Where YouTube stores your saved videos

YouTube keeps your saved videos in a private list called Watch Later, which you can reach from any device where you are signed in. This is not the same as your history — saved videos stay there until you remove them, while history disappears after a while. The Watch Later list is the main place YouTube puts videos you mark to watch.

You can also save videos to custom playlists you create yourself, which work like folders for organizing videos by topic. Both Watch Later and custom playlists are private by default, meaning only you can see them unless you change the settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Watch Later list is the default place YouTube saves videos you mark, and you reach it from the Library section on any device.
  • On a computer, click the three-dot menu on any video and select "Add to Watch Later" to save it when ready.
  • On a phone or tablet, tap the three-dot menu and choose "Save to playlist," then select Watch Later from the list.
  • Custom playlists let you organize saved videos by topic, and you create them from the Library section or while watching a video.
  • If you cannot find a saved video, check whether you removed it by mistake, or search your playlists by name.

Finding Watch Later on a computer

Open YouTube in your web browser and sign in with your account. Look for the word Library in the left sidebar — it is usually near the bottom, below your subscriptions. Click Library and you will see a menu with options including Watch Later at the top.

Click Watch Later and the page will show every video you have saved to that list, with the newest saves at the top. You can play any video directly from this page, or right-click a video to remove it if you no longer want it there.

Finding Watch Later on a phone or tablet

Open the YouTube app and tap the profile icon in the bottom right corner. A menu will appear with several options — tap Your videos to see your library. From there, tap the Watch Later tab to see all your saved videos.

On some older versions of the app, the Library button appears as a menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom of the screen instead. If you do not see Your videos, look for Library or a similar label in that menu. Once you find Watch Later, you can tap any video to play it or swipe left on a video to remove it from the list.

How to save a video to Watch Later

While watching or browsing YouTube, look for the Save button below the video title. On a computer, this appears as a bookmark icon or the word "Save" — click it and select Watch Later from the menu. The video will be added to your list when ready.

On a phone or tablet, tap the three-dot menu icon next to the video title and choose Save to playlist. A list of your playlists will appear, including Watch Later at the top. Tap Watch Later and the video is saved. You will see a checkmark appear next to the Save button to confirm it worked.

Creating and using custom playlists

Custom playlists let you organize videos into groups by subject — for example, a playlist for cooking videos, another for tutorials, and another for music. To create one, go to Library on a computer or Your videos on a phone, then look for a button labeled Create playlist or the plus icon. Enter a name for your playlist and choose whether to make it private (only you see it) or public (anyone can find it).

Once you have created a playlist, you can add videos to it the same way you add to Watch Later: click or tap the Save button, choose Save to playlist, and select your custom playlist from the list. You can add the same video to multiple playlists, and you can rearrange videos within a playlist by dragging them to a new order on a computer, or by tapping and holding on a phone.

What to do if you cannot find a saved video

If a video you saved is no longer in your Watch Later list, the most common reason is that you removed it by mistake. Check your browser history or search history to find the video again, then save it once more. If you remember the video's title or the channel that posted it, you can search YouTube directly for it.

If you saved the video to a custom playlist instead of Watch Later, look through your playlists in the Library section. You can also search within YouTube for the video title — if you saved it, it will appear in your search results, and you can tell by the checkmark next to the Save button that it is already in one of your lists. If the video has been removed from YouTube entirely, it will not appear in search results, and you will not be able to find it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can other people see my Watch Later list?

No. Watch Later is private by default, and only you can see it. Custom playlists are also private unless you change the settings to public. You can check the privacy setting by going to Library, right-clicking a playlist on a computer, and selecting Edit Playlist, or by tapping the three-dot menu on a phone.

How many videos can I save to Watch Later?

YouTube does not publish a limit on the number of videos you can save. Most people can save thousands of videos without running into problems. If you have a very large Watch Later list, you might want to organize videos into custom playlists instead to make them easier to find.

What happens to my saved videos if I delete my YouTube account?

Your Watch Later list and all custom playlists will be deleted along with your account. If you want to keep a record of videos you have saved, you can read a list of your playlists before you delete your account through the Google Takeout tool.

Can I share a playlist with someone else?

Yes, but only if you make the playlist public. Go to Library, right-click the playlist on a computer, and select Edit Playlist. Change the privacy setting to Public and copy the link to share. On a phone, tap the three-dot menu on the playlist and select Share. Anyone with the link can view and watch the videos, but they cannot edit your playlist.