What happens when you delete YouTube
Deleting YouTube from your Android phone removes the app itself, but not your account or watch history. If you sign back in later on any device, your account and all your saved videos will still be there. Deleting the app frees up storage space on your phone and stops YouTube from sending you notifications.
Android phones come with YouTube pre-installed, so you have two options: uninstall it completely, or disable it so it stays on your phone but stops running. Most people find disabling it is enough if they just want to stop notifications and free up a little space. Uninstalling removes it entirely, but you can always reinstall it later from the Google Play Store for free.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting YouTube removes the app but keeps your account and watch history intact on Google's servers.
- You can either uninstall YouTube completely or disable it, depending on whether you want to remove it entirely or just stop notifications.
- Pre-installed YouTube can usually be disabled but not fully uninstalled on most Android phones, though some phones allow complete removal.
- Reinstalling YouTube later is free and takes less than a minute through the Google Play Store.
How to disable YouTube (the faster option)
Disabling YouTube stops it from running and removes notifications, but the app stays on your phone. This is the quickest route if you want to reclaim some peace without completely removing it.
Open Settings on your Android phone. Scroll down and tap Apps or process Manager (the exact name depends on your phone brand). Find YouTube in the list and tap it. You will see a button that says Disable or Turn off. Tap it, then confirm when Android asks if you are sure. YouTube will no longer run or send notifications.
If you see Uninstall instead of Disable, your phone allows full removal — skip to the next section. If you see Uninstall Updates, tap that first, then tap Disable.
How to uninstall YouTube completely
Some Android phones let you remove YouTube entirely. Others do not, because YouTube is tied to Google services that Android relies on. If your phone allows it, uninstalling is the most thorough way to remove the app.
Open Settings, then tap Apps or process Manager. Find YouTube and tap it. If you see an Uninstall button, tap it and confirm. If you only see Disable, your phone does not allow full removal — disable it instead using the steps above.
After uninstalling, YouTube will be completely gone from your phone. You will still be able to watch videos through your web browser by going to youtube.com, and you can reinstall the app anytime from the Google Play Store.
Removing YouTube updates before disabling
If you see Uninstall Updates but not a full Uninstall button, your phone came with YouTube built in and does not allow complete removal. You can still disable it, but first you need to remove the updates Google has added since your phone shipped.
In the YouTube app info screen, tap Uninstall Updates and confirm. This rolls YouTube back to the version that came with your phone. Then tap Disable to turn it off. This step matters because disabling works more reliably after you remove updates.
How to reinstall YouTube later
If you change your mind, reinstalling YouTube is free and takes about a minute. Open the Google Play Store app on your phone. Tap the search icon at the bottom and type YouTube. The official YouTube app will appear at the top of the results — it has the red YouTube logo. Tap Install, then wait for it to finish.
Once installation is done, tap Open to launch YouTube. Sign in with your Google account, and your watch history, subscriptions, and saved videos will all be there exactly as you left them.
What to do if YouTube keeps coming back
Sometimes YouTube reappears after you disable it, especially after a phone update. This happens because Android treats YouTube as a core service and may reinstall it automatically. If this bothers you, disable it again using the same steps — it will stay disabled until the next major Android update.
If you want to stop YouTube from sending notifications without disabling the whole app, you can also manage notifications separately. Open Settings, tap Apps, find YouTube, then tap Notifications. Turn off All notifications or choose which types of notifications you want to block. This keeps the app running but silences it completely.
Storage space freed by removing YouTube
Disabling or uninstalling YouTube frees up between 100 and 300 megabytes of space, depending on your phone model and how many updates have been installed. This is not a huge amount on modern phones, but it adds up if you are removing several pre-installed apps you do not use.
If you need more storage space, check your phone's storage settings to see what is actually taking up room. Photos, videos, and cached data from apps usually consume far more space than the apps themselves. Clearing your browser cache or deleting old photos will free up much more space than removing YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting YouTube delete my watch history and subscriptions?
No. Your watch history, subscriptions, and saved videos are stored on Google's servers, not on your phone. When you sign back into YouTube on any device, everything will be exactly as you left it. Deleting the app only removes the software from your phone.
Can I delete YouTube if it came pre-installed on my phone?
Most phones let you disable YouTube but not fully uninstall it, because it is tied to Android's core services. You can disable it so it does not run or send notifications. A few newer phones do allow complete removal — if you see an Uninstall button instead of Disable, your phone is one of them.
What is the difference between disable and uninstall?
Disabling stops the app from running and removes notifications, but the app stays on your phone taking up a small amount of space. Uninstalling removes it completely. If your phone allows uninstalling, that is the more thorough option. If it only allows disabling, that is enough to stop YouTube from bothering you.
Can I watch YouTube videos after I delete the app?
Yes. You can open any web browser on your phone and go to youtube.com to watch videos without the app installed. You will need to sign in with your Google account. The app is just a shortcut to the website — removing it does not block access to YouTube itself.
How do I stop YouTube notifications without deleting the app?
Open Settings, tap Apps, find YouTube, then tap Notifications. Turn off All notifications to silence YouTube completely while keeping the app installed. You can also choose to block only certain types of notifications if you want some but not others.