The basics of finding and playing videos on YouTube

YouTube's home page shows you videos based on what you've watched before, channels you follow, and what's trending. To find something specific, use the search bar at the top of any page — type what you're looking for and press Enter. YouTube will show results ranked by relevance, upload date, or view count, depending on which filter you choose.

Once you click on a video, it plays in the center of the screen. The play button starts the video; pause stops it. Below the video, you'll see the title, channel name, view count, and upload date. On the right side, YouTube suggests related videos you might want to watch next. If you want to watch something else instead, click any suggested video or use the back button to return to your search results.

Videos play at different speeds depending on your internet connection. If a video keeps stopping to load, YouTube will automatically lower the quality. You can also change the quality yourself by clicking the settings icon (three dots) in the bottom right corner of the video player and selecting a lower resolution.

Key Takeaways

  • The search bar at the top of YouTube finds videos by title, creator, or topic — type what you want and press Enter to see results.
  • The play and pause buttons control video playback, and you can adjust video quality through the settings menu if the video keeps buffering.
  • Subscribing to a channel adds that creator's new videos to your subscription feed, so you don't have to search for them each time.
  • The "Watch Later" button saves videos to a list you can return to, and the thumbs-up or thumbs-down buttons tell YouTube what you want to see more or less of.
  • Your account settings let you control what videos YouTube recommends to you and what information it stores about your viewing.

Subscribing to channels and organizing your feed

When you find a channel you like, click the Subscribe button below the video title. This adds that creator's new uploads to your subscription feed, which you can view anytime by clicking the Subscriptions tab on the left side of the home page. You don't have to search for their videos anymore — YouTube will notify you when they post something new.

Your home feed shows a mix of subscriptions, recommendations, and trending videos. If you want to see only videos from channels you subscribe to, click the Subscriptions tab. If you want YouTube to stop recommending a certain type of video, hover over a recommended video and click the three dots that appear, then select "Don't recommend channel" or "Not interested."

You can organize your subscriptions into groups by clicking the Manage Subscriptions option in the left menu. This helps if you follow many channels and want to separate them by topic — for example, cooking channels in one group and news channels in another.

Saving videos and creating playlists

If you want to watch a video later, click the Save button (it looks like a bookmark or flag) below the video title. This adds it to your "Watch Later" list, which you can access from the left menu. You can also create your own playlists by clicking "Save to playlist" and naming a new one. Playlists let you group videos by topic or mood — for example, a playlist of cooking tutorials or relaxing music.

To add more videos to a playlist you've already created, click the Save button, select the playlist name, and click Save again. You can view all your playlists by clicking the Playlists option in the left menu. From there, you can rename, delete, or share a playlist with others by copying the link.

Understanding YouTube's recommendation system and settings

YouTube learns what you like to watch and shows you similar videos. The more you watch, the more personalized your recommendations become. If you want to see what YouTube knows about your viewing history, go to your account menu (click your profile picture in the top right corner) and select "Watch history." This page shows every video you've watched, and you can delete individual videos or clear your entire history.

You can also control what YouTube recommends by going to Settings (in the account menu) and selecting "Manage all your data." From there, you can pause your watch history, which stops YouTube from using your viewing to make recommendations. If you pause history, YouTube will still play videos you click on, but it won't remember them for future recommendations.

If you want to watch videos without YouTube recording what you watch, use Incognito mode in your browser. Open a new Incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Command+Shift+N on Mac), then go to YouTube. Videos you watch in Incognito mode won't appear in your watch history or affect your recommendations.

Using the thumbs-up and thumbs-down buttons

Below every video, you'll see a thumbs-up button and a thumbs-down button. Clicking thumbs-up tells YouTube you liked the video and want to see more like it. Clicking thumbs-down tells YouTube you didn't like it and want fewer recommendations like it. These buttons also add the video to your "Liked videos" or "Disliked videos" list, which you can view from your profile.

You can change your vote anytime by clicking the button again. If you've already clicked thumbs-up and then click it again, your vote is removed. The same applies to thumbs-down. YouTube uses these votes along with your watch history to decide what to recommend to you next.

Adjusting video quality and playback speed

To change how fast a video plays, click the settings icon (three vertical dots) in the bottom right corner of the video player and select "Playback speed." You can slow a video down to 0.25x speed or speed it up to 2x speed. This is useful if you're watching a tutorial and want to slow it down to follow along, or if you want to watch a long video faster.

To change video quality, click the settings icon and select "Quality." YouTube will show you the options available based on your internet connection. Lower quality (360p or 480p) uses less data and loads faster on slow connections. Higher quality (720p or 1080p) looks sharper but requires a faster internet connection. If a video keeps stopping to load, try lowering the quality.

You can also turn on captions by clicking the CC button in the bottom right corner of the video player. Most videos have captions available in English and sometimes other languages. If captions are available, you can click the settings icon and select "Captions" to change the text size or background color.

Managing your account and privacy settings

Your YouTube account is connected to your Google account. To change your account settings, click your profile picture in the top right corner and select "Settings." From there, you can change your channel name, profile picture, and banner image. You can also decide whether your subscriptions are public (other people can see what channels you follow) or private.

If you want to limit what videos YouTube recommends based on your age, go to Settings and look for "Restricted Mode." Turning on Restricted Mode filters out videos that may not be appropriate for younger viewers. This setting applies only to the device you're using, so you may need to turn it on separately for each phone, tablet, or computer.

To control who can comment on your videos or send you messages, go to Settings and select "Community." From there, you can block specific users, turn off comments entirely, or require comments to be approved before they appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a video to watch offline?

YouTube does not allow you to read videos through the regular website or app. However, YouTube Premium (a paid subscription) includes an offline read feature that lets you save videos to watch without an internet connection. The read expires after 30 days or when your subscription ends.

Why is YouTube recommending videos I don't want to see?

YouTube's recommendations are based on your watch history and the videos you've liked. If you want to change what you see, click the three dots next to a recommended video and select "Not interested" or "Don't recommend channel." You can also clear your watch history or pause it entirely in your account settings.

Can I watch YouTube videos without logging in?

Yes, you can watch public videos without an account. However, you won't be able to subscribe to channels, save videos, or get personalized recommendations. Creating a free Google account takes a few minutes and lets you use all of YouTube's features.

What does the bell icon next to the Subscribe button do?

The bell icon controls notifications. Click it to turn on notifications so YouTube alerts you when a channel you subscribe to uploads a new video. You can choose to get notifications for all uploads, only certain types of videos, or none at all.

How do I report a video that's inappropriate or harmful?

Click the three dots below the video title and select "Report." YouTube will ask you why you're reporting it — choose the reason that best describes the problem. YouTube reviews reports and removes videos that break its community guidelines.