How to Verify Your Age on YouTube: ID, Card and Birthday Fixes

If YouTube has suddenly told you that a video is blocked, or that your account has been set up with extra protections, it's usually down to your age. It affects everyday viewers and small-business owners who run a channel and find their uploads behaving oddly. The fix is rarely complicated, but there are two different jobs hiding under one question: correcting the birthday on your account, and proving your age when YouTube's systems think you're under 18. Here's what YouTube's and Google's own help pages say about each.

Why YouTube asks you to verify your age

According to YouTube's help centre, it uses an age estimation model to decide whether someone is over or under 18, and that applies even when the birthdate on the account says something different. If the model estimates you're under 18, YouTube turns on extra protections. The help page lists them, including blocked age-restricted videos, break and bedtime reminders switched on by default, adjusted recommendations, filtered search results and privacy reminders when you comment publicly.

If you think the estimate is wrong, the help page says you can verify your age by submitting a government ID, a credit card or a selfie through a verification process in your Google Account. Google's account help describes the exact options in more detail, so I've pulled those out below.

How to verify your age on YouTube with an ID

Google's account help article on age verification gives these steps for ID verification. The prompts change a little depending on your country and app version, so treat the wording as a guide.

1. When you're prompted to verify, select Verify.
2. Choose the option to use your ID.
3. Agree to the ID verification terms, then photograph your ID and upload it.
4. Confirm your date of birth, then select Submit ID.

Google says the image should be clear and in colour, saved as a JPG or PNG rather than a PDF, with all four corners visible and no glare. In some countries you can block out parts of the document, such as a national ID number or a photo, and Google's country guidance explains where that's allowed. The article also says uploaded IDs are stored securely, aren't made public and are deleted once your date of birth has been verified.

Some IDs may be reviewed by a person. If that happens, Google says it will email you when the review is finished, so keep an eye on the inbox linked to your Google Account.

How to verify your age on YouTube with a credit card

The card route follows the same pattern: select Verify, choose the credit card option and enter the card details. Google says the card check exists only to confirm that the card is valid, and that it keeps the data as needed to meet legal and regulatory requirements. It also says a pending authorisation can take 1 to 14 business days to clear, and that if it's still showing after 14 business days you should contact your bank.

Other ways to confirm your age on YouTube

The help page names a selfie as an option, and Google's account help describes a digital ID on Android, where you pick an ID stored in your device's digital wallet and follow the wallet's instructions. Google says the digital ID option isn't available in every region. In practice, that means the choices you see depend on where you live, so don't be surprised if a friend is offered something different.

Method	What you do	What to know
ID	Photograph and upload your ID, confirm your birthday, submit	Clear image, all four corners showing; Google says it deletes the ID after verifying
Credit card	Enter card details to confirm the card is valid	A pending authorisation can take 1 to 14 business days to clear
Selfie	Follow the prompts in your Google Account	Named on YouTube's help page; availability varies by region
Digital ID	Choose an ID in your device's digital wallet	Android only and not in every region, according to Google

How to fix the birthday on your YouTube account

Sometimes the problem isn't an estimate at all. The birthday on your Google Account is simply wrong, perhaps because you set it up years ago. YouTube's help page on verifying your birthday gives these steps:

1. Sign in to your Google Account and open its privacy page.
2. Click Personal info.
3. Click Birthday.
4. Check the date, update it if needed, and click Save.

The same page adds a small tip: if you use the mobile website, you may need to sign out and back in after verifying your age before it takes effect.

Verifying your age to watch age-restricted videos on YouTube

The help page on age-restricted videos says you need to be signed in and 18 or older, and that you'll usually have to watch on YouTube itself, because those videos generally can't be played on other sites. In Australia, the EU, the EEA, Switzerland and the UK, you may be prompted to verify. In the EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK, the page says to follow the prompts to submit an image of a valid ID or credit card. In Australia, it says you can submit a driving licence, a Proof of Age card or a passport.

If you want the wider picture on how platforms handle age checks, I've written about how age verification works on X, which makes a useful comparison.

What YouTube age verification means for creators and business channels

If you run a brand channel, the age estimate matters to you as well. YouTube's help page says that when a creator is estimated to be under 18, new uploads are set to private by default in Creator Studio, though they can change that, and creators receive privacy reminders when uploading or commenting publicly. So if your uploads are suddenly private and you didn't choose that, check whether your account has been through age estimation. Verifying your age through your Google Account is the route the help page points to.

It also helps to know what you can and can't do with people on your channel once you're sorted. My guide to unblocking someone on YouTube covers the blocklist, and my guide to blocking a YouTube channel you no longer want to see covers the other direction.

If you can't verify your age on YouTube

If the options won't work, try these in order:

1. Check the birthday on your Google Account first, in case it's simply wrong.
2. Make sure the image is clear, in colour, a JPG or PNG, with all four corners showing and no glare.
3. Wait for the email if Google says the ID needs review.
4. Try another method if the one you picked isn't available in your region.
5. Contact YouTube through its help centre if nothing works.

Don't send your ID anywhere except the verification screen inside your own Google Account. If anyone messages you offering to verify your age for you, that's a scam, not a shortcut.

Frequently asked questions

How do I verify my age on YouTube?

Select Verify when YouTube or Google prompts you, then choose ID, credit card or another option shown for your region. Confirm your date of birth and submit. Google's help says the options available vary by region.

Why does YouTube think I'm under 18?

YouTube's help centre says it uses an age estimation model to decide whether someone is over or under 18, even when the birthdate on the account says something different.

Does YouTube keep my ID?

Google's account help says uploaded IDs are stored securely, aren't made public and are deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified.

How do I change my birthday on YouTube?

Open your Google Account privacy page, click Personal info, then Birthday, update the date and click Save, according to YouTube's help page on verifying your birthday.

Can I watch age-restricted YouTube videos without signing in?

No. YouTube's help says age-restricted videos aren't viewable by people who are under 18 or signed out.