How do I deactivate or delete my YouTube Channel?

At some point in time, you may have wondered: How do I stop using YouTube?

And at this point, some of you might mean simply “pausing” YouTube, while others might mean deleting their accounts and channels altogether.

Don’t worry – it’s perfectly alright to ask this question. Many have asked it before you.

Perhaps you’ve simply grown alarmed at how much time you’ve been spending on YouTube, or maybe you just want to make a brand new channel without having to deal with the old one.

Whatever the reason, this has caused you to want to stop using YouTube for a while – or even permanently.

While our goals and even our reasons may vary, the solution is the same: a YouTube account deactivation.

Whether it’s “just for now” or permanently, or if it’s for an account or a channel, the steps needed to get it done will vary from case to case.

Fortunately, these cases are listed below, so let’s dive in and check them out!

What does it mean to disable or delete a YouTube Channel?

Before delving into the details, you should first understand what it means to disable YouTube channel content versus actually deleting a YouTube channel.

Disabling a YouTube channel means you’re simply hiding your channel from the public’s view – from its ability to be searched to its actual content and associated likes and subscriptions, everything about your channel will be hidden.

You can enable your YouTube channel again whenever you see fit, and all your hidden content will be visible again.

On the other hand, deleting a YouTube channel is a permanent and irreversible process. Once you hit that delete button, your channel is gone for good.

Due to its permanent nature, it’s a good rule of thumb to disable your YouTube channel first and get back to it after a reasonable amount of time has passed.

If you feel as though its absence isn’t missed after this while, you can then proceed to deleting the channel entirely.

Can you temporarily disable YouTube without deactivating it?

Now that you know that disabling your YouTube channel and deleting it are two very different things, you might wonder: How do I pause YouTube?

To pause YouTube without disabling account aspects entirely, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Youtube channel you want to temporarily disable.
2. Go to your Advanced Account Settings (Settings > Channel > Advanced Settings).
3. At the bottom, select Remove Youtube Content.
4. After confirming your sign-in details, select “I want to hide my content.”
5. Check the boxes next to the content that you agree to be hidden.
6. Select “Hide my channel.”

To re-enable your channel, refer to the following:

1. Sign in to the Youtube account that is associated with your disabled channel.
2. Go to Create a Channel (https://www.youtube.com/create_channel). Make sure NOT to click “To use a business or other name, click here.” Otherwise, YouTube will create a brand new channel instead of re-enabling your hidden channel.
3. After you re-enable your channel, you can make your videos and playlists visible again via the Video Manager.

Deactivating only certain features of YouTube

Apart from disabling YouTube completely, you can opt to use YouTube’s core features without being bothered by the features you don’t necessarily need, such as notifications and data-tracking features.

Deactivating YouTube Notifications Without Deactivating YouTube

You can deactivate YouTube notifications without deactivating YouTube by doing the following:

On Mobile

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Applications and Notifications > Notifications > YouTube on Android,
   Applications > Youtube on Apple.
3. Toggle Notifications on Android, Tap Sounds and Badges on Apple.

On Browser

1. Click the Lock Icon when you’re on YouTube (found on the left of the URL).
2. From here, you can turn off or block Notifications from the Permissions list.

To stop YouTube emails from pouring in, you can try to find an Unsubscribe link in one of their emails to stop them for good.

Deactivating YouTube Data-Tracking Features Without Deactivating YouTube

YouTube, which is a part of Google, also tracks data from its users. To turn this feature off, you have to follow these steps:

1. If you’re on mobile, navigate to your Google app (Apple) or to Settings > Google (Android) and tap “Manage Your Google Account.” If you’re on your browser, simply click your profile picture on the upper right corner and click “Manage Your Google Account” on the dropdown.
2. Press or click: “Privacy & Personalization” or “Data & Personalization.”
3. Here, you can turn off “Location History” (under Activity Controls). You can turn off other app activity on the web version.

Stop Opening and Viewing Videos on YouTube

Apart from disabling your YouTube account, you can always opt to stay away from YouTube. You can make this an easier process by reducing YouTube’s visibility on your phone and on your computer.

You can choose to hide your YouTube app icon in a well-hidden folder or drawer or take it out of your browser’s bookmarks.

You can also disable your phone’s YouTube app via Settings > Application Settings > YouTube > Disable. Once you do this, if you tap on the YouTube app, it will not be able to open unless you re-enable it using the same directory.

Uninstalling the YouTube App Without Disabling the Account

If you’re sure that you will not use YouTube for a while, you can opt to uninstall the YouTube app from your phone. Simply long press on the YouTube icon for either Apple or Android, and you’ll see an option to uninstall the app.

Fully Deleting and Deactivating Your YouTube Channel

Now, if you’re really sure you want to proceed with an irreversible deletion and click that Delete YouTube channel button, then here’s how:

1. Sign in to the YouTube channel you want to temporarily disable.
2. Go to your Advanced Account Settings (Settings > Channel > Advanced Settings).
3. At the bottom, select Remove Youtube Content.
4. After confirming your sign-in details, select “I want to permanently delete my content.”
5. Check the boxes to confirm your channel’s deletion.
6. Select “Delete my content.”

And voila! Goodbye, YouTube channel!

Now you know how to deactivate or delete your YouTube channel.

If you have any more tips or notable experiences regarding putting your YouTube account on pause, feel free to share them with us in the comments section.

— Sean