Buzz
When a YouTube video is set as 'unlisted,' it won't appear in search results or while browsing YouTube. Only those with the direct link can access it. Since July 2021, all unlisted videos uploaded before 2017 have been converted to private (this decision significantly reduced the number of unlisted videos available on YouTube). Although you can't find a specific unlisted YouTube video without its link, you can explore similar videos by browsing playlists or using archival websites like Unlisted Videos. Additionally, you can easily locate your own unlisted videos in the YouTube Studio editor.
Steps
Can I search for someone else's unlisted videos?
Unlisted videos won't appear in YouTube or Google search results. The only exception is if someone shares the video on a public platform like Twitter, a blog post, or a forum. However, there are still a few options to find unlisted videos:
- Visit https://unlistedvideos.com. Unlisted Videos is a massive archive of unlisted YouTube videos, including many from 2016 and earlier. You can search or browse through over 600,000 unlisted YouTube videos on this site.
- Browse YouTube playlists. Many people add unlisted videos to their personal playlists, giving you a chance to view them even if they can't be found through YouTube or Google searches. To view someone's public playlists, click on their name on YouTube and select the Playlists tab.
Why have so many unlisted videos become private nowadays?
YouTube has converted all unlisted videos uploaded before January 2017 to private. If you used these unlisted videos for bookmarking, embedding in websites, or presentations, they may no longer be accessible since July 2021.
- The video owner can revert the video back to unlisted (or public) to restore access for those with previous links. However, if the owner doesn't take this step, the video will remain private indefinitely (or until they change it).
How can I find my own unlisted videos?
It's simple—your unlisted videos are located in YouTube Studio. Here's how to find them:
- Log in to YouTube Studio.
- Click on the Content tab.
- Click the funnel icon at the top of the video list and select Visibility.
- Choose Unlisted.
- Since many videos uploaded before 2017 were marked as private starting July 2021, to locate them, you need to select Private from the visibility folder.
