Your saved videos on YouTube are in the You tab: videos you saved to Watch later are under Watch later, and anything you saved to a playlist, including other people's playlists you saved, is under Playlists. On a computer, open the guide and click You.
The reason people can't find them is that "saved" on YouTube isn't one list. A video you save goes into whichever playlist you picked, Watch later by default. A saved Short goes into a playlist too, and a downloaded video lives under Downloads. If something's missing, it's usually sitting in a different playlist, or your You tab layout is hiding that section. Here's the map.
Where each kind of saved video lives
| What you saved | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Clicked Watch later | You tab > Watch later |
| Added to your own playlist | You tab > Playlists |
| Saved someone else's playlist | You tab > Playlists (Save playlist on the watch page) |
| Downloaded for offline (Premium) | You > Downloads |
| Liked a video | You tab > Liked videos |
| Saved a podcast | You tab > Your podcasts |
Watch later
Watch later is the playlist of videos you saved by clicking Watch later, and it sits in the You tab. It's the first place to check, and it fills up fast. When it gets out of hand, here's how to clear Watch later on YouTube.
Your playlists, and playlists you saved from others
Playlists you've created, whether public, private or unlisted, are under Playlists in the You tab. One limit worth knowing: a playlist can display a maximum of 5,000 videos.
You can also save another creator's playlist to your library. While you're watching a video that's part of the playlist, select the playlist on the right and click Save playlist. It then shows under Playlists with your own. To get rid of it, open the playlist and click Remove in the playlist box.
Saved Shorts
A Short you save goes into a playlist, the same as a regular video, so look under Playlists rather than hunting through the Shorts feed. I cover the saving side in how to save YouTube Shorts.
Downloaded videos
Downloads are a Premium feature and they're kept separately from your playlists. In the mobile app, go to the You tab, tap the Downloaded filter at the top of Library and open the Downloads playlist. On a computer, they're in the You panel under Downloads, with any Smart Downloads in a shelf at the top.
Liked videos, podcasts and history
- Liked videos lists everything you liked with the Like button. If you liked it rather than saved it, it's here, and I go through it in how to find liked videos on YouTube.
- Your podcasts holds podcasts you saved to your library.
- History shows what you've watched. It's worth a look if you watched something but never saved it.
Saving someone else's playlist, and removing it
Playlists made by other creators can sit in your library too, which is one more reason a saved video can be hard to spot. While you're watching a video that belongs to a playlist, pick the playlist on the right-hand side.
- Go to a video that's part of a playlist.
- On the right, select the playlist.
- In the playlist box, click Save playlist.
To take it out of your library again, open that playlist and click Remove in the playlist box. If you own a playlist, you can make it public so viewers can add it to their own libraries, and you can change the privacy setting to take it out of view. On a computer, the Guide on the left also lists Library, History, Your videos, Watch later and Liked videos, so you've got a second route to most of these lists if the You tab looks different on your screen.
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Why your You tab looks different
YouTube lists these sections in the You tab, and says you may not see all of them: Switch accounts, Google Account, History, Primetime channels, Watch later, Playlists, Your podcasts, Liked videos, Your videos and Badges. Some of YouTube's own help still calls the area Library, and menu names shift between devices and app versions, so if a label doesn't match, look for the closest one.
My verdict
Start in the You tab and check Watch later first, then Playlists, because that's where the Save button sends things. If it isn't in either, think about how you kept it: liked, downloaded or saved as a Short, and use the table above to go straight to the right list. Usually the video isn't lost, it's just in the playlist you didn't open.
Frequently asked questions
Where are my saved videos on YouTube?
In the You tab. Watch later holds videos you saved there, and Playlists holds videos saved to your own playlists plus other people's playlists you saved.
How do I see saved videos on YouTube on a computer?
Open the guide and click You, then choose Watch later or Playlists.
Where do saved Shorts go?
Into a playlist, so check Playlists in the You tab.
Why can't I find a video I saved on YouTube?
It's usually in a different playlist from the one you're checking, or your You tab doesn't show that section. Downloads and liked videos are separate lists too.
