How to make YouTube videos private?
Wondering how to make a YouTube video private and keep it away from the public eye? Well, it is a simple process and can be done in a few clicks.
Steps to make YouTube videos private (on the computer)
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make videos private from your computer.
- Log in to your YouTube account
- To begin with, log in to the YouTube account. Enter the details that are required. The homepage appears on your screen.
- On your sidebar, you will see “Your Channel”. Click on it.
- Click on the circle that displays your profile picture
- Next, you have to go to “Your Channel” that you see on the sidebar of the homepage
- Click on “Content” below the dashboard
- Click on “Content” and it will redirect you to YouTube Studio.
- Select the video.
- Click on the eye icon and select “private”.
- Click on the green eye icon. A drop-down menu shows up
- You will see 3 options: Private, Public and Unlisted. Select “private”.
- You can invite people to watch those videos via email
- Now, click “Save” and now your YouTube videos are private.
Steps to make YouTube videos private (on Android/iOS)
Now that we know how to make YouTube videos private through the desktop, let’s see how can we do the same using our smartphone. The process is quite similar for the handsets too.
- Firstly, log in to your YouTube account, in order to make videos private.
- Once you log in, tap on “Your Channel”. You see your profile along with all shorts, videos, subscribers, and other details.
- Alternatively, you can tap on your profile picture to go to “Your channel”.
- Tap on “Manage videos” which appears in the center of your screen.
- Decide which video you want to make private and click on the 3 vertical dots on its upper right corner
- When you tap on those 3 vertical dots, a list appears in front of your screen. Click on “Edit advanced settings in Studio” and it redirects you to the YouTube Studio.
(Note: The first 5 steps are for those who are making YouTube videos private through the YouTube app. You can also make videos private directly through the YouTube Studio.)
- Click on “Edit video” (the pencil-like icon).
- Click on the visibility and a list appears in front of you.
- Select “Private” and then click on “Save” (seen in the upper right corner). Your YouTube videos are now private!
- In this way, you can upload private videos on your channel and share privately with people you want. YouTube gives you the option to keep both public and private videos on your channel.
Why to make YouTube Videos private?
Although one might fail to understand why someone would ever make a YouTube video private, there are a few reasons behind doing so.
- If you work in a company, the management may decide to upload videos on YouTube, make them private, and share the link with the employees privately.
- Or, let’s say you want to share special moments privately only with your friends and family and not with the general public. In this case, making a video private could be the best option to maintain your privacy.
- A Private YouTube video cannot be viewed by anyone except the people you share the link with. So don’t worry, your videos won’t appear on YouTube’s search results.
Advantages of making YouTube videos private
- When you make your videos private, only you have the access to all your content.
- After uploading a video, you can delete the same from your device. This will help you save storage space up to a certain extent.
- If you are someone who wants to have a completely private YouTube channel, you have that option in front of you. You can also maintain your own private video library.
Things to note:
- Your viewers cannot comment on the video that you have made private. If you want comments on it, change the video settings to unlisted.
- You can change the visibility of any videos anytime you want.
Problems you may encounter while making videos private
- You have logged in to other YouTube account
- You have not installed YouTube studio on your Android or iOS.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Can I share private YouTube video?
Yes you can, if you have created the video. All you have to do is copy the link of the video and send it to anyone you want to share the video with.
- Can I make my public video private?
Absolutely. All you have to is go to YouTube studio, select the video you want to make private and change the visibility settings from “public” to “private”.
- Are private videos and unlisted videos the same?
No, private videos cannot be viewed by general public unless you share the link. Whereas, unlisted videos can be viewed by anyone with the link. The only difference between a private and unlisted video is – Private videos does not appear on Google search, whereas unlisted videos do not appear on a user’s feed unless the URL is manually typed.
Conclusion
How to make YouTube videos private? Or how to keep your content away from public view? We got you covered in this article.
YouTube is a great stage to showcase your skills and creativity. There are streamers and video creators who make videos as a part of their career and get paid for it. If you want to upload a video but don’t want to share it, YouTube lets you keep it private.
Furthermore, you might be interested in: How to get verified on YouTube
Last Updated on December 31, 2022 by Rojalin Mahapatro
