscribed?

No. YouTube does not notify channels when someone unsubscribes. The channel owner can see their total subscriber count go down over time, but they cannot see which individual viewers left or when they left.

Can I see a list of channels I used to subscribe to?

YouTube does not keep a public record of channels you have unsubscribed from. Once you delete a subscription, there is no built-in way to see it again unless you remember the channel name and search for it.

Does unsubscribing delete my saved videos or playlists?

No. Unsubscribing only removes the channel from your subscriptions list. Any videos you have saved, playlists you have created, or comments you have posted remain on your account and are not affected.

What if I want to hide a channel without unsubscribing?

YouTube does not have a "hide" feature for subscriptions. Your options are to unsubscribe or change the notification setting to "None" so you do not get alerts, but the channel still appears in your subscriptions list.

Can I unsubscribe from a channel if I am not logged in?

No. You must be signed into your YouTube account to manage subscriptions. If you are browsing without logging in, the subscribe button will prompt you to sign in before you can subscribe or unsubscribe from any channel.