Delete a playlist in three steps

To delete a playlist on YouTube, sign into your account, go to your library, find the playlist you want to remove, and select the delete option from its menu. The process takes less than a minute and permanently removes the playlist — subscribers to that playlist will no longer see it in their library.

YouTube stores playlists in your account library, separate from the videos themselves. Deleting a playlist does not delete the videos on it; they remain on YouTube and in your uploads or watch history. Only the playlist container disappears.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleting a playlist removes it from your account and from the libraries of anyone who subscribed to it, but does not delete the videos that were in it.
  • You must be signed into the YouTube account that created the playlist in order to delete it.
  • The delete option appears in a three-dot menu next to the playlist name in your library.
  • YouTube does not have an undo button for deleted playlists, so make sure you want to remove it before confirming.

Find your playlists in the YouTube library

Open YouTube and sign into your account. In the left sidebar, click You (or your profile icon on mobile), then select Your channel. This takes you to your channel page.

On your channel page, click the Playlists tab near the top. You will see a list of every playlist you have created. If you have many playlists, you can search for the one you want to delete by typing its name in the search box at the top of the page.

Open the playlist menu and select delete

Hover your mouse over the playlist you want to delete. A three-dot menu icon will appear in the top right corner of the playlist card. Click that menu icon.

A dropdown menu will open with several options. Click Delete playlist. YouTube will ask you to confirm — click Delete again to remove the playlist permanently.

Delete a playlist from your library (mobile)

On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube app and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Tap Your channel, then tap the Playlists tab.

Find the playlist you want to delete and tap the three-dot menu icon next to its name. Tap Delete playlist, then confirm by tapping Delete again.

What happens when you delete a playlist

Once deleted, the playlist disappears from your channel when ready. Anyone who subscribed to the playlist will no longer see it in their library. If you shared a link to the playlist with others, that link will no longer work.

The videos that were in the playlist are not affected. They remain on YouTube, in your uploads (if you created them), and in the watch history of anyone who viewed them. Only the playlist itself is removed.

Recover a deleted playlist

YouTube does not provide a way to restore a deleted playlist. Once you confirm the deletion, it cannot be undone. If you deleted a playlist by mistake, you will need to recreate it manually by adding videos to a new playlist with the same name.

To avoid accidental deletion, double-check the playlist name before clicking the final delete confirmation. If you are unsure whether you want to remove a playlist, you can make it private instead — this hides it from your channel and from subscribers without deleting it.

Make a playlist private instead of deleting it

If you want to keep a playlist but do not want others to see it, you can change its privacy setting instead of deleting it. Open the playlist, click the three-dot menu icon, and select Playlist settings. Change the privacy setting from Public to Private.

A private playlist is hidden from your channel and from anyone who does not have the direct link. You can still watch it, add videos to it, and change it back to public later. This is a safer option than deletion if you think you might want the playlist again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting a playlist delete the videos in it?

No. Deleting a playlist only removes the container that holds the videos together. The videos themselves stay on YouTube. If you created the videos, they remain in your uploads. If you added other people's videos to the playlist, those videos stay on their creators' channels.

Can I delete someone else's playlist?

No. You can only delete playlists that you created. If someone else created a playlist and shared it with you, you can remove it from your library by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting Remove from library, but you cannot delete it from their account.

What if I deleted a playlist by mistake?

YouTube does not have an undo feature for deleted playlists. You will need to create a new playlist and add the videos back to it manually. If you remember which videos were in it, you can search for them and add them again. If you do not remember, the playlist is gone.

Can I delete a playlist that other people subscribed to?

Yes. When you delete a playlist, it disappears from the libraries of everyone who subscribed to it. They will not receive a notification that the playlist was deleted, but they will notice it is no longer in their library.

Is there a difference between deleting and making a playlist private?

Yes. Deleting removes the playlist entirely and cannot be undone. Making a playlist private hides it from your channel and from people without the link, but you keep it in your account and can change it back to public later. Use private if you might want the playlist again.