How to Make a YouTube Video Private (Studio, App and Sharing)

There are plenty of good reasons to pull a video out of public view. Maybe it's an old webinar with offers or dates that have moved on, a draft you uploaded for a client to check, or a family clip you'd rather keep to a handful of people. Switching a video to private is quick, and you don't lose the views, the upload or the file.

I'll cover the three places you can change it, what private does and doesn't do, and how to let chosen people watch. Every step here follows YouTube's own help pages, so the labels should match your screen.

Making a YouTube video private in YouTube Studio on a computer

This is the route I'd use for most channels, because you can see all your uploads at once.

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select Content.
3. Point to the video you'd like to change. Live uploads sit under the Live tab.
4. Click the down arrows under Visibility and choose Private.
5. Click Save.

The change takes effect as soon as you save. If you're working through a batch of old uploads, Studio's content list makes it easy to move from one to the next.

Switching a video to private in the YouTube app

You don't need Studio for a quick change on your phone. YouTube's help lists these steps for the main app:

1. Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Your videos.
3. Next to the video you'd like to change, tap More, then Edit.
4. Tap Visibility and choose Private.
5. Tap Back, then SAVE.

Setting YouTube video privacy in the Studio app

1. Open the YouTube Studio app.
2. From the bottom menu, tap Content.
3. Next to the video, tap More, then Edit.
4. Tap Visibility and choose Private.
5. Tap Back, then Save.

Menus vary a little by app version, but Visibility has stayed the name of the setting across YouTube's help pages.

What a private YouTube video hides, and what it keeps

According to YouTube's help centre, a private video can only be seen by you and whomever you choose. It doesn't appear on your channel or in search results. A few knock-on effects are worth knowing before you switch:

• Comments aren't available on private videos, so any conversation under it stops being visible.
• If the video was embedded on your website or linked from an email, people clicking through won't be able to watch it.
• If it sits in a public playlist, viewers won't be able to play it from there.
• YouTube's help notes its systems and reviewers may still review private videos, so the rules still apply.

If you'd like the comments to keep working while the video stays out of search, unlisted is the better fit.

Private vs unlisted on YouTube, in brief

Here's the short version of the difference, based on YouTube's help:

Setting	Who can watch	On your channel or in search?
Public	Anyone	Yes
Unlisted	Anyone with the link	No, unless someone adds it to a public playlist
Private	You and people you choose	No

Unlisted is handy for sharing a link with a group without making it findable. I've written a full explainer on what unlisted means on YouTube if you're weighing that option up.

Sharing a private YouTube video with chosen people

Private doesn't have to mean only you. YouTube lets you share a private video by email address, which suits client previews and team training:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer and open Content.
2. Click the video you'd like to share.
3. Click the Visibility box and select Share privately.
4. Enter the email addresses you'd like to share with, then save.

YouTube's help gives these sharing steps for the computer version, so if you can't find Share privately in the app, switch to a browser.

Why a YouTube video might be private without you changing it

If you notice a video has turned private on its own, there are two common explanations in YouTube's help:

• Your default setting. YouTube's help says the default video privacy for creators aged 13 to 17 is private, and creators 18 or older default to public. You can change this on each upload.
• Suspicious activity. YouTube's help says it may set videos to private if it detects suspicious activity on a channel, and it'll notify you by email.

If it's the second one, check your account security before switching anything back. And if you're uploading a new video you'd like to keep private from the start, choose Private on the visibility step of the upload flow. My guide on uploading a video to YouTube walks through that screen.

Using private YouTube videos for a small business

I like private videos for a few everyday business jobs:

• Sending a client a draft promo before it goes live.
• Keeping staff training or onboarding videos in one place.
• Parking an old offer video while you decide whether to update it.

When you're ready to launch, switch the setting to Public and it'll start appearing on your channel and in search.

One habit I'd recommend: before you flip an old video to private, search your website, emails and social profiles for links to it. A private video won't play for anyone who isn't on your share list, so it's kinder to visitors if you swap those links for a newer video first. That small check keeps your channel tidy without leaving broken links behind.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a YouTube video private?

In YouTube Studio, go to Content, click the down arrows under Visibility next to the video, choose Private and save. In the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, Your videos, More, Edit, then Visibility and Private.

Who can see a private YouTube video?

YouTube's help says only you and whomever you choose. It won't appear on your channel or in search, and comments aren't available on it.

What's the difference between private and unlisted?

Unlisted videos can be watched by anyone with the link but stay off your channel and search. Private videos can only be watched by you and people you've shared them with.

Does making a video private delete its views?

YouTube's help doesn't say views are removed. Changing visibility keeps the upload in place, and you can switch it back to public later.

Can I share a private YouTube video?

Yes. In YouTube Studio on a computer, click the Visibility box, select Share privately, enter email addresses and save.