How to Sign Out of YouTube (App, Computer, TV and All Devices)

Signing out of YouTube sounds like the simplest job on the internet, until you go looking for the button. The reason it feels slippery is that YouTube doesn't really have its own login. It uses your Google account, so signing out is partly a YouTube question and partly a Google one. I'll walk through the browser, the phone app, the TV and the 'sign out everywhere' route, and I'll flag the places where I couldn't confirm an exact button label from YouTube's help pages. If you share a computer, or you run a channel with a team, this one's worth five minutes.

Why signing out of YouTube is really a Google account job

YouTube's help centre says you sign in to YouTube with your Google account, and that signing in to another Google service also signs you in to YouTube. That's the part that catches people out. You sign out of YouTube on a shared laptop, then notice you're still signed in to your email, or the other way round.

It works in both directions, so think of it as one login with several doors. If you want a clean break, you're signing out of the Google account on that device or browser, not just closing a YouTube door.

Sign out of YouTube in a browser on your computer

1. Open YouTube and click your profile picture at the top right.
2. Look in the account menu for the option to sign out or to switch to another account. Menus vary by browser and version, so the wording can differ slightly.
3. Confirm, then check that your profile picture has been replaced by a Sign in button.

If you use Chrome and you're signed in to the browser itself, Google's help says that to sign out of your Google account on all websites, you sign out of Chrome. That's the tidy route on a shared computer, because it signs you out of everything in one go instead of one site at a time.

Clearing cookies and site data can also sign you out of sites, according to Google's help, and you'll need to sign in again afterwards. If Chrome sync is on, though, you stay signed in to the synced account. I've written separately about clearing your YouTube search history, which is a different job from signing out.

Sign out of YouTube on your phone or tablet

On the YouTube app for Android and iPhone, you start from your profile picture. YouTube's help says the Accounts menu lets you switch accounts or manage your Google account. That's where the app's account options live.

1. Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Accounts (the menu at the top).
3. Use the options there to switch account, or to manage your Google account.

Here's the honest bit: the help pages I could read describe that Accounts menu, but they don't spell out the exact label for removing an account from the app, and it can differ between app versions and between Android and iPhone. If you can't see a sign out option, the surest way to end the session on that phone is the remote route in the next-but-one section. It signs the phone out from your Google account instead.

If your real aim is simply to use a different identity for a while, you don't need to sign out at all. My guide to switching accounts on YouTube covers that.

Sign out of YouTube on a TV or someone else's device

Smart TVs, games consoles and streaming sticks all have their own YouTube app, and the menus differ by make. YouTube's help centre has separate sections for them, but I couldn't read a single step list that applies to all of them, so I won't guess at button names. Look in the app's settings for your account name or profile picture. Menus vary by app version.

If you've signed in on a TV at a hotel, a holiday let or a friend's house, don't rely on finding the menu. Use the remote route below from your own phone. It's quicker and it works even when you're nowhere near the TV.

Sign out of YouTube on every device at once

Google's account help describes how to sign out of a device remotely. These are the steps it gives:

1. Go to your Google account on any browser.
2. Open Security and sign-in.
3. Under Your devices, choose Manage all devices.
4. Select the device, then choose Sign out.

Google adds a couple of useful details. The list shows devices you're signed in to now or in the last few weeks, and signed-out devices are marked. If several sessions share the same device name, they could be one device or several, so to be sure nobody else can get in, sign out of every session with that name. Also, if you don't recognise a device or you see unfamiliar activity, Google says to secure your account straight away.

What changes once you're signed out

YouTube's help centre lists what a signed-in account gives you: liking videos, saving favourites, subscribing, Watch later and watch history, and reporting videos. Signed out, you lose those on that device. You can still watch many videos, but the personal layer goes. Without signing in you won't be able to find your liked videos, because they sit in a playlist tied to your account.

The help centre also says that if you have no channel, your activity stays private. Signing out doesn't delete your channel, your videos or the channels you follow. They're all waiting when you sign back in.

Sign out of YouTube checklist for shared computers and teams

• Use a private or guest window for one-off sessions, so you never have to remember to sign out.
• On a family or office computer, sign out of the browser itself, not only the YouTube tab.
• If you run a business channel with colleagues, don't share one password. YouTube's help centre has a separate article on adding or removing access with channel permissions, which means people sign in as themselves.
• If a freelancer finishes a project, remove their access instead of hoping they sign out.
• If you ever lose a phone, use the remote sign out first and change your password afterwards.

Small business owners get caught out by this more than anyone. A channel is a brand asset, and a forgotten sign in on a borrowed laptop is exactly how things go wrong.

When YouTube won't stay signed out

If you sign out and the account pops back up, the most common reason is that another Google service in the same browser is still signed in. Because Google accounts work across products, sign out of the account in the browser, or use the remote method. If you're getting sign in prompts you didn't ask for, that's different. YouTube's help centre says Google is testing reminders to sign in and that you can dismiss them.

Frequently asked questions

Does signing out of YouTube sign me out of Gmail?

YouTube's help centre says you sign in to YouTube with your Google account and that signing in to another Google service signs you in to YouTube too. So they share one login. Check which services still show your account after you sign out.

How do I sign out of YouTube on all devices?

Google's account help says to open your Google account, go to Security and sign-in, choose Manage all devices under Your devices, select a device and choose Sign out. Repeat for each device you want to remove.

Will I lose my videos or followed channels if I sign out?

No. Signing out only ends the session on that device. Your channel, uploads, subscribed channels and playlists stay with your account.

Why can't I find a sign out button in the YouTube app?

Menus vary by app version and device. Start from your profile picture and look at the Accounts menu. If you still can't find it, sign the device out remotely from your Google account.

Do I need to sign out of YouTube on a public computer?

Yes, or better, use a private or guest window. Google's help says clearing cookies can sign you out of sites, but signing out of the browser account is the cleaner option.