Due to a new law in Australia, the minimum age required to sign in to YouTube in Australia is 16. This means that, starting from 10 December 2025, users under 16 years old will be automatically signed out of YouTube. This includes any supervised pre-teen and teen accounts. We recognise that this has important implications for users and we encourage you to review your options below. Users in Australia can use this form to report an account on YouTube that they suspect belongs to someone under the age of 16.
When signed out, you won't have access to certain features, including:
- Likes
- Subscriptions
- Private playlists
- Memberships
If you have a YouTube channel, your channel will no longer be visible to other users and you will not be able to access it, including:
- Uploads
- Comments
- Earning money on YouTube
You can follow the instructions below to download your data and the content that you've created.
What you can do
Download your data and content
- Go to Google Takeout.
- Under 'CREATE A NEW EXPORT', select the YouTube and YouTube Music tick box.
- Select Next step.
- Fill in the 'Choose file type, frequency and destination' form.
- Select Create export.
Even if you don't download your data and content, they will be available to you again when you turn 16.
Delete your data and content
We're continuously working to keep you in control of your privacy and security on YouTube. At any time, you can permanently delete your channel and content, including videos, subscriptions, and search and watch history.
- Go to myaccount.google.com/youtubeoptions.
- Select I want to permanently delete my content.
- Select the options that apply to you.
- Select Delete my content.
Update your location
If you no longer live in Australia and believe that a different location should be associated with your account, you can submit a request to change your region. If you're using pre-teen supervision, then your family manager – the parent who supervises your account – will need to fill in the form for you.
Sign in when you turn 16
When you turn 16, you will be able to sign in to YouTube again, giving you access to your channel(s), all of your uploads and comments. To re-enable your channel, follow the steps to create a new channel. Once the steps have been completed, your old channel will be reinstated.
If you are already aged 16 or older, you will need to take additional steps to sign in to YouTube.
- Confirm your birthday on your Google Account. Navigate to the 'Personal info' section in your Google Account settings. Select Birthday, confirm the date, then select Save.
- Verify your age to sign in.
Once you've verified your age, you may need to sign in to YouTube again to regain access.
FAQ
What if I am a co-owner of a channel?
What if my child is using a supervised account?
If your child is under 16, they will automatically be signed out of YouTube and will no longer be using a supervised pre-teen or teen experience on YouTube.
If your child is under the age of 13, is using pre-teen supervision and is signed in on an Android or ChromeOS device, they will not be able to access YouTube at all.