Wondering how to make YouTube channel private?
Well, the process to set up a private YouTube channel is quite simple if you know how to go about it. All you need to do is remove all your channel content. You cannot create a YouTube channel that is already private. You can keep the visibility setting of all your videos Private but what if you have a ton of content on your channel? Can you still make your YouTube account private?
In this article, you will learn how to make your YouTube channel private and as a bonus we will also share the process of privately sharing your content with your colleagues, team members, and private community.
Table of Contents
Can You Make A Private YouTube Channel?
Yes, you can make your YouTube channel private anytime you want. You don’t necessarily have to create a second new private channel. YouTube has a provision where it allows you to remove all your content from your channel and make it private. Only you can view the videos on your channel unless you invite others to view them.
Privatizing a YouTube channel means changing the visibility setting of all your channel content.
There are two ways to make YouTube channel private:
- Make Every Video Private: If you don’t have a lot of content on your channel, you can simply edit the visibility of your YT videos. You can switch the visibility from public to private. This way, no one would be able to view your videos unless you share them with them privately.
- Remove All Content At Once: If you have a lot of content on YouTube, then manually changing the visibility settings on your YT channel doesn’t seem viable. Hiding your channel and removing all your content automatically is a quicker and better option.
How To Make My YouTube Channel Private?
Step 1: Go to YouTube Studio
Open YouTube and log in to your account. Click on your profile icon at the top right corner and go to YouTube studio. You can even open YouTube studio directly on your phone if you have the app or go to https://studio.youtube.com/
Step 2: Open Advanced Channel Settings
Once you have logged into your YouTube account, go to Settings. It’s on the left navigation menu.
Then click on Channel and then go to Advanced settings. The advanced setting option is at the top menu, next to the basic info heading.
Step 3: Remove All Your YT Content
On the Advanced setting page, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Remove YouTube Content.”
You will then be asked to verify your Google account. Put in the password to your Google account.
Step 4: Hide Your YouTube Channel
You will then see two options. Either hide or delete your channel content. Click the ” I want to hide my channel” option.
Check all three boxes and click on the “Hide My Channel” button. A dialog box will appear; click on “Hide my content” to make all your YouTube videos and shorts private.
Now all your channel content has been taken off the platform and won’t be visible to anyone except you. Even if someone finds the video link to your videos they won’t be able to view your YT content without your permission. Only the people you invite to view your YouTube videos will be able to watch your content after you have made your channel private. Privatizing your channel is hiding the content on your channel which you can share privately with whoever you want to.
Steps to Invite Someone to a Private Youtube Channel
Now that you have made your YouTube channel private, you must be wondering how to share your content with your private community, organization, or employees. Here’s how you can share videos after you have made your YouTube channel private:
- Open YouTube Studio
- Log in to your account
- Go to Content section
- Find the video you wish to share with your private community
- Click on “Private” under the visibility section
- Select “Share Privately”
- Add the email id’s of the people you want to invite to watch your private videos (Check the box that says”Notify via email”)
- Click on “Done”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is a Private YouTube Channel Really Private?
Yes, if you have switched to a Private YouTube channel no one can access to watch your videos without your permission. Only the people you have invited to view the videos can watch them. Even if someone gets the URL of your YouTube video, they cannot view your YT video.
Q2. How to Create a Private YouTube Channel?
The process to create a private YouTube channel is similar to creating a new YT channel. Once you have created a new channel, follow the steps mentioned above to make your YT channel private.
Q3. How to Make YouTube Subscriptions Private?
You can make your YouTube subscriptions private which means no one can see which channels you are subscribed to. Even in the subscriber list of the channel, your name would not appear. Here’s how you can make YT subscriptions private:
- Sign in to YouTube.
- In the top right, click your profile picture.
- Go to Settings.
- Select Privacy.
- Turn on “Keep all my subscriptions private”.
Q4. How to Create a Private YouTube Channel for Teaching?
If you have an online course that you are selling on YouTube then making your channel private on YouTube is a great idea. You can make your YouTube channel private and then allow only your students to access the course videos. Follow the steps mentioned above to create a private YT account for teaching.
Q5. Who can see private YouTube videos?
Noone can see private YouTube videos. Only you can see your private videos. If you allow access to someone then they can see your private YT videos.
Conclusion
To make YouTube channel private you need to remove all your channel content and hide your channel. It’s a simple process that doesn’t take more than 5 minutes. Once you have successfully made your YouTube account private, you will have full control over who views your videos on YouTube. You can privately share your videos with your team members without changing the visibility setting of your YouTube channel or video. You can also hide your subscriber count without making your YT channel private.