You can delete a YouTube video in three steps from your account settings

Log into YouTube, go to your channel, find the video in your uploads, and click the three-dot menu next to it. Select "Delete forever" and confirm. The video disappears from YouTube within minutes, though it may take longer for search engines and cached copies to stop showing it. Once deleted, the video cannot be recovered — YouTube does not keep backups for creators who change their minds.

The process is the same whether you uploaded the video yesterday or five years ago. You do not need to contact YouTube support or wait for approval. If you no longer want the video public but might want it back later, you can set it to private or unlisted instead of deleting it permanently.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleting a video removes it from YouTube permanently within minutes, and YouTube does not restore deleted videos even if you ask.
  • You can delete any video you uploaded from the three-dot menu on your channel's uploads page, without needing to contact support.
  • If you want to hide a video temporarily, set it to private or unlisted instead — you can change it back to public later.
  • Deleted videos stop appearing in YouTube search and your channel within minutes, but Google search results and other websites may still link to the deleted page for weeks.

Finding the video on your channel

Open YouTube and click your profile icon in the top right corner. Select "Create a post" or "Uploads" — the exact wording depends on your account type. You will see a list of every video you have uploaded, sorted by most recent first. If you have many videos, use the search box at the top to find the one you want to delete by title.

Hover over the video thumbnail and you will see a three-dot menu icon appear. Click it. A dropdown menu shows options including "Delete forever". Click that option and YouTube will ask you to confirm — this is your final note to change your mind before the deletion is permanent.

What happens after you delete

YouTube removes the video from your channel and from YouTube search results within a few minutes. Anyone who tries to visit the video's direct link will see a message saying the video is no longer available. Your subscriber count, watch time, and revenue do not change — YouTube does not penalize you for deleting videos.

However, other websites that linked to your video will still show that link in their search results for days or weeks. Google's search index updates slowly, so someone might click a link from Google Search and land on a "video not found" page. You cannot speed this up, but the broken links will eventually disappear as Google re-crawls those pages.

Private and unlisted as alternatives to deletion

If you are unsure whether you want to delete a video permanently, you can change its privacy setting instead. Click the three-dot menu and select "Change visibility". Choose "Private" to hide it from everyone except you, or "Unlisted" to hide it from your channel and search results but keep the link working if someone has the direct URL.

Private videos are completely hidden — only you can see them in your uploads. Unlisted videos do not appear on your channel or in search, but anyone with the link can watch them. You can change either setting back to "Public" at any time, and the video will reappear on your channel and in search results. This gives you a way to test whether you really want the video gone before making the deletion permanent.

Deleting videos on mobile

The process is nearly identical on the YouTube mobile app. Open the app, tap your profile icon, and go to "Your channel". Tap "Uploads" to see your videos. Long-press the video you want to delete — a menu will appear with options including "Delete". Tap "Delete" and confirm when YouTube asks.

Mobile deletion works the same way as desktop deletion: the video is gone permanently within minutes, and you cannot recover it afterward. If you have a large number of videos to delete, the desktop version may be faster because you can see more videos at once and use the search box more easily.

Videos you cannot delete

You can only delete videos that you uploaded yourself. If someone else uploaded a video and you appear in it, you cannot delete it from your own account — you would need to ask the uploader to delete it, or you can report it to YouTube if it violates your privacy or rights.

If your channel was created by a brand account or managed by multiple people, only the account owner or a manager with the right permissions can delete videos. If you do not see the three-dot menu or the "Delete forever" option, you may not have permission to delete that video. Contact your channel owner or manager to ask them to delete it.

What to do if you cannot find the delete option

If the three-dot menu does not appear when you hover over a video, try refreshing the page or logging out and back in. Sometimes YouTube's interface takes a moment to load fully. If you are using an older browser or an unofficial YouTube app, the menu might not work — try using the official YouTube website or app instead.

If you still cannot see the delete option after refreshing, check whether you are logged into the correct account. Videos uploaded from one account do not appear in another account's uploads list, even if you have access to both accounts. Make sure you are viewing the channel that uploaded the video you want to delete.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can YouTube restore a video I deleted by mistake?

No. YouTube does not keep backups of deleted videos and cannot restore them. If you deleted a video you want back, your only option is to re-upload it. This is why it is safer to set a video to private first if you are unsure about deleting it permanently.

Will deleting a video hurt my channel's ranking or recommendations?

No. YouTube does not penalize channels for deleting videos. Your subscriber count, total watch time, and search ranking are not affected. However, if the video was getting a lot of views, removing it means you lose those views going forward.

How long does it take for a deleted video to stop showing up in Google Search?

YouTube removes it from YouTube search within minutes, but Google Search may show the link for days or weeks. You can speed this up by visiting Google Search Console, finding the deleted video's URL, and requesting removal. Otherwise, the link will disappear naturally as Google re-crawls the web.

Can I delete all my videos at once?

YouTube does not have a "delete all" button. You must delete videos one at a time using the three-dot menu. If you have many videos to delete, this takes time, but there is no faster way through YouTube's interface.

What if my video is still getting views after I delete it?

Once deleted, a video stops getting new views. If you see views still being counted, the video may not have finished deleting yet — wait a few minutes and refresh your analytics. If views continue after several hours, the deletion may have failed; try deleting it again.