Why you might need to change your age on YouTube

YouTube uses your age to decide what content you can see and what features you can use. If you entered the wrong birth date when you created your account, or if your account was set up by someone else with incorrect information, you can update it. YouTube restricts certain features — like creating a channel, uploading videos, or accessing age-restricted content — based on whether you're under 18.

The process differs depending on whether you're changing your own age or your child's age on a supervised account. If you're an adult who made a mistake during signup, the fix takes a few minutes. If you're managing a child's account through Family Link, you'll use a different method.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your birth date in your Google Account settings, not in YouTube itself, because YouTube pulls age information from your Google Account.
  • Go to myaccount.google.com, select "Personal info," find "Date of birth," and click the pencil icon to edit it.
  • If your account is supervised by a parent through Family Link, only the parent can change the birth date from their own account.
  • YouTube may restrict certain features for accounts under 18, even after you update your age.

Changing your own age on a personal YouTube account

Your YouTube account is connected to a Google Account, and YouTube reads your age from there. You cannot change your birth date inside the YouTube app or website — you have to go to your Google Account settings instead.

Open a web browser and go to myaccount.google.com. Sign in with the email address and password for the account you want to change. On the left side of the screen, click Personal info. Look for the line that says Date of birth. Click the pencil icon next to it to edit. Enter the correct month, day, and year, then click Save. YouTube will update within a few minutes.

If you cannot find the Date of birth field, scroll down — it may be below other personal information. Some older accounts may not have a birth date on file at all. If that's the case, click Add date of birth instead of the pencil icon, and enter your information.

Changing your child's age on a Family Link account

If a parent set up your account using Google Family Link, you cannot change your own birth date. Only the parent or guardian who manages the account can make this change. The child cannot do it themselves, even if they know the password.

The parent should open a web browser and go to families.google.com. Sign in with the parent's Google Account. Click on the child's account name. Select Account info, then Personal info. Click the pencil icon next to Date of birth and enter the correct date. Click Save.

After the parent saves the change, it may take a few minutes to show up on the child's account. If the child is signed into YouTube on a phone or tablet, they may need to sign out and sign back in to see the updated age restrictions.

What happens after you change your age

YouTube updates your age restrictions fairly quickly, usually within minutes. However, some features may still be limited depending on your new age. If you changed your age to under 18, YouTube will restrict your ability to upload videos, create a channel, or view age-restricted content. If you changed your age to 18 or older, these restrictions lift.

If you already had a channel before the age change, the channel itself stays active. But if you're now under 18, you may not be able to upload new videos or change channel settings until you turn 18 or the account is moved to a supervised Family Link account.

YouTube also uses your age to show you appropriate ads. Changing your age may change which ads appear in your feed and on videos you watch.

If you cannot access your Google Account settings

If you forgot your password or cannot sign into myaccount.google.com, you'll need to recover your account first. Go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery and follow the steps to verify you own the account. Google will ask you to enter a recovery email address or phone number you set up earlier.

If you do not have access to a recovery email or phone number, the process takes longer. Google may ask you security questions or request other proof that you own the account. Be honest and specific in your answers — vague responses slow down recovery.

If this is a child's account and the parent forgot their Family Link password, the parent should go to families.google.com and click Forgot password? to reset it.

Common reasons your age change did not work

If you changed your birth date but YouTube still shows the old age, wait 10 to 15 minutes and refresh the page. Sometimes the change takes longer to sync across Google's servers. Close the YouTube app completely and open it again, or try a different browser.

If you're on a Family Link account and the parent made the change, the child's device may be caching the old information. Sign out of the YouTube app, restart the device, and sign back in.

If you changed your age to under 18 and now cannot upload videos, that is working as intended — YouTube does not allow accounts under 18 to upload. You cannot override this by changing your age back. If you need to upload videos and you're under 18, ask a parent or guardian to set up a supervised account or to help you create a new account with the correct age.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my YouTube age multiple times?

Yes, you can change your birth date as many times as you need to. However, if you change it back and forth frequently, Google may flag your account for suspicious activity and temporarily lock it. If that happens, wait 24 hours and try again.

What if I entered a fake age when I signed up?

Update it to your real birth date in your Google Account settings. YouTube does not penalize you for correcting this information. The sooner you fix it, the sooner YouTube's age-based features will work correctly for you.

Will changing my age affect my watch history or subscriptions?

No. Your watch history, subscriptions, playlists, and all other account data stay exactly the same. Only your age restrictions and which ads you see will change.

Can a child change their age on a Family Link account without the parent knowing?

No. The child cannot access the birth date field on a Family Link account. Only the parent can change it from their own Google Account or from families.google.com.

How long does it take for YouTube to recognize my new age?

Usually a few minutes. If it has been more than 15 minutes, sign out of YouTube completely, close the app or browser, and sign back in. This forces your device to fetch the updated information from Google's servers.