How to Share a YouTube Video at a Specific Time

Nobody wants to be sent a forty-minute video with a message saying "it's about halfway through". If you share tutorials with clients, point a team member to one answer in a webinar, or send a supplier a clip from a longer demo, a link that opens at the right second saves everyone's patience. I use this constantly, and it takes about ten seconds once you know where the option hides.

YouTube's help pages describe a "Start at" option inside the Share panel. The wording differs a little between computer and phone, so I've split the steps out below.

Sharing a YouTube video at a set time on a computer

1. Start watching the video on youtube.com.
2. Click Share under the video.
3. In the panel that opens, tick the Start at box.
4. Type the start time. YouTube's example is 2:30 for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
5. Click Copy.

The order matters. YouTube says to enter the start time before you copy the link, so if you've already copied, tick the box, add the time and copy again. Paste the new link into your email, chat or document and it should open at that moment.

Linking to a certain moment in the YouTube app on Android

1. Open the video and tap Share below the player.
2. Go to the moment where you want the video to start.
3. Turn on the Minute : Second toggle in the Share menu. For a 2:30 start, switch on the 2:30 toggle.
4. Tap Copy link, or choose an app to send it through.

Notice that on a phone you move the video first. The toggle then offers the time you've reached, which is why YouTube's steps tell you to find the moment before you turn it on.

Starting a shared YouTube video at a timestamp on iPhone

1. Play the video and go to the moment where you want it to start.
2. Tap the Share button under the player.
3. Turn on the Minute : Second bar in the share menu.
4. Switch on the time toggle for your start point, such as 2:30.
5. Tap Copy link, or choose an app to send the link.

YouTube's iPhone steps say the timestamp option sits in the Share menu, not in the video's settings. If you can't see it, check you're opening Share from the watch page and not from a thumbnail on the homepage.

What the person you share the YouTube time link with will see

According to YouTube's help pages, the option exists so you can link to a specific part of the video. The person who opens your link should land at the time you set instead of the beginning. They can still scrub back or forward like with any other video, so a start time is a nudge, not a lock.

If your video is part of a bigger series, you might also want to send the whole collection. My guide to sharing a YouTube playlist walks through that route.

Choosing the right start time for a YouTube link

A few habits make timestamp links more useful for work:

• Start a few seconds early so the viewer catches the sentence that sets up your point.
• Say the time in your message too, for example "from 2:30 on", so someone who prefers to scrub manually knows what to look for.
• Use one link per point if you're covering several moments, rather than one link and a list of times.
• Test the link in a private window if you're sending it to a client, so you know it opens the way you expect.

Using YouTube start-time links for small business and creator work

This is where the feature earns its place for me. A few ways people use it:

Situation	How a start-time link helps
Training a new team member	Send the exact minute of a recorded walkthrough, not the whole recording
Answering a customer question	Point to the part of your own demo that answers it
Collaborating with an editor	Reference a precise moment when asking for a change
Sharing a podcast clip	Direct listeners to the guest answer you want them to hear

If you publish your own videos, a few spots in your descriptions could carry these links too. Viewers get to the useful part quickly and are more likely to stay on your channel. If you're still preparing your uploads, my walkthrough on uploading a video to YouTube covers the basics.

If you can't find the YouTube Start at option

Menus change between app versions, so here's what to check, in order:

1. Make sure you're on the video's own watch page and opening Share from there.
2. On a computer, look for the Start at tick box inside the Share panel, near the Copy button.
3. On a phone, look for the Minute : Second toggle or bar inside the Share menu and move the video to the moment you want first.
4. Update the YouTube app. YouTube's help also notes that some sharing options depend on whether they're available in your country or region.
5. If you still don't see it, try a different device or the browser version to confirm it's not just the app.

Adding a start time to a copied YouTube link by hand

YouTube's help pages describe the Share panel route, and that's the one I'd stick with. A link built by hand can easily go wrong, with a typo that sends people to the start or a broken page. The built-in toggle does the formatting for you and shows the time you set before you copy, so there's less to check.

If someone sends you a link that doesn't start where they promised, ask which device they used to copy it. A link copied before the start time was entered is the usual reason.

If you want the full set, start at the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I share a YouTube video at a specific time on a computer?

Click Share under the video, tick the Start at box, enter the time such as 2:30, then click Copy. YouTube says to enter the time before copying the link.

How do I start a YouTube link at a certain time on my phone?

Open the video, tap Share, move to the moment you want, turn on the Minute : Second toggle and tap Copy link or choose an app.

Can the person I send it to still watch the whole video?

Yes. The link opens at your chosen moment, but they can move back or forward like in any other YouTube video.

Why isn't my YouTube link opening at the right time?

The most likely reason is that the link was copied before the start time was set. Set the time first, then copy the link again.

Where is the Start at option on YouTube?

It's in the Share panel on a computer, and in the Share menu on Android and iPhone as a Minute : Second toggle.