To block someone on YouTube, open their message in live chat or the menu next to their comment and choose Block. You'll stop seeing their comments, live chat messages and mentions, and they won't see yours, and YouTube says the block also applies across other Google products. Creators can hide users from their channel instead.
YouTube gives you two different tools for dealing with someone you don't want around, and they do different jobs. Blocking is for anyone, viewer or creator, and it's about what you see and what they see of you. Hiding a user from your channel is a creator tool, and it's about what everyone else sees on your channel. Pick the wrong one and the problem doesn't go away. Here's how each works, and one side effect of blocking that YouTube mentions but few people notice.
How to block someone on YouTube
The most direct route YouTube describes is from live chat:
- Click on the person's message in live chat, or the three-dot menu next to it.
- Click Block.
- Click Block again in the pop-up to confirm.
From a comment, the same three-dot menu next to it gives you options for that person. If you want to stop someone sharing videos with you or messaging you, YouTube lets you block them from your inbox or from the sharing panel too.
What blocking does
| After you block someone | Result |
|---|---|
| Their live chat messages | You stop seeing them |
| Their comments | You stop seeing them |
| Times they mention you | Those mentions stop reaching you |
| Your messages, comments and mentions | They no longer see them |
| Their account on other Google products | Blocked there too |
| Their comments on your channel in YouTube Studio | You can still see them |
That fifth row is the insight worth knowing before you block. YouTube's help says that when you block someone on YouTube, their account is blocked in other Google products as well. Blocks are managed in one place in your Google Account, which is why unblocking happens there and not inside YouTube.
How to hide someone from your channel (creators)
If someone is leaving nasty comments on your videos, blocking only stops you seeing them. Your viewers still can. Hiding them fixes that. YouTube says hidden users' comments, live chats and community posts aren't visible on your channel, and they also can't create clips from your videos and live streams.
- Find the person's channel URL from their channel homepage.
- Go to YouTube Studio.
- Select Settings, then Community moderation, then User management.
- Under Automated Filters, paste the channel URL into the Hidden users box.
- Select Save.
You can also hide someone straight from one of their comments, using the menu next to it. Either way, YouTube says the person isn't notified. Their past activity from associated accounts isn't hidden, so you may want to remove old comments by hand.
Block or hide: which do you need?
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| You're a viewer and someone bothers you in comments or chat | Block |
| Someone keeps messaging or sharing videos with you | Block from your inbox or the panel |
| Someone trolls your channel and your audience can see it | Hide user from channel |
| Someone spams your live streams | Hide them, and moderate live chat |
| You want both | Hide them from your channel and block them |
How to unblock someone on YouTube
- Go to myaccount.google.com/blocklist.
- Find the person and select the option next to their name to unblock them.
For hidden users, the list lives in YouTube Studio instead: Settings, Community moderation, User management, then remove them from the Hidden users box and save. My full guide to unblocking someone on YouTube covers both lists and why people often check the wrong one.
Blocking on a phone
The steps are the same idea in the YouTube app. Tap the three-dot menu next to a comment or the person's live chat message and choose the block option, then confirm. If someone keeps sending you videos or messages, open the conversation in your inbox and block them there. Unblocking is the one part you can't do inside the app's comment menus: go to your Google Account blocklist in a browser, which works on a phone too.
Will they know they've been blocked?
YouTube doesn't describe sending any notice when you block someone, and for hiding it says plainly that the person isn't notified. They may work it out because you stop replying or their comments get no reaction, but there's no alert.
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When blocking isn't enough
Blocking and hiding are about your experience and your channel. If someone is harassing you, threatening you or posting content that breaks YouTube's rules, report it as well, because reports are how YouTube reviews behaviour across the whole platform rather than just your corner of it. If you're tidying up after a run-in, you may also want to remove comments you don't want left on your videos: my guide to deleting YouTube comments shows how.
My verdict
Viewers: block from the comment or live chat menu and you're done. Creators: hide troublemakers from your channel in YouTube Studio, because blocking alone leaves their comments visible to everyone else. And remember a YouTube block reaches across Google, so it's worth a moment's thought before you use it on someone you work with elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
How do I block someone on YouTube?
Click their message or the menu next to it in live chat or comments, choose Block and confirm.
What happens when you block someone on YouTube?
You stop seeing their comments, live chat messages and mentions, and they stop seeing yours. Their account is also blocked in other Google products.
Can a blocked person still comment on my videos?
Blocking doesn't stop their comments showing to others. Creators should hide the user from the channel in YouTube Studio.
Does someone know if I hide them on YouTube?
No. YouTube says hidden users aren't notified.
Where do I unblock someone on YouTube?
Go to myaccount.google.com/blocklist. Hidden users are managed separately in YouTube Studio.
