Hey there! Have you ever considered making your YouTube channel private? With over 2 billion users, YouTube can feel more public than you‘d like. But don‘t worry – I‘m here to walk you through exactly how to make your YouTube channel private, step-by-step with photos. I‘ll also provide tips for sharing videos privately and maintaining your privacy.
Why Make Your YouTube Channel Private?
Before we dive in, let‘s discuss a few reasons why you might want to make your YouTube channel private:
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Avoid random comments or messages from strangers. Over 500 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube every minute – that‘s a lot of people who could potentially find your channel! Making it private prevents unwanted interactions.
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Share videos privately with family and friends. A private channel is perfect for things like family videos, business training materials, or videos you only want certain people to see.
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Maintain privacy and control. You can post videos for your own private use without making them public. This gives you the benefits of a YouTube account without full publicity.
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Test videos before publishing them. Upload videos privately to preview before deciding whether to make them public.
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Comply with privacy laws. For sensitive content in healthcare, financial services, or other regulated industries, a private channel may be required.
According to YouTube, over 75% of daily watch time comes from recommended videos, meaning most people discover content on the public platform. A private channel removes the chance of random discovery and keeps control in your hands.
Step-by-Step Guide to Make Your Channel Private
Ready to make your channel private? Follow these steps:
1. Sign in to Your YouTube Account
Go to YouTube.com and make sure you‘re signed into the account with the channel you want to make private.
Once signed in, click on your profile picture in the top right corner. Then select "Your Channel" from the dropdown menu.
This will take you to your channel‘s Dashboard. Here, you can access all your channel‘s settings.
2. Click on Settings in the Left Sidebar
From your Dashboard, click "Settings" in the left sidebar.
This will open your channel‘s Settings page. Here you can edit options like channel art, name, email preferences, and more.
3. Expand the "Additional Features" Section
In the Settings page, scroll down and click "View additional features" to expand more options.
4. Toggle “Keep All My Videos Private” to On
Under "Additional Features", toggle the switch for "Keep all my videos private" to the ON position.
This makes your channel private!
5. Double Check Your Channel is Now Private
Return back to your channel‘s Dashboard by clicking on the logo in the top left.
Make sure it now shows the word "Private" in gray under your channel name. This confirms your channel is now private.
And that‘s it! By toggling that one switch, you‘ve made your YouTube channel private.
Now only you can view your channel and any videos you upload. To share videos privately, check out the next section.
Sharing Videos from a Private Channel
Your channel may be private, but you can still share individual videos with specific people.
YouTube lets you invite someone by email address to view a private video. Here‘s how to share videos from your private channel:
1. Go to Video Manager in the Left Sidebar
From your channel‘s Dashboard, click on "Content" in the left sidebar.
Then click on "Video Manager" from the tabs at the top.
This brings up a list of all the videos on your channel.
2. Find the Private Video You Want to Share
Scroll to find the private video you want to share. Click the "Share" button, which looks like an arrow pointing out of a box.
A sharing settings pop-up will appear.
3. Enter the Email Address(es) to Share With
In the sharing settings pop-up, type the email address(es) of the people you want to share this video with.
You can share with up to 50 email addresses.
4. Hit "Save" to Share the Video
Once you‘ve entered the email(s), click "Save" to share the private video.
The people you entered will receive an email notifying them they now have access to view that private video!
Repeat these steps to share other private videos with people you select.
Tips for Maintaining Privacy
Here are some additional tips for keeping your YouTube channel private:
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Double check Settings to ensure no videos are public accidentally. You want to see "Private" everywhere.
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Be cautious commenting on other channels – your comments will be public unless you use an alternate account.
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Review subscriber list in Settings periodically and remove any unwanted subscribers.
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Use anonymous usernames and channel names that don‘t reveal your identity.
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Disable the option to “Allow users to view your email address” in Settings.
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Delete any old public videos or comments if you want to remove traces of your identity.
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Avoid linking to public social media accounts to prevent connecting your identities.
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Always double check videos before publishing in case your privacy settings changed.
With over 2 million channels on YouTube, you can easily keep your presence private. Now you know the steps to privatize your channel and share videos securely.
I hope this guide gave you exactly what you needed to make your YouTube channel private, step-by-step with photos! Let me know if you have any other questions.