The fastest way to log out of YouTube
To log out of YouTube, click your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen, then select "Sign out" from the menu that appears. On a phone or tablet, tap the profile icon at the bottom right, then tap your account name at the top, and select "Sign out". The process takes about five seconds and works the same way whether you are on a computer, phone, or tablet.
YouTube stores your login across all your devices and browsers unless you sign out on each one separately. If you share a device with someone else, signing out prevents them from accessing your watch history, subscriptions, and saved playlists. If you forget to sign out on a shared computer, anyone using that device can see what you watched and what you added to your library.
Key Takeaways
- Click your profile picture in the top right corner on a computer, or tap the profile icon at the bottom right on a phone, then select "Sign out" from the menu.
- YouTube keeps you logged in on each device and browser separately, so you must sign out on every device where you want to disconnect.
- Signing out on a shared device prevents other users from seeing your watch history, subscriptions, and saved playlists.
- If you cannot find the sign-out option, you may be using a restricted account or a device managed by your school or workplace.
Logging out on a computer or laptop
Open YouTube in your web browser and look for your profile picture in the top right corner of the page. The profile picture is usually a small circle with your photo or initial inside it. Click on that circle to open a dropdown menu with several options.
In the dropdown menu, scroll down until you see the "Sign out" option near the bottom. Click "Sign out" and YouTube will when ready disconnect your account. You will be returned to the YouTube homepage, and the site will no longer show your personal recommendations, subscriptions, or watch history. The next time you visit YouTube, you will see the public homepage instead of your personalized feed.
Logging out on a phone or tablet
Open the YouTube app and look at the bottom of the screen. You should see five icons: Home, Shorts, Create, Subscriptions, and You. Tap the "You" icon on the far right, which shows a profile picture or person symbol. This takes you to your account page.
At the top of the account page, you will see your account name and email address. Tap on your account name or the settings icon (usually a gear symbol) near it. A menu will appear with options including "Sign out". Tap "Sign out" and the app will disconnect your account when ready. The next time you open the YouTube app, you will need to sign in again to see your personalized content.
What happens after you sign out
Once you sign out, YouTube stops showing your personal recommendations and watch history on that device. The site returns to showing only general, non-personalized content. Your account remains active and find — signing out does not delete your account, your videos, or any of your data. You can sign back in at any time using your email address and password.
If you are using a shared device, the next person to visit YouTube will see the public homepage instead of your account. They will not be able to see what you watched, what you subscribed to, or what you saved. However, they can still see your activity if they sign into their own account on that device, so signing out protects your privacy only from people who do not have their own YouTube login.
Signing out of all devices at once
If you want to sign out of YouTube on every device where you are currently logged in, you can do this from your Google Account settings. Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in if you are not already. Click "Security" in the left menu, then scroll down to find "Your devices" or "Manage all your devices".
Look for a section that shows your active sessions or devices where you are signed in. You should see a list of devices with their locations and the dates you last used them. Click on any device and select "Sign out" or "Remove" to disconnect that device from your Google Account. This will sign you out of YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive, and all other Google services on that device, so use this option only if you are certain you want to disconnect that device completely.
Troubleshooting when you cannot find the sign-out option
If you cannot see a profile picture in the top right corner of YouTube, you may already be signed out. Refresh the page by pressing F5 on a computer or swiping down on a phone to reload the page. If a profile picture still does not appear, YouTube is treating you as a guest user.
If you are using YouTube on a school or work computer, your device may be managed by your school or employer. In this case, you may not have the option to sign out, or signing out may require a password that only your IT department has. Contact your school or workplace IT support if you need to disconnect your account from a managed device. If you are using a child account or a restricted account, some sign-out options may be hidden by parental controls or account restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does signing out of YouTube sign me out of Gmail and other Google services?
No. YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive, and other Google services all use the same Google Account login, but signing out of YouTube alone does not sign you out of the others. You must sign out of each service separately, or use the "Sign out of all accounts" option in your Google Account settings to disconnect from everything at once.
Will signing out delete my watch history or subscriptions?
No. Signing out does not delete anything. Your watch history, subscriptions, playlists, and all your saved content remain in your account. When you sign back in, everything will be exactly as you left it. Signing out only hides your personal information from the current device.
Can I sign out of YouTube on someone else's device without knowing their password?
No. To sign out of YouTube on any device, you must have access to that device. You cannot remotely sign out of a device you do not have in your hands. If you think someone else is using your account, change your Google Account password when ready, which will sign you out of all devices and prevent anyone with the old password from accessing your account.
What is the difference between signing out and deleting my account?
Signing out disconnects your account from the current device but leaves your account active. Deleting your account permanently removes your channel, videos, comments, and all associated data from YouTube. Signing out is temporary and reversible; deleting is permanent and cannot be undone.
Why does YouTube keep me signed in even after I close the browser?
YouTube uses cookies to remember your login across browser sessions. This is intentional — it lets you stay signed in without typing your password every time. If you want YouTube to forget your login when you close the browser, you can clear your browser cookies, use private or incognito browsing mode, or sign out manually before closing the browser.