YouTube Jewels are a digital item viewers buy in the YouTube mobile app and spend on gifts during eligible live streams. Gifts appear as animated overlays on the stream, and the creator earns Rubies: every two Jewels a viewer redeems for gifts earns the creator one Ruby, and YouTube pays creators $0.01 per Ruby (as of October 2026, per YouTube's Virtual Items policy).
Jewels sit alongside Super Chat and Super Thanks as one of YouTube's fan-funding features. Here's how the three items fit together, who can earn from them and the settings that quietly switch gifts off.
Jewels, gifts and Rubies: what each one is
| Item | Who has it | What YouTube says it does |
|---|---|---|
| Jewels | Viewers | A digital item fans buy to send gifts on live streams. Jewels can also be used to hype videos in eligible regions |
| Gifts | Sent by viewers | Appear as an overlay on top of the live stream so viewers can react in real time |
| Rubies | Creators | Represent the creator's earnings from gifts, paid with other YouTube Partner Program earnings |
The conversion rate sits in YouTube's Virtual Items policy rather than on the gifts help page. YouTube's policy says every two Jewels redeemed for gifts earns the creator one Ruby, and the creator's net revenue is the number of Rubies multiplied by the rate YouTube pays per Ruby, which it lists as $0.01 (as of October 2026). You can see estimated Rubies during and after a stream, and the revenue in YouTube Analytics.
Who can earn from gifts
- Your channel is in the YouTube Partner Program.
- You're at least 18 and have a verified AdSense account, or another form of age verification Google accepts.
- You live in a country or region where gifts are available.
- You've accepted the Virtual Items Module in YouTube Studio.
Creators in more than 70 countries and territories can turn gifts on, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nigeria and Brazil. YouTube keeps the full list on its gifts availability page, so check yours there before you plan a stream around it.
The AdSense identity check
If you haven't verified your identity in AdSense, YouTube prompts you to do it the first time you try to turn gifts on. AdSense accepts a driving licence, passport, state ID or Green Card, plus your name and address. YouTube's policy adds a hard deadline: you have 45 days from AdSense's first request to submit documents, after which monetisation on your channel is paused until verification is done.
How to turn on YouTube gifts
On a computer:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- In the left menu, select Earn.
- Click the Supers & gifts tab.
- Scroll to Turn on gifts in live streams.
- Click Get Started and accept the Virtual Items Module.
On a phone, open the YouTube Studio app, tap Earn, then Gifts, then Turn on, and accept the module. Once accepted, gifts switch on automatically for your eligible vertical and horizontal live streams. To turn them off, go back to Earn, Supers & gifts and switch off Gifts; your past gift earnings stay in YouTube Analytics.
When gifts won't appear on a stream
| Stream setting | Gifts available? |
|---|---|
| Age-restricted | No |
| Made for kids | No |
| Unlisted or private | No |
| Live chat or comments turned off | No |
| YouTube Giving fundraiser | No |
| Streamed through third-party software | Yes, once the module is accepted, but you may not see gifts unless you watch from the YouTube app or Live Control Room |
Gift customisation isn't available, so you can't design your own gifts. YouTube also states that Virtual Items aren't crowdfunding, donation or tipping tools, which matters if you were planning to frame a stream as a fundraiser.
Jewels compared with Super Chat and Super Thanks
Super Chat lets viewers pay to highlight a message in live chat, and here's how Super Chat works and what YouTube takes. Super Thanks does the same job on uploaded videos, which I've covered in my Super Thanks guide. Jewels are different because viewers buy a balance first and then spend it as gifts during the stream, so a fan can top up once and send several gifts in one session.
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My verdict
If you already stream vertically from your phone and you're in the Partner Program, turn gifts on: it takes five clicks in YouTube Studio. Do the AdSense identity check before your next stream rather than during it, and keep live chat on, because switching chat off removes gifts too. Just set expectations with the real rate: two Jewels make one Ruby, so judge gifts by what your Analytics shows after a few streams, not by the animations on screen.
Frequently asked questions
What are Jewels on YouTube?
Jewels are a digital item viewers buy to send gifts on eligible YouTube live streams. Jewels can also be used to hype videos in eligible regions.
How much is a Ruby worth on YouTube?
YouTube's Virtual Items policy says it pays creators $0.01 per Ruby (as of October 2026), and every two Jewels redeemed for gifts earns the creator one Ruby.
Who can earn from YouTube gifts?
Creators in the YouTube Partner Program who are at least 18, have a verified AdSense account, live in an eligible country and have accepted the Virtual Items Module in YouTube Studio.
Why can't viewers send gifts on my stream?
Gifts aren't available on age-restricted, made for kids, unlisted or private streams, on YouTube Giving fundraisers, or when live chat or comments are turned off.
Can I make my own YouTube gifts?
No. YouTube says customisation of gifts is not available at this time.
