Where YouTube keeps your subscriptions

Your subscriptions live in the left sidebar of YouTube, or in a menu if you are on a phone. On a computer, log into YouTube and look at the left side of the screen — you will see a "Subscriptions" link below your profile picture. On a phone or tablet, tap the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) at the top left, then scroll down to find "Subscriptions". Both show you every channel you have subscribed to, in the order they uploaded new videos.

If you have never subscribed to anything, this section will be empty or say "No subscriptions yet". That is normal. The moment you subscribe to your first channel, it appears here.

Key Takeaways

  • Your subscriptions appear in the left sidebar on a computer or in the hamburger menu on a phone, always under a link labeled "Subscriptions".
  • Subscribing to a channel means YouTube will show you that creator's new videos in your feed, without you having to search for them.
  • You can subscribe by clicking the "Subscribe" button on any channel's page, and unsubscribe the same way if you change your mind.
  • YouTube shows your subscriptions only to you — other people cannot see which channels you follow unless you make that information public in your channel settings.

How to subscribe to a channel

Find a creator whose videos you want to watch regularly. Watch one of their videos, or go to their channel page by clicking their name or profile picture. On the channel page, you will see a red "Subscribe" button — it is usually near the top, next to the channel name. Click it once. The button will turn gray and say "Subscribed", and a bell icon may appear next to it.

That bell icon controls notifications. If you click it, YouTube will send you alerts when that channel uploads a new video. You can turn notifications on, off, or set them to "all" or "personalized" depending on how often you want to hear from that creator. Most people leave notifications off for channels they like but do not need to know about when ready.

What happens after you subscribe

Once you subscribe, that channel's new videos will appear in your "Subscriptions" feed. This is different from your home feed, which YouTube fills with videos it thinks you might like based on what you have watched. Your subscriptions feed shows only videos from channels you chose to follow, in reverse chronological order — newest first.

You can check your subscriptions feed anytime by clicking "Subscriptions" in the left sidebar (on a computer) or the hamburger menu (on a phone). This is the fastest way to see what new content your favorite creators have posted since you last checked.

How to find a specific subscription

If you have subscribed to many channels and want to find one quickly, YouTube has a search feature within your subscriptions. On a computer, go to your Subscriptions page and look for a search box near the top that says "Search subscriptions". Type the channel name and YouTube will filter your list to show only that channel. On a phone, the search option is in the same place but may appear as a magnifying glass icon.

You can also sort your subscriptions by clicking "Manage subscriptions" (on a computer) or the settings icon (on a phone). This opens a page where you can see all your subscriptions at once, organized alphabetically, and unsubscribe from any channel by clicking the "Subscribed" button to toggle it off.

Privacy: who can see your subscriptions

By default, your subscriptions are private — only you can see them. Other YouTube users cannot view your subscription list, and YouTube does not show your subscriptions to the creators you follow. This is true even if someone visits your channel page.

If you want to make your subscriptions public (so anyone can see which channels you follow), you can change this in your channel settings. Go to your channel, click "Customization" or the settings icon, find "Privacy", and toggle "Make my subscriptions public" on. Most people leave this off for privacy, but some creators make it public to help others discover new channels.

Unsubscribing and managing your list

If you subscribe to a channel and later decide you do not want to see their videos anymore, unsubscribe by clicking the "Subscribed" button on their channel page — it will turn back to red and say "Subscribe". You can also unsubscribe from your Subscriptions page by clicking the three dots next to a channel name and selecting "Unsubscribe".

Unsubscribing does not notify the creator, and it does not delete any videos you have already watched. It straightforward removes that channel from your subscriptions feed so their new uploads will not appear there. You can always resubscribe later if you change your mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I organize my subscriptions into folders?

YouTube does not have a built-in folder system for subscriptions. However, you can create playlists and add channels to them manually, or use the "Manage subscriptions" page to see all your channels at once. Some people use browser bookmarks or external tools to organize channels by topic.

What is the difference between subscribing and adding a channel to my library?

Subscribing means YouTube will show that channel's new videos in your subscriptions feed. Adding a channel to your library (by clicking the "+" icon) saves it to a "Watch later" or custom playlist, but does not automatically show you new uploads. Subscribing is the standard way to follow a creator.

Will the creator know if I subscribe?

Creators can see how many subscribers they have, but YouTube does not tell them who each subscriber is. They cannot see your name or username when you subscribe. However, if you comment on their videos or interact with them publicly, they may recognize you.

Can I see when I subscribed to a channel?

YouTube does not show you the date you subscribed to a channel. You can see the order of your subscriptions (alphabetically or by most recent activity), but not the subscription date itself. Some third-party tools claim to track this, but they are not official YouTube features.

What happens to my subscriptions if I delete my YouTube account?

If you delete your YouTube account, all your subscriptions are deleted along with it. If you later create a new account, you will need to resubscribe to all your channels. YouTube does not transfer subscriptions between accounts.