You can delete a YouTube video from your channel in under a minute

To delete a video, sign into YouTube, go to your channel, select the video you want to remove, and choose the delete option. The video disappears from your channel when ready, though it may take a few hours for it to stop appearing in search results and recommendations. Once deleted, the video cannot be recovered, so make sure you want it gone before you confirm.

The process is the same whether you uploaded the video yourself or it was added to your channel by someone else with upload permissions. YouTube does not keep a backup of deleted videos, and viewers who try to access the link will see an error message saying the video is no longer available.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleted videos disappear from your channel when ready but may remain in YouTube's search index for a few hours.
  • You cannot recover a video after deletion, so read or save anything you need before you remove it.
  • If you want to keep the video but hide it from public view, you can make it private or unlisted instead of deleting it.
  • Videos deleted from a channel also disappear from any playlists they were added to.

Step-by-step deletion from a computer

Sign into your YouTube account and click your profile icon in the top right corner. Select Create a post or go directly to YouTube Studio by clicking the icon that looks like a play button in a box. In YouTube Studio, click Content on the left menu to see all your uploaded videos.

Find the video you want to delete and hover over it. A menu icon (three vertical dots) will appear on the right side of the video thumbnail. Click that menu and select Delete forever. A confirmation box will ask if you are sure — click Delete to confirm. The video is now removed from your channel.

Deleting videos from the YouTube mobile app

Open the YouTube app and tap your profile icon at the top right. Select Create a post or tap the icon that looks like a play button. Tap Your videos to see everything you have uploaded.

Find the video you want to remove and tap the three-dot menu next to it. Select Delete and confirm when YouTube asks if you are sure. The video is deleted when ready. If you cannot find the three-dot menu, swipe left on the video thumbnail — the delete option will appear.

What happens to a deleted video

The video stops showing on your channel right away. Links to the video will display an error message saying "Video unavailable." Any comments people left on the video are deleted along with it. If the video was in a playlist, it is removed from that playlist automatically.

YouTube's search engine and recommendation system may still show the video for a few hours after deletion, but clicking the link will show the unavailable message. The video will not appear in your channel's view count or watch history. If you had monetized the video and earned money from it, that revenue is not reversed — you keep what you earned before deletion.

Private and unlisted videos as an alternative to deletion

If you are not sure you want to delete a video permanently, you can change its privacy setting instead. A private video is invisible to everyone except you and people you specifically invite by email. An unlisted video does not appear in search results or on your channel page, but anyone with the link can watch it.

To change a video's privacy setting, open YouTube Studio, click Content, find the video, click the three-dot menu, and select Details. Under "Visibility," choose Private or Unlisted. This keeps the video on your account without showing it publicly, and you can change it back to public later if you change your mind.

Deleting videos you did not upload yourself

If someone else uploaded a video to your channel (because they have channel manager or editor permissions), you can still delete it the same way. Go to YouTube Studio, click Content, find the video, click the three-dot menu, and select Delete forever. The person who uploaded it will not be notified, but they will see it is gone when they check the channel.

If you want to prevent certain people from uploading videos in the future, you can change their permissions in your channel settings. Click your profile icon, select Settings, go to Permissions, and adjust who can upload or edit videos on your channel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a deleted video back?

No. YouTube does not keep backups of deleted videos. Once you confirm deletion, the video is gone permanently. If you need the video later, you will have to re-upload it from your original file.

Will deleting a video hurt my channel's ranking?

Deleting videos does not directly harm your channel's search ranking. However, if the video was getting views and engagement, removing it means losing that traffic. If you are deleting because the video is outdated or low-quality, replacing it with better content is usually better for your channel than leaving it up.

What if I delete a video by accident?

You cannot undo the deletion through YouTube. Your only option is to re-upload the video if you have the original file saved on your computer or phone. This is why it is a good idea to keep copies of videos you care about before deleting them.

Does deleting a video remove it from Google search results right away?

No. Google's search index may still show the video for hours or even days after deletion. When someone clicks the link, they will see YouTube's "Video unavailable" message. You can ask Google to remove it faster by using Google Search Console, but most deleted videos disappear from search results within 24 hours on their own.