Hype is a YouTube button that lets you boost a new long-form video from a smaller creator. You get 3 hypes a week, and each one adds points to the video. The fewer subscribers the creator has, the more points your hype is worth, and the most-hyped videos appear on a weekly leaderboard.
Think of Hype as a vote that carries more weight than a like. A like tells the algorithm you enjoyed something. A hype pushes a specific video up a public chart that other people in your country browse to find new creators. It's YouTube's attempt to give smaller channels a fighting chance against the giants, and the maths is surprisingly generous to the little guys.
How Hype works, step by step
- Find a long-form video from a creator you want to support, published in the last 7 days.
- Tap Hype under the video in the YouTube app.
- The video gets points straight away, plus a bonus based on the creator's size.
- Videos with the most points land on the country leaderboard, which you can open from the Explore menu by tapping Hype.
Your allowance resets every Monday at midnight local time. You can spend all 3 hypes on one video or spread them across different creators. Use them or lose them: they don't roll over.
Why a hype is worth more on a small channel
This is the part most people don't know. YouTube scales the points by subscriber count, and the gap is huge. Its own help page gives the example.
| Creator size | Points from one hype |
|---|---|
| 500 subscribers | 7,500 points |
| 500,000 subscribers | 50 points |
So one hype on a tiny channel is worth many times more than the same tap on a channel near the upper limit. If you want your support to move the needle, hype the creator who's just starting out, not the one who's already flying. A handful of hypes from loyal viewers can be enough to put a small channel on the chart, which is something a few hundred likes would never do.
Which videos are eligible
Hype is built for up-and-coming creators in the YouTube Partner Program with between 500 and 500,000 subscribers. Once a channel grows past that range, or leaves the programme, the button disappears for their videos. Plenty of videos are excluded even on eligible channels:
- YouTube Shorts
- Unlisted and private uploads
- Anything marked as made for kids
- Age-restricted videos
- Content with a copyright claim
- Live streams and Premieres while they're live (the archived version can be hyped afterwards)
- Videos YouTube judges misleading or clickbait
The leaderboard: what it shows
The leaderboard lists up to 50 of the most-hyped recent videos, and you can filter it by topic, such as gaming or music. It isn't personalised. Everyone in the same country sees the same list, which is the whole point: it's a shared chart of what's exciting people near you. You also can't hype your own videos to climb it.
Why the Hype button isn't showing for you
YouTube lists three reasons you might not see the option:
- You're outside the countries where Hype is live. It's available in 39 locations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and India.
- You're not signed in.
- Your YouTube app isn't up to date. Hype works in the mobile app, so update it first.
If the video itself is a Short, older than 7 days or from a channel outside the subscriber range, there's nothing to fix: it simply isn't eligible. If YouTube itself won't behave, my guide on why YouTube shows a black screen covers the app checks worth running first.
Things to know before you tap
- There's no undo. YouTube says it doesn't have an option to reverse a hype, so a mis-tap counts.
- It's anonymous. Creators can see how many points their video has, but not who hyped it.
- You can share it. After hyping, you can post about it on your own channel's Posts tab to send your followers that way.
- Regular supporters get a badge. The viewers who hype a channel most in a month can get a Hype Star badge.
For creators: should you leave Hype switched on?
Hype is on by default for eligible channels, and you can opt out in YouTube Studio. I'd leave it on. It's one of the few discovery features designed in favour of smaller channels, and a leaderboard spot puts your video in front of people who'd never find you through search. The smart move is to tell your audience it exists. Most viewers have never pressed the button, so a quick mention in your first week after publishing can make a real difference. Keep the ask short and specific: tell people the button sits under the video, that it's free for them, and that it only works for 7 days after you publish. If you're still finding your feet in Studio, here's how to open YouTube Studio in Chrome.
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My verdict
Hype is a simple idea with a clever twist. You get 3 hypes a week, they're worth far more on small channels, and the best-supported videos get a public leaderboard spot for the week. If there's a creator you love who's still small, that's where your hypes belong.
For the rest of the series, see the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
What does hype mean on YouTube?
Hype is a button that lets viewers boost a new long-form video from a smaller creator. Each hype adds points, and the most-hyped videos appear on a weekly leaderboard.
How many times can you hype on YouTube?
3 times a week. The allowance resets on Monday at midnight local time, and you can use all 3 on one video if you like.
Can creators see who hyped their video?
No. Creators can see how many points a video has, but YouTube doesn't show them who hyped it.
Can you undo a hype on YouTube?
No. YouTube says there's currently no option to undo a hype, so check before you tap.
Can you hype YouTube Shorts?
No. Hype only works on long-form videos published in the last 7 days. Shorts, private, unlisted and made for kids videos are excluded.
