Change video privacy settings
You can easily change the privacy settings of your videos and manage who has access to viewing.
Privacy settings
- Public videos and playlists can be seen by and shared with anyone.
- Private videos and playlists can only be seen by you and the users you choose.
- Unlisted videos and playlists can be seen and shared by anyone with the link.
| Feature | Unlisted | Private | Public |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can share URL | Yes | No | Yes |
| Can be added to a channel section | Yes | No | Yes |
| Shows up in search, related videos and recommendations | No | No | Yes |
| Posted on your channel | No | No | Yes |
| Shows in Subscriber feed | No | No | Yes |
Change video privacy settings
You can manage the privacy settings and control who has access to view this content
YouTube Studio Classic
Public
- Go to your Video Manager.
- Find the video that you want to change, then click Edit.
- In the 'Privacy Settings' drop-down menu, choose Public.
- Click Save changes.
Private
A private video can only be seen by you and the users that you select. Your private videos won’t appear to others who visit the 'Videos' tab of your channel page and shouldn't show up in YouTube's search results. You can share a private video with other users by email if you want them to see it.
Comments are not available on private videos. If you want to allow comments on a video that's not publicly available, post an unlisted video instead.
Set video to private
- Go to your Video Manager.
- Find the video that you want to change, then click Edit.
- In the 'Privacy Settings' drop-down menu, choose Private.
- Click Save changes.
Share a private video
You can share a private video with other users by email.
- Go to your Video Manager.
- Find the video that you want to share, then click Edit.
- In the 'Privacy Settings' drop-down menu, click Share.
- Add the email addresses of the people with whom you’d like to share your video.
- Click Save changes. The users will receive an email with a link to the video.
Unlisted
Unlisted videos can be seen and shared by anyone with the link.
Your unlisted videos won’t appear to others who visit the 'Videos' tab of your channel page and shouldn't show up in YouTube's search results unless someone adds your unlisted video to a public playlist.
You can share an unlisted video's URL with other users. Unlike private videos, the people that you share the video with don't need a Google account to see the video.
Anyone with the link can also re-share it. For example, they can forward the link or add the video to a public playlist. If you don't want to allow others to re-share your video, make the setting private instead.
- Go to your Video Manager.
- Find the video that you want to change, then click Edit.
- In the 'Privacy Settings' drop-down menu, choose Unlisted.
- Click Save changes.
To share an unlisted video, just share the link with the people who you’d like to have access to it, and they’ll be able to see it.
YouTube Studio beta
- Sign in to YouTube Studio beta. If you haven't tried the beta, learn more.
- Hover over the video that you'd like to edit.
- Click on the pencil icon that appears under Visibility.
- You can select whether to make the video Public, Private or Unlisted.