With YouTube being as huge as it is, more than a few people want to make it big on the platform. Millions of potential content creators draft new YouTube accounts almost daily at this point. Taking that into consideration, it’s no wonder that there are so many articles out there about growing and maintaining a YouTube channel. However, there’s also a growing trend that moves in the direct opposite direction. Namely, people en masse want to find out how they can block YouTube, avoid watching it, or even outright delete their entire channels.
But is it even possible to delete one’s YouTube channel? And more to the point, why would a user even want to do it? Well, that’s what this article is here to help you figure out. Throughout the following paragraphs, you will learn how to successfully remove your YouTube channel completely. In addition, we’ll provide a list of potential reasons why you might want to go through with this process and even offer a few alternatives for eager content creators who want to try a different platform as a source of engagement and revenue.
YouTube Channel Deletion Methods
Before we move on to the process itself, we need to make a distinction between two separate concepts:
- Deleting a YouTube channel
- Deleting a Google account.
One of the main reasons we want to cover this topic is related to the searches. Namely, a lot of people online tend to search for “how to delete a YouTube account” and then get some wildly different instructions. So, let’s make this a bit clearer to any users reading these lines. Deleting your Google account is not the same as deleting your YouTube channel.
The main difference is in scale. If you aim to delete your Google account, then you’re getting rid of everything associated with it. That does include YouTube, but you’ll also be deleting your contacts, emails, passwords, and messages, as well as other apps and app settings related to Google. On the other hand, by deleting your YouTube channel, you’re only removing one small portion of what your Google account contains.
With that out of the way, let’s focus on the deletion process itself.
Deleting the Channel on Your Browser
The browser method will work on any software, be it Mozilla, Opera, Firefox, or Chrome:
- On the main page of your YouTube channel, click on the hamburger menu in the top left corner of the screen;
- Click the Settings button (it will have a small gear icon next to it);
- Find and click the Advanced settings tab;
- Pick the Delete channel option;
- A prompt will pop up asking you to sign in before you proceed with the deletion. When prompted, enter your password in the appropriate field and click Next.
At this stage, you will get two options: either hide your channel or delete it completely. While we’re here, let’s discuss the first option. By clicking on the I want to hide my channel prompt, you will make your content invisible to anyone looking for your videos. However, the channel itself will still be there. Lots of people confuse this step with outright deletion, so for the sake of clarity, we stress that hiding your YouTube isn’t the same as removing it.
So, we proceed with the following steps:
- Click on I want to permanently delete my content;
- When you get a prompt about deletion details, tick both of the unchecked boxes;
- Click Delete my content.
Deleting Via Android or iOS
Up until the May of 2023, both Android and iOS users could delete their channels via their smart devices easily. However, Google has since removed that option, and now the only way to get rid of your content on the platform is via browsers. However, you can still remove your entire Google account using a smart device.
Why Even Delete It? Potential Reasons Behind the Decision
So, now that you know How to delete your YouTube channel, it’s time to focus on the Why. Listed below are some of the most common reasons behind people removing their YouTube content altogether.
Embed Quality
Depending on the type of video you make, your content on YouTube might look crisp and sharp there, but not as much if you try to embed it on an external website. Sometimes the issue is with the thumbnails, other times with the link length or the video quality. With that in mind, other video platforms may work better for what you need than YouTube does, especially if they can handle high-definition content with decent framerates.
Poor Engagement
With millions of people making new channels daily, it’s only logical that just as many existing channels get the ax. After all, some creators may simply not be reaching the audience they need with their current content. Alternatively, they may have uploaded videos without proper direction or style, making the channel a mishmash of confusion. With that in mind, completely removing the channel and starting fresh makes sense.
Alternative Venues for Monetization
For most people who use video-based social media such as YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram professionally, earning money without any added difficulties is a top priority. However, monetizing videos on YouTube has become increasingly difficult over the past decade and a half. Uploaders either get their content struck down due to copyright issues or for breaking the guidelines, which tend to become vaguer with each major update. If that’s the case with your channel, you’ll want to look into some alternative video platforms, as well as alternative sources of revenue like crowdfunding or PayPal.
Ads as an Eyesore
Few people like seeing ads on their YouTube videos, but that remains one of the most legitimate and widespread methods of earning money on the website. Other video platforms, however, usually don’t have such a rigorous ad system, and you can upload full videos without any pesky intrusions every five minutes or so.
YouTube Alternatives in 2023
As promised, here’s a list of some of the most popular YouTube alternatives today. Of course, you should keep in mind that these pages, as high-quality as they are, can’t generate nearly as many views or shares as YouTube:
- Vimeo
- DailyMotion
- Twitch
- IGTV
- DTube
- BitChute
- Odysee
- VidLii