How to Delete a YouTube Channel
Delete or hide your YouTube channel in YouTube Studio on a computer. What each one removes, why phones can't do it, and how to keep your Google Account.
To delete a YouTube channel, sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer and open Settings, then Channel, then Advanced settings. At the bottom, select "Remove YouTube Content," choose "I want to permanently delete my content," tick the boxes and select "Delete my content." Your Google Account and Gmail stay. If you'd rather take a break, the same page lets you hide the channel instead.
We read YouTube's and Google's help pages on deleting channels and accounts on October 24, 2026.
About 49,500 people search "how to delete youtube channel" each month, and 33,100 more search "how to delete youtube account."
Should you hide the channel, delete it, or delete your account?
| Hide the channel | Delete the channel | Delete the Google Account | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Videos, playlists, comments | Private | Deleted for good | Deleted with the channel |
| Name, likes, subscribers | Private | Deleted | Deleted |
| Gmail, Drive, Photos | Kept | Kept | Deleted |
| YouTube and Play purchases | Kept | Kept | Lost |
| Coming back | Re-enable any time | Harder to recover | May not be recoverable |
YouTube Help, "Delete or hide your YouTube channel," and Google Account Help, "Delete your Google Account," read October 24, 2026.
How do you delete your YouTube channel?
- Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer.
- From the left sidebar, select Settings.
- Select Channel, then Advanced settings.
- At the bottom, select "Remove YouTube Content." Sign in again if asked.
- Select "I want to permanently delete my content."
- Tick the boxes to confirm, then select "Delete my content."
"Closing your YouTube channel will permanently delete your content, including videos, comments, messages, playlists, and history," YouTube says. It can take a while to finish, and "In the short term, you may continue to view thumbnails of your videos on the site."
Download anything you want to keep first, especially your original video files.
Can you delete a YouTube channel on your phone?
Not according to YouTube. "Note that you can't currently delete a channel on mobile devices," its help page says. Several 2026 video tutorials claim to do it on an iPhone or Android, but YouTube's own instructions run through YouTube Studio, so use a computer.
How do you hide a YouTube channel instead?
Follow the same steps to "Remove YouTube Content," then select "I want to hide my channel," confirm what gets hidden, and select "Hide my channel."
Hiding is reversible. It makes your "channel name, videos, likes, subscriptions, and subscribers private," YouTube says. When you re-enable the channel, everything comes back, though "it can take up to a week for these counts to update."
Does deleting the channel delete your Google Account?
No. "These steps will only delete your YouTube channel, not your Google Account you use to sign in with," YouTube says. Your Gmail, Drive and Photos stay where they are.
Deleting the Google Account is the bigger step, and it takes the channel with it. "If you delete the primary owner account linked to your channel, the channel will also be deleted," YouTube says. Google adds that you'll "lose all the data and content in that account, like emails, files, calendars, and photos," plus "subscriptions and content you bought with that account on YouTube or Google Play." If you want that, it's under the Data & Privacy section of your Google Account.
Can you recover a deleted YouTube channel?
Don't count on it. YouTube warns that "If you choose to permanently delete your channel, we may have a harder time recovering your account," and it doesn't promise a recovery window. If you're unsure, hide the channel first.
Could you rename the channel instead?
If the problem is the name, yes. In YouTube Studio, go to Customization, then Profile. YouTube lets you change the name "twice within a 14-day period," but warns that "Changing your name will remove your verification badge."
Frequently asked questions
Can you delete a YouTube channel on your phone?
YouTube says you can't currently delete a channel on mobile devices. Use YouTube Studio on a computer.
Does deleting a channel delete your Google Account?
No. Only the channel goes. Deleting the Google Account is a separate step, and it removes the channel too.
Can you recover a deleted YouTube channel?
YouTube doesn't promise it, and says recovery may be harder. Hide the channel if you might come back.
What happens when you hide a YouTube channel?
Your channel name, videos, likes, subscriptions and subscribers become private until you re-enable it.
Can you rename a channel instead?
Yes, twice in 14 days, from Customization, then Profile in YouTube Studio.
Hclout doesn't sell YouTube services. For the rest of your channel, see our guides to the YouTube banner size, the YouTube thumbnail size and how to start a YouTube channel.
Sources
- YouTube Help, "Delete or hide your YouTube channel" and "Manage your YouTube channel's profile," read through our server on October 24, 2026
- Google Account Help, "Delete your Google Account," read through our server on October 24, 2026
- YouTube tutorials (January 7 and May 3, 2026), a Reddit r/youtube thread (April 8, 2018) and Vimeo (May 8, 2025), as Google showed them on October 24, 2026
- Google results for "how to delete youtube channel," US, October 24, 2026 (our read)
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, worldwide, read October 24, 2026
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