Where to find your subscription date on YouTube

YouTube does not show you the exact date you subscribed to a channel in one obvious place. Instead, you have to look at your subscription list and sort it, or check your YouTube history. The fastest method depends on whether you remember roughly when you subscribed and whether you want to see all your subscriptions at once.

Your subscriptions live in three places: your Subscriptions page (which shows channels in the order YouTube thinks you'll watch them), your subscription list sorted by date, and your watch history (which records every video you've watched, including from channels you're subscribed to). Each one shows different information.

Key Takeaways

  • YouTube's Subscriptions page does not display subscription dates, but your full subscription list can be sorted by the date you joined each channel.
  • To see subscription dates, go to your channel, select "Subscriptions," then sort by "Oldest" or "Newest" to arrange channels by when you subscribed.
  • Your watch history shows videos you've watched from subscribed channels, but not the subscription date itself — only when you watched each video.
  • If you subscribed years ago, you may not find an exact date because YouTube's sorting goes back only as far as your account history extends.

How to sort your subscriptions by date

Open YouTube and click your profile icon in the top right corner. Select "Subscriptions" from the menu. This takes you to your subscriptions page, which by default shows channels in an order YouTube calculates based on your watching habits — not the order you subscribed.

Look for a sort button or menu on this page. On desktop, you should see options to sort by "Oldest" (the channels you subscribed to first) or "Newest" (the most recent subscriptions). Click "Oldest" to see your earliest subscriptions at the top. Scroll down to find the channel you're looking for. The position in this list tells you roughly when you subscribed relative to your other subscriptions, though YouTube does not display the exact date next to each channel name.

On mobile, the sort options may appear as a filter icon or menu button. The process is the same: tap the sort option, choose "Oldest," and scroll to find your channel. Mobile YouTube sometimes hides this menu, so look for three dots or a filter symbol near the top of your subscriptions list.

Using your watch history to estimate subscription timing

If sorting your subscriptions does not give you the information you need, your watch history can help you estimate when you subscribed. Go to your profile icon, select "History," and search for videos from the channel in question. The oldest video you've watched from that channel gives you a clue about when you likely subscribed — you probably subscribed before or around the time you watched your first video from them.

This method is not exact. You might have subscribed to a channel and waited weeks before watching anything, or you might have watched a video before subscribing. But if you see that your first watch from a channel was in March 2022, you know you subscribed no later than March 2022.

To search your history, use the search bar that appears on the History page. Type the channel name or a video title you remember watching from them. YouTube will show you the videos you've watched in reverse chronological order (newest first), so scroll to the bottom to find your oldest watches from that channel.

Why YouTube does not show exact subscription dates

YouTube treats subscriptions as a straightforward follow action — you either subscribe or you do not — rather than an event with a timestamp that matters to the platform. The company prioritizes showing you content from channels you watch most, not a detailed record of when you subscribed to each one. This is why the subscription date is buried in sorting options instead of displayed prominently.

For very old subscriptions, YouTube's sorting may not go back far enough to show you the exact order. If you subscribed to a channel in 2010 and your account has thousands of subscriptions, the sorting algorithm might not preserve that level of detail across your entire history.

What subscription information YouTube does track

YouTube keeps a record of which channels you subscribe to and when you watch videos from them. It also tracks when you unsubscribe. However, the platform does not make the subscription date a visible, searchable field the way it does with watch history or upload dates.

If you contact YouTube support about a specific subscription, they may be able to look up the date on their end, but this is not a standard feature available to users. The company's focus is on your viewing behavior, not on maintaining a detailed timeline of your subscription decisions.

Checking subscriptions on different devices

The subscription sorting feature works on desktop browsers, the YouTube website on mobile browsers, and the YouTube app on phones and tablets. The steps are the same across all of them: go to your subscriptions, find the sort option, and arrange by oldest or newest.

On smart TVs and other devices where YouTube is built in, the subscription management options are usually more limited. You may not be able to sort subscriptions on a TV app. If you need to check a subscription date, use your phone, tablet, or computer instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see the exact date I subscribed to a channel?

YouTube does not display exact subscription dates next to channel names. You can sort your subscriptions by oldest or newest to see the relative order, but not the specific day or month. Your watch history can help estimate when you subscribed based on your first video from that channel.

Does YouTube send me a notification when I subscribe?

YouTube does not send a notification for your own subscription action. You get notifications when channels you subscribe to upload new videos (if you have notifications turned on), but not a record of when you subscribed. Check your email for any confirmation messages if you subscribed through a link or special offer.

Can I see when someone else subscribed to my channel?

No. YouTube does not show creators which specific people subscribed to their channel or when they subscribed. Creators can see total subscriber count and trends over time, but not individual subscription dates or a list of who subscribed when.

What if I can't find the sort option on my subscriptions page?

The sort menu location varies by device and YouTube version. On desktop, look near the top of your subscriptions list for a filter icon or dropdown menu. On mobile, check for three dots or a menu button. If you still do not see it, try refreshing the page or updating the YouTube app.

Does unsubscribing and resubscribing change my subscription date?

Yes. If you unsubscribe from a channel and then subscribe again later, YouTube treats it as a new subscription. Your subscription date will be the date of your most recent subscription, not the original one.