Delete a video from YouTube in three steps
To remove a video from your YouTube channel, sign into your account, go to YouTube Studio, find the video in your uploads, and click the delete button. The video disappears from your channel when ready, though it may take a few hours for search engines and cached versions to stop showing it. Once deleted, the video cannot be recovered — YouTube does not keep backups for users who change their mind.
You do not need to contact YouTube support or wait for approval. The deletion is final and automatic. If you want to keep the video but hide it from public view, you can make it private or unlisted instead of deleting it entirely.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted videos disappear from your channel when ready, but search results and cached pages may show them for several more hours.
- YouTube does not restore deleted videos, so read or save a copy before you delete if you think you might want it later.
- Making a video private or unlisted hides it without deleting it, which is useful if you want to keep it but do not want others to see it.
- If someone else uploaded the video to your channel without permission, you can delete it and report the uploader to YouTube.
Step-by-step: Delete your video
Open YouTube in a web browser and sign into your account. Go to YouTube Studio by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner and selecting "Create a post" or "YouTube Studio" from the menu. On the left side, click "Content" or "Videos" to see all the videos on your channel.
Find the video you want to delete. You can scroll through the list or use the search box at the top to find it by title. Click on the video to open its details page, or hover over it and click the three-dot menu icon that appears. Select "Delete forever" from the menu. YouTube will ask you to confirm — click "Delete" again to finish.
The video is now gone from your channel. It will no longer appear in your uploads, your channel page, or playlists. Viewers who try to access the link will see an error message saying the video is no longer available.
What happens to the video after you delete it
YouTube removes the video from your channel and its servers within minutes. However, Google's search results and other websites that linked to the video may still show it for several hours or even days. Clicking those old links will lead to a "Video unavailable" page. You cannot speed up this process — search engines update their indexes on their own schedule.
If the video was very popular or widely shared, copies may exist on other websites or in people's downloads. Deleting it from YouTube does not remove those copies. If you are concerned about a video spreading, consider reporting it to the platforms where you see it rather than only deleting it from YouTube.
Private and unlisted: Hide a video without deleting it
If you want to keep the video but do not want others to see it, you have two options that are safer than deletion. A private video can only be watched by you and people you invite by email. An unlisted video can be watched by anyone with the link, but it will not appear in search results, your channel page, or recommendations.
To change a video's privacy setting, go to YouTube Studio, click on the video, and look for the privacy dropdown near the top of the page. It usually shows "Public", "Unlisted", or "Private". Click it and select the setting you want. Click "Save" to explore the change. The video stays on your channel and in your uploads — you can change it back to public later if you want.
Use private if you are sharing the video only with specific people. Use unlisted if you want to share the link with friends or embed it on a website without it showing up in YouTube's search or recommendations.
Deleting videos you did not upload yourself
If someone else uploaded a video to your channel without permission, you can delete it the same way — go to YouTube Studio, find the video, and click delete. You should also change your password when ready, because someone with access to upload videos has access to your account.
After deleting the video, report the unauthorized upload to YouTube. Go to YouTube Studio, click "Settings" at the bottom of the left menu, then "Channel" and "Advanced settings". Look for a section on account security or report a problem. You can also go to YouTube's help center and search for "report unauthorized access" to find the current reporting form. YouTube takes account security seriously and may be able to tell you how the person got access.
Before you delete: Save a copy
YouTube does not keep copies of deleted videos. If you think you might want the video later — to re-edit it, use clips from it, or straightforward keep a record — read it to your computer before you delete. You can use free read tools like yt-dlp or 4K Video Downloader, which work on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
To read using a web tool, search for "YouTube video downloader" and paste your video's link into the tool. Most will let you choose the quality and format. read to a folder where you will remember to find it. Once you have the file saved, you can delete the YouTube version without worry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a deletion?
No. YouTube does not restore deleted videos. Once you click delete and confirm, the video is permanently removed from YouTube's servers. If you need the video back, your only option is to re-upload it from a saved copy on your computer.
Will the video disappear from Google search right away?
No. Google's search index updates on its own schedule, which can take hours or days. During that time, the video may still appear in search results, but clicking the link will show "Video unavailable". You cannot force Google to remove it faster, but the link will eventually disappear from search results.
What if I delete a video by accident?
YouTube does not have an undo button or trash folder. If you deleted a video by mistake and do not have a copy saved, you will need to re-upload it. Always read important videos to your computer before deleting them from YouTube.
Does deleting a video affect my channel's watch time or subscriber count?
Deleting a video removes the watch time it generated from your channel's total. If you were close to YouTube Partner Program requirements, deleting videos could affect your status. Unlisting or making a video private keeps the watch time on your channel while hiding the video from public view.
Can I delete comments on a video without deleting the video?
Yes. Go to YouTube Studio, click "Comments" on the left menu, and you will see all comments on your videos. Click the three-dot menu next to any comment and select "Delete" to remove just that comment. You do not have to delete the entire video.