How to Remove Liked Videos From YouTube (Computer and Phone)

Every thumbs-up you give on YouTube lands in a playlist called Liked videos, and it quietly feeds your recommendations too. That's fine until you press like on something by mistake, or your tastes change, or a client video you researched keeps haunting your homepage. If you run a channel or a business account, a tidy Liked list also keeps your research separate from your real interests. Here's how YouTube's help centre says to clear it, one video at a time.

Removing liked videos from YouTube on a computer

1. Go to YouTube and sign in.
2. In the left-hand menu, select Liked videos.
3. Find the video you want gone and click More beside it.
4. Select Remove from Liked videos.

That takes the video out of the playlist and removes your like. Repeat the same steps for each video. There isn't a select-all button described in YouTube's help pages, so I'd plan to work through the list in short bursts.

Removing liked videos from YouTube on Android

1. Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture at the bottom of the screen.
2. Go to Playlists.
3. Select the Liked videos playlist.
4. Tap More next to the video you want to remove.
5. Select Remove from Liked videos.

Removing liked videos from YouTube on iPhone and iPad

The iPhone and iPad steps in YouTube's help pages match the Android ones: profile picture, Playlists, Liked videos, More beside the video, then Remove from Liked videos. Menus vary by app version, so if a label looks a little different, follow the same path of profile, Playlists and Liked videos.

Unliking from the video itself

If the video is open in front of you, you don't need to visit the playlist at all. Under the player, select the thumbs-up icon again. YouTube's help pages say that selecting the icon a second time undoes your choice. On Shorts the icon is a heart, so tap the heart again to take your like back.

This is the fastest fix for an accidental tap. If you notice straight away, unlike it before you scroll on.

What a like on YouTube does, and what removing it changes

According to YouTube's help centre, liking, disliking or removing likes all help shape your recommendations and search results. So taking a like away isn't only housekeeping. It tells YouTube that video shouldn't count towards what you want to see.

It's not a full reset, though. Your watch history and search history also play a part. If you want a wider clean-out, my guide to why the YouTube feed can look so short explains how history settings change what shows up on your homepage. For the flip side, YouTube also has dislikes and Not interested, which the help pages describe as other ways to steer your feed.

Who can see your YouTube liked videos?

The Liked videos playlist is private. YouTube's help pages say so directly. Other people can't browse it from your channel, which is reassuring if you've liked something you'd rather not discuss. Removing the like still matters because the like count and the recommendation signal are what you're changing, not who can read your list.

One thing to double-check if you share a computer or a smart TV: the list belongs to whichever account is signed in. If a family member's likes are mixed with yours, you're probably on a shared login. My walkthrough of switching accounts on YouTube shows how to check.

The 5,000 limit on the Liked videos playlist

YouTube's help centre says the Liked videos playlist can display a maximum of 5,000 videos. If you like a lot of videos, older ones may stop appearing in the playlist even though you liked them. That's useful to know if you can't find a video you're sure you liked: it may simply be past the cut-off the page shows.

Can you delete the whole Liked videos playlist?

Liked videos is a built-in list, not one you made yourself. That's why it behaves differently from the playlists in my guide to deleting a YouTube playlist. YouTube's help pages only describe removing videos from it one at a time, so I won't promise a delete button that isn't documented.

A creator and small business angle on YouTube likes

If you're a creator, a few extras are worth knowing. Your own likes are private, but your recommendation feed is what you see every day when you research competitors. If you've been liking videos for a client project, removing those likes afterwards stops a stack of unrelated suggestions from following you around.

• Use a separate browser profile or account for client research, so your personal Liked list stays clean.
• Remove likes from research videos once the project is done.
• Use Not interested for videos you never want suggested, rather than only unliking them.
• Check your Liked videos list every few weeks if you use it as a quick bookmark.

If you can't remove a liked video on YouTube

• Make sure you're signed in to the same account that liked the video.
• Update the YouTube app, since older versions can show different menu names.
• Reload the page or reopen the app, then open Liked videos again and look for the More icon beside the video.
• If the video no longer appears in the list, it may be past the 5,000 display limit or have been removed by its owner.
• Try the computer steps, because they're the most fully documented in YouTube's help pages.

Still stuck? Use the feedback option inside the YouTube app or on the website, and describe exactly which screen you were on. That gives YouTube something concrete to look at.

I keep every related walkthrough in the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove liked videos from YouTube on a computer?

Sign in, select Liked videos in the left menu, click More beside the video, then choose Remove from Liked videos.

How do I remove liked videos from YouTube on my phone?

Tap your profile picture, go to Playlists, open Liked videos, tap More next to the video and select Remove from Liked videos.

Can I unlike a video without opening my Liked videos list?

Yes. Open the video and select the thumbs-up icon again, or the heart on a Short, and YouTube undoes your like.

Can other people see my liked videos?

YouTube's help pages say the Liked videos playlist is private, so other people can't view it.

Does removing a like change my recommendations?

YouTube's help centre says liking, disliking and removing likes all help shape your recommendations and search results.