TL;DR: On YouTube, go to Settings, Privacy and turn on “Keep all my subscriptions private”, then set your playlists to Private. In Google My Activity, set YouTube History to auto-delete after 3 or 18 months. Switch off personalised ads in My Ad Center. For your own uploads, Private means only you can watch; Unlisted means anyone with the link can.
Make your subscriptions private
YouTube Help says subscriptions are private by default, but older accounts may have them public. On a computer:
- Click your profile picture, then Settings.
- Choose Privacy.
- Turn on Keep all my subscriptions private.
When private, others can't see which channels you follow and you don't appear in channels' subscriber lists. One exception: if you comment in subscriber-only chats or comments, viewers can tell you're subscribed.
Hide your playlists
Open your profile tab, choose Playlists, open a list and set its visibility to Private, as Tom's Guide explains. Do this for any playlist that reveals more than you'd like (health, money, relationships).
Auto-delete your watch history
Watch and search history shape recommendations, and it's stored in your Google account. In Google My Activity, open YouTube History, choose Auto-delete and pick 3 or 18 months. Tom's Guide notes newer accounts default to 36 months while older accounts may keep history indefinitely. For one-off viewing, turn on Incognito from your profile icon in the app. Our guide to what Google knows about you covers the rest of your Google activity.
Turn off personalised ads
In the app, go to Settings, Privacy, My Ad Center and switch Personalized ads off. This applies across connected Google services.
Public, unlisted or private uploads
Per YouTube Help:
- Public: anyone can find and watch it in search, recommendations and your channel.
- Unlisted: anyone with the link can watch and share it, but it won't show in search, recommendations or your channel.
- Private: only you can view it, and it can't be shared by URL. YouTube's systems and reviewers may still check it.
Unlisted is not private. If a video shows your home, school or children, use Private. See what posting your kids online exposes.
Sign out of devices you don't use
An old smart TV or a friend's console signed in to your account shows your history to whoever uses it. Our guide on how to log out of all devices covers Google accounts.
Your YouTube account is your Google account, so its email is worth checking: a free email exposure check shows whether it appears in known breaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my YouTube subscriptions private?
On a computer, open Settings, Privacy and turn on Keep all my subscriptions private.
How do I make a YouTube playlist private?
Open your profile tab, choose Playlists, open the playlist and change its visibility to Private.
What is the difference between unlisted and private on YouTube?
Unlisted videos can be watched by anyone with the link. Private videos can only be viewed by you and cannot be shared by URL.
How do I stop YouTube saving my watch history?
In Google My Activity, open YouTube History and set auto-delete, or pause history. Use Incognito in the app for one-off viewing.
How do I turn off personalised ads on YouTube?
In Settings, Privacy, open My Ad Center and switch Personalized ads off.
Sources
- YouTube Help: Change your subscription privacy settings
- YouTube Help: Change video privacy settings
- Tom’s Guide: 3 hidden YouTube settings to change (October 2026)