Many YouTubers find themselves with channels that they no longer use or that don’t reflect the direction they want to take their brands. Instead of rebranding or repurposing the channel, they may consider deleting it altogether.
If this is the course of action you’re considering, then you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, not only will we explain how to delete a YouTube channel, step by step, but we’ll also reveal some important considerations to make beforehand, so that you don’t delete your channel before you’re truly ready.
Things You Need To Know Before Deleting Your YouTube Channel
Before you delete your YouTube channel forever, here are four things that may happen that you should be aware of.
1. All Your Content Will Be Removed from YouTube
When you delete your YouTube channel, all the content you uploaded to it or created with it goes, too. “Content” includes:
- Videos
- Shorts
- Playlists
- Community posts (i.e., polls, quizzes, and text)
- Comments
- Messages
- History
With that in mind, it’s imperative that you back up any content that is important to you to cloud storage or a hard drive. If you don’t, and you delete your channel anyway, it will all go away.
Your only other recourse at that point is to ask Google to recover it. According to Google, recovery can be difficult for them to do if you’ve decided to permanently delete your channel.
2. Your Channel Will No Longer Be Searchable in YouTube Analytics
Once your channel has been removed from YouTube, it’s no longer searchable in YouTube Analytics. This means that all the data about your channel – engagement, target audience, subscribers, etc. – can’t be accessed.
In other words, you can’t compare your old, deleted channel to any new ones you create. The information simply won’t be there.
3. Only Your YouTube Channel Will Be Deleted
If you were wanting to make a clean break not just from YouTube, but from Google, as well, know that deleting your YouTube channel won’t do it for you. You’ll need to undergo a separate process to delete your Google account.
4. Not All Your Videos Will Disappear Right Away
If one of the reasons you’re deleting your channel is to get rid of the videos associated with it, don’t be surprised if you continue to see your videos’ thumbnails on the platform. It can take time for Google to completely scrub your content, especially if there’s a lot to scrub.
What To Do Before You Delete a YouTube Channel?
Now that you know what will happen when you delete your YouTube channel, here’s what you should do before you confirm the removal.
1. Backup All the YouTube Content that You Want to Save
In light of the fact that when your channel gets deleted, so does all the content you ever uploaded to it, make sure you backup all of it to an external source of storage. Even if you’re not sure you’ll ever reuse any of your old videos, it’s smart to have copies for future reference or inspiration.
2. Set a Deletion Date
Next, set a specific date for deletion. That will give you time to backup your content, set up a new channel, film new videos, or whatever it takes to settle your plans for your future on YouTube.
3. Let Your Subscribers and Sponsors Know Your Plans
Finally, if the channel that you want to delete still has loyal subscribers, let them know about your deletion plans. This is an especially important step to take if you’re moving to a brand-new channel. You may be able to take your old subscribers with you, but only if you tell them what’s going on.
How To Delete a YouTube Channel
Ready to permanently delete your Youtube channel? Here’s how to do it using YouTube Studio on your desktop (as of right now, you can’t delete your channel from the YouTube mobile app).
Step #1: Open YouTube Studio in your web browser and sign in.
Step #2: Click Settings on the left-hand menu.
Step #3: Click Channel.
Step #4: Click Advanced Settings.
Step #5: Scroll down and click Remove YouTube Content. Enter your login details if prompted.
Step #6: Click I want to permanently delete my content.
Step #7: Check the boxes and confirm that you want to delete your YouTube channel.
Step #8: Click Delete my content.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Delete My YouTube Channel on the App?
At this time, it’s not possible to delete your YouTube channel using the YouTube mobile app.
How Long Does It Take for YouTube to Delete My Content?
It can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days for Google to completely wipe your channel and your videos from the platform. It depends on how much content is on your channel.
Can You Delete a YouTube Channel and Get It Back?
You can contact Google customer support and ask them to recover your channel if you delete it, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to do it.
Conclusion
Deleting your YouTube channel is a big, important decision with long-lasting consequences. When you’re fully prepared for what will happen to your content and your analytics, follow our steps to delete your channel permanently. Performing this action will allow you to move on to the next phase of your YouTube career with a clean slate!
