Delete a video you uploaded from the YouTube app

Open the YouTube app on your phone and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Your channel, then tap the Videos tab. Find the video you want to remove, tap the three dots next to it, and select Delete video. Confirm by tapping Delete when the app asks if you're sure.

The video disappears from your channel when ready, but YouTube's servers may take a few hours to remove it completely from search results and recommendations. Anyone who saved a link to the video will see an error message instead of the content.

If you have hundreds of videos, use the search box at the top of the Videos tab to find the one you want faster. You can also sort by upload date, views, or likes by tapping the filter icon.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to your profile picture, select Your channel, tap Videos, then tap the three dots next to any video and choose Delete video.
  • Deletion is when ready on your channel but may take a few hours to fully remove from YouTube's search and recommendation systems.
  • You can only delete videos you uploaded yourself; you cannot remove videos other people posted.
  • If you want to hide a video without deleting it, you can make it private or unlisted instead.
  • Once deleted, a video cannot be recovered, so read it first if you might want it later.

Make a video private or unlisted instead of deleting it

If you're not sure you want to delete a video permanently, you can hide it from public view first. Tap the three dots next to the video, select Edit video, then tap More options. Change the visibility from Public to either Private or Unlisted.

Private means only you can see it. Unlisted means anyone with the direct link can watch it, but it won't show up in search results, your channel page, or recommendations. This is useful if you want to share the video with specific people but don't want it visible to everyone.

You can change the visibility back to Public anytime, or delete the video later if you decide you don't want it at all. This gives you time to think before making a permanent choice.

Delete videos from the YouTube website on your phone's browser

If the app isn't working or you prefer the website, open YouTube in your phone's web browser and sign in. Tap the profile picture in the top right, then select Create a post or Your channel depending on what appears. Tap Videos, find the video you want to delete, tap the three dots, and select Delete forever.

The website version works the same way as the app, but some phones display it differently depending on your browser. If buttons are hard to tap on your screen, try rotating your phone to landscape mode for a larger view.

What happens after you delete a video

Once you confirm deletion, the video is gone from your channel page and your upload history. YouTube removes it from its servers within a few hours, though cached copies may exist elsewhere on the internet for a short time.

Any comments people left on the video disappear. Playlists that included the video will show an empty slot or remove it automatically. If you had monetization enabled on that video, you lose any remaining revenue from it.

If the video was embedded on a website or blog, that embed will stop working and show a "Video unavailable" message. The person who embedded it cannot restore it — only you could have prevented this by keeping the video public.

Recover a deleted video

YouTube does not restore deleted videos. Once you confirm deletion, the video is permanently removed and cannot be brought back through the app, the website, or YouTube support.

If you deleted a video by mistake and still have the original file on your phone or computer, you can upload it again as a new video. It will have a new URL and upload date, and old links to the original will not redirect to it.

This is why downloading your videos before deleting them is a good idea — you keep a backup in case you change your mind later.

Delete multiple videos at once

The YouTube app does not have a bulk delete feature, so you must delete videos one at a time. If you have many videos to remove, this takes longer on a phone than on a computer.

For faster deletion, use the YouTube website on your phone's browser instead. The website sometimes loads faster and the larger buttons are easier to tap repeatedly. Sort your videos by upload date to group the ones you want to delete together.

If you want to delete your entire channel instead of individual videos, go to YouTube Settings, scroll to the bottom, and select Advanced settings, then Delete channel. This removes all your videos, playlists, and channel history at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete someone else's video from my phone?

No. You can only delete videos you uploaded yourself. If you want to report a video that violates YouTube's rules, tap the three dots next to it and select Report instead. YouTube will review it and may remove it if it breaks their policies.

What if I delete a video but it still shows up in search results?

YouTube's search index takes a few hours to update after deletion. If the video still appears after 24 hours, it may be cached by Google Search or another search engine, not YouTube itself. You can request removal from Google Search by visiting Google's removal tool, but YouTube's own search should show it as unavailable.

Does deleting a video remove it from my watch history?

No. Deleting your own video does not affect other people's watch histories. If someone watched your video before you deleted it, it may still appear in their history as "Video unavailable." To remove videos from your own watch history, go to Settings, select History, and delete them there.

Can I delete a video if I'm not the original uploader?

No. Only the person who uploaded the video can delete it. If you manage a channel for someone else and need to delete videos, ask the channel owner to give you the permission to do so, or have them delete the videos themselves.

What's the difference between deleting and making a video private?

Deleting removes the video permanently and it cannot be recovered. Making it private hides it from everyone except you, but you can change it back to public anytime. Use private if you might want the video later; use delete only if you're certain you don't want it.