YouTube can be removed from Android in two ways, depending on whether it came with your phone
If YouTube came pre-installed on your Android phone, you cannot fully delete it — but you can disable it so it stops running and taking up space. If you installed YouTube yourself from the Google Play Store, you can uninstall it completely. Either way, the process takes less than a minute and you can reinstall it later if you change your mind.
The difference matters because pre-installed apps (called system apps) are built into Android itself. Removing them entirely could break other phone functions that depend on them. Disabling them is safer and achieves the same practical result: the app stops using battery, storage, and data.
Key Takeaways
- Pre-installed YouTube can be disabled but not fully deleted; user-installed YouTube can be uninstalled completely from the Play Store.
- Disabling a pre-installed app removes it from your home screen and stops it from running in the background, but keeps the core files on your phone.
- You can disable YouTube through Settings > Apps or by long-pressing the app icon on your home screen.
- Uninstalling YouTube from the Play Store frees up storage space and removes all traces of the app if you installed it yourself.
- You can reinstall YouTube at any time through the Google Play Store without losing any of your account data or watch history.
How to disable pre-installed YouTube
Open Settings on your Android phone. Scroll down and tap Apps (sometimes labeled Applications or App Management depending on your phone brand). Search for or scroll to find YouTube.
Tap YouTube to open its app details page. You will see buttons for Uninstall, Disable, or Force Stop. If Disable is available and grayed out, your phone considers YouTube a system app. Tap Disable. A warning will appear asking you to confirm — tap Disable App. YouTube will disappear from your home screen and app drawer when ready.
If you see only Uninstall and Force Stop (no Disable button), YouTube was installed by you, not pre-loaded. Follow the uninstall steps in the next section instead.
How to uninstall YouTube if you installed it yourself
Open the Google Play Store app. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner, then tap Manage apps and device. Tap the Manage tab. Search for YouTube or scroll through your installed apps to find it.
Tap YouTube. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right and select Uninstall. A confirmation dialog will appear — tap Uninstall again. YouTube will be removed from your phone and your storage space will be freed.
Alternatively, you can long-press the YouTube icon on your home screen or in your app drawer and select Uninstall from the menu that appears. This opens the same uninstall confirmation.
What happens when you disable or uninstall YouTube
When you disable a pre-installed app, it stops appearing in your app drawer and home screen. It no longer runs in the background, so it will not drain your battery or use data. The core files remain on your phone but take up minimal space. If you later decide you want YouTube back, you can re-enable it through Settings > Apps > YouTube > Enable.
When you uninstall an app you installed yourself, all traces of it are removed from your phone. Your watch history, subscriptions, and account data remain safe in your Google account — they are stored on YouTube's servers, not on your phone. When you reinstall YouTube from the Play Store, you will log back in and find everything exactly as you left it.
Why you might want to remove YouTube
Some people disable or uninstall YouTube to reduce distractions, especially if they find themselves opening it without meaning to. Others remove it to free up storage space on phones with limited capacity, or to reduce background data use on limited mobile plans. Disabling pre-installed apps can also speed up your phone slightly by reducing the number of apps running at startup.
If you are concerned about screen time, disabling YouTube makes it harder to access on impulse — you would have to reinstall it first. This creates a small friction point that can help break the habit of opening the app automatically.
How to reinstall YouTube if you change your mind
If you disabled YouTube and want it back, open Settings > Apps > YouTube and tap Enable. It will reappear in your app drawer within seconds.
If you uninstalled YouTube, open the Google Play Store, search for YouTube, and tap Install. Once installation finishes, tap Open or find YouTube in your app drawer. Sign in with your Google account, and your watch history, subscriptions, and recommendations will load exactly as they were before you uninstalled it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will disabling YouTube break my phone or other apps?
No. YouTube is not a core system app that other functions depend on. Disabling it will not affect your phone's ability to make calls, send messages, use the internet, or run other apps. You can safely disable it without any risk.
Can I hide YouTube without disabling it?
Yes. You can long-press the YouTube icon on your home screen and select Remove from Home Screen, or move it to a folder you do not check often. This keeps the app installed and running but removes it from straightforward access. If you want it to stop running entirely, you need to disable or uninstall it.
What is the difference between disable and force stop?
Force Stop temporarily stops the app from running but does not remove it from your screen — it will restart the next time you open it or the next time your phone boots up. Disable is permanent until you re-enable it, and the app will not restart on its own. Disable is the better choice if you want YouTube gone for the long term.
Will my watch history disappear if I uninstall YouTube?
No. Your watch history, subscriptions, playlists, and all other account data are stored on Google's servers, not on your phone. When you reinstall YouTube and sign in, everything will be there. Uninstalling only removes the app itself from your device.
Can I delete YouTube if it is a system app on my phone?
You cannot fully delete a system app, but disabling it achieves the same practical result — it disappears from your screen and stops running. If you need to remove it completely, you would need to use a computer and specialized tools, which carries a risk of damaging your phone. Disabling is the safe, recommended approach.