Skip to main content

Here’s how to delete your YouTube account on any device

How to delete your YouTube account
Wichapol Polpitakchai/123RF

Wanting to get out of the YouTube business? If you want to delete your YouTube account, all you need to do is go to your YouTube Studio page, go to the Advanced Settings, and follow the section that will guide you to permanently delete your account. If you need help with these steps, or want to do so on a platform that isn't your computer, you can follow the steps below.

Note that the following steps will delete your YouTube channel, not your associated Google account.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

10 minutes

What You Need

  • A YouTube account

  • A PC or mobile device

  • A web browser or the YouTube mobile app

Using desktop

Step 1: Log in to YouTube Studio using the account of the channel you want to delete. Choose Settings from the left side of the screen.

Deleting a YouTube channel via the desktop website.
screenshot

Step 2: On the next screen, choose Channel and then select the Advanced settings tab.

Step 3: Under Advanced settings, scroll down until you see the Remove YouTube content option. Click on that option. This will open another tab, and you’ll be asked to sign in to your account again. Go ahead and do so.

Step 4: Click on the option labeled I want to permanently delete my content. Selecting this option will expand it into two short explanations of what this decision actually means, with check boxes next to each explanation section. Read these explanations, and if you still want to delete your content, select both check boxes.

Final screen of deleting YouTube content via the desktop method.
screenshot

Step 5: If you’re absolutely sure that you want to delete your YouTube channel, go ahead and click on the blue Delete my content button.

Using Android

If you'd rather delete your YouTube channel via the mobile app, you can. Android users can use the following instructions to do so:

Step 1: Open the YouTube app on your device. Select your Profile picture icon in the top-right corner of your screen. Select Manage your Google account.

(If you have multiple Google accounts signed in on your device, you may need to select Manage your Google account again on the next screen.)

Selecting Manage your Google account on YouTube for Android.
screenshot

Step 2: Choose Data and privacy.

The Data and Privacy section of Google account settings on Android.
screenshot

Step 3: Scroll down until you see the Download or delete your data section. In this section, select Delete a Google service.

Step 4: You’ll be prompted to log into your account. Do so. Afterward, you’ll be given the option to download your data before deleting your YouTube channel. If you want to do so, choose Download your data. If you’re ready to delete your YouTube channel, tap on the Trash can icon next to YouTube.

The Delete a Google service screen on Android.
screenshot

Step 5: You’ll be asked to log in again. Do so. Then, tap on the option labeled I want to permanently delete my content. Selecting this option will expand it into two explanation sections that describe what this decision actually means, with a check box next to each section. Read the explanations, and then select both check boxes if you understand it and still want to delete your YouTube channel.

The final screen of deleting YouTube content via Android.
screenshot

Step 6: When you’re ready to delete your YouTube channel, tap on the blue Delete my content button.

Using iOS

Deleting your YouTube channel on iOS is pretty simple and can be done right from the YouTube app. Just follow these steps.

Step 1: From the home screen, tap on your Profile icon in the top-right corner and click Manage your Google account.

Step 2: Click on Data and personalization from the top tab. Scroll down and click Delete a service or your account.

Step 3: From there, you can decide to delete individual services or your Google account entirely. To delete your YouTube channel, select Delete a Google service. You will be prompted to enter your password.

Step 4: After you enter your password, hit the Trash can icon next to YouTube, and all of your data will be removed.

That’s it! Your account is now deleted.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
How to share an external hard drive between Mac and Windows
The WD Easystore 14TB External USB 3.0 hard drive on a desk next to a monitor and near a plant.

While using a Windows PC over a MacOS system (or vice versa) was once fairly limited in terms of crossover, such towering walls no longer exist. Still though, if you’ve ever wanted to use the same external hard drive with both Windows and MacOS, you know how big of a burden this process can be.

Incidentally, the term "external hard drive" generally refers to portable storage devices. They're as fast as the best SSDs, but you can connect them to your computer using a USB cable.

Read more
How to build a PC from scratch: A beginner’s guide
Installing RAM in a desktop PC.

Building a PC for the first time, or even the second or third time, can feel a little intimidating. But one of the best parts about building a computer is that, for the most part, the parts fit where they should, and don't fit where they shouldn't. A graphics card will fit in the graphics card slot, and good luck putting the CPU in the wrong socket.

With a little care, time, and this handy guide, you can build a PC without hassle. We're here to walk you through it.

Read more
How to deactivate your Instagram account (or delete it)
A person holding a phone with the Instagram app open on it.

Oh, social media. Sometimes it’s just too much, folks. If you’re finding yourself in a position where shutting down your Instagram account for a period of time sounds good, Meta’s powers that be have made it pretty simple to deactivate your Instagram account. It’s also quite easy to completely delete your Instagram, although we wouldn’t recommend this latter option if you plan on returning to the platform at a later date.

Read more