YouTube tracks every video you watch to improve its recommendations, but you have complete control over this feature. Here’s how you can view, manage, and delete your YouTube watch history.
Viewing Your YouTube Watch History on a Computer
To see your YouTube watch history on a computer, follow these steps:
- Open YouTube: Navigate to the YouTube website in your web browser.
- Expand the Left Menu: Click the three horizontal lines at the top left of the webpage to expand the left menu.
- Select History: Click on History from the left menu. This will display a chronological list of all the videos you have viewed.
- Search Your History: Use the Search watch history field on the right to search for specific video names or keywords.
Viewing Your YouTube Watch History on a Mobile Device
To view your watch history on a mobile device, follow these steps:
- Open the YouTube App: Ensure you are logged into your account.
- Access the Library Tab: On both Android and iOS, tap the Library tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Select History: Tap History to see your recently watched videos.
Deleting Specific Videos from Your Watch History
If you want to remove specific videos from your watch history, you can do so on both computers and mobile devices:
On a Computer
- Find the Video: Locate the video you want to remove in the list on the left.
- Remove the Video: Move your mouse over the video and click the X that appears to the right.
On a Mobile Device
- Find the Video: Locate the video you want to remove in your watch history.
- Remove the Video: Tap the three dots to the right of the video and select Remove from watch history.
Deleting Your Entire Watch History
If you want to clear your entire watch history, follow these steps:
On a Computer
- Access the History Page: Follow the steps to view your watch history.
- Clear All Watch History: Click Clear All Watch History in the pane on the right and confirm your choice.
On a Mobile Device
- Access Settings: Tap your account icon, then tap Settings.
- Manage History: Tap History & privacy.
- Clear Watch History: Tap Clear watch history to delete your entire watch history.
Pausing Your Watch History
If you want to stop YouTube from tracking your watched videos temporarily, you can pause your watch history:
On a Computer
- Access the History Page: Follow the steps to view your watch history.
- Pause Watch History: Click Pause Watch History in the pane on the right. When you want to resume tracking, click Turn on watch history.
On a Mobile Device
- Access Settings: Tap your account icon, then tap Settings.
- Manage History: Tap History & privacy.
- Pause Watch History: Swipe the Pause watch history button to the right.
Automatically Deleting Your Watch History
You can also set up YouTube to automatically delete your watch history after a specified period:
- Access the History Page: Follow the steps to view your watch history.
- Manage All History: Click Manage all history.
- Auto-Delete: Click Auto-delete, then select the desired time period (3 months, 18 months, or 36 months).
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your YouTube watch history, ensuring that your viewing habits are tracked only as much as you prefer.