How to Share a Private YouTube Video?

YouTube is one of the most prominent video hosting platforms in 2022 and there is no sign of slowing down. They allow both private and public access to sharing content for all users. However, the default way to share content is always public.

The platform was made for global consumption, and this makes sense. So what if you wanted to share a private video? Well, let us learn today how to share a private Youtube video.

Private Videos

You can share a private Youtube video with up to 50 people, and the particular video will not show up in recommendations.

Moreover, you can also choose to make sure that the limited audience cannot share the video with others. Even if someone gets hold of the link, they cannot access the video if they do not have access to it. 

How to Share a Private YouTube Video – The Basic Way

When you are uploading a new video, you will have to go through some extra steps. First, you have to select your file, and then let the upload process take place.

Use hashtags and descriptions before uploading. The final step will require you to set the visibility of the video.

I have uploaded videos to YouTube a few times, and the system is fairly easy to get down. So when the visibility selector is present, select the “share privately” option.

Another dialogue box will open, where you will be asked to enter the email addresses of individuals with who you want to share the video. 

After you have entered the email addresses, which cannot be more than 50, you can click on “done.”

You should remember to enter each email with a space separating down the middle, else you run the risk of entering an invalid or misplaced email. Then the person you are intending the video for will not be able to view the video.

Now, if you have uploaded to YouTube before as I have, you can save and publish it, and share the link. However, this will not be possible with a private video, and only people on the invited list can access the video. 

How to Share a Private YouTube Video – Post Upload 

I remember one of my first videos doing quite well initially, but then I did not want it to be accessible by just a handful of people. I wanted to turn a public video into private. It was not as complicated as I had thought, in fact, it was rather simple.

Go to the already published video, and in your upper right corner of the screen, click on YouTube Studio. You will find a pane here on the left, and in it, click on “Videos”. 

Now you have to find the video that you want to change. There will be a visibility column that states whether this video is public or unlisted. Click on it. A window will pop up and it will let you click “Private”, which you can then click on “Save”.

It’s a common mistake to forget to set the visibility to private when uploading. Moreover, if you are uploading videos on a tight schedule, it is made even more difficult.

To ignore such problems, this is a feature that has helped YouTubers a lot in the past. It is also a necessary feature in case you ever want to hide your video from the general people and leave it for just a private few.

How to Share a Private Youtube Video via Phone 

Now that you know how to set videos to private using your computer, you will be glad to know that you can also do this from your phone or mobile device. Assuming you already have the YouTube application installed, you will have to launch it.

Then navigate to tap the Library at the bottom right corner of the screen, this will look somewhat like a Play button in 2022. 

Tap on the upload video option which looks like a camera at the top. Choose the video from this panel and on the add details page, click on Public.

No, this does not make the video public. Instead, this actually makes the page launch where you can set the view option to Private. Now only you can view this video. 

A lot of users tend to use YouTube for vlogging, so uploading videos straight from the phone is a valid option if you are not worried about editing much.

This lets you share the video you created with your limited list of audiences privately. No more do you have to worry yourself about unwanted viewers or rival channels, am I right?

How to Share a Private Youtube Video (Post Upload) – via Phone 

Imagine the scenario: You are in a meeting, you have uploaded a video before leaving for work but you just remembered that you forgot to set it to private. Now you will have to wait till you go home to do this and it will garner plenty of views before then.

What should I do in such a situation? Can I avoid this at all? Well, thanks to YouTube, you can also change visibility from your mobile device.

Navigate yourself to the Library section at the bottom right corner of the screen. It will look similar to a play button and be contained in a rectangular button.

Tap on My Videos after you have reached here, this will take you to a list of all the videos you have uploaded so far. Now navigate through your videos and click on the three-dotted menu at the edge of each video. 

Press on Edit, and you will be taken to the Edit Details page. Here you will find the Privacy section, which will either say Public or Unlisted. Tap on this, and you can choose “Private – Only you can view”. And voila, it’s done.

You can now share this video privately with only those users you want to by giving them access through email. 

How to Make a Private Video Public

If you have understood the four points so far, then some of you might find this one helpful as well. Once I had uploaded a video and set it to private, only to realize that the private video was meant to be a different one.

How do I change the private video to the public? Is that even possible? Well, I had to run some checks to find out. And what I learned was that it was no rocket science. 

First of all, like usual, you will have to go to the tab or page which has all your videos listed. Afterward, you can find the edit option listed beside each video.

This is the same for both desktop or mobile, even in the most unique of scenarios. Now you have to click on privacy after navigating down to it. Found it? Great!

Now tap on “Private”, and another window will pop up that lets you know what you can do with your video’s privacy. Simply choose “Public”, and that is all.

Your video will once again be accessible by anyone who could not see it before. This is a rather common mistake that YouTubers might make due to silly carelessness. 

Advantages of a Private Video

For the most part, you will want as many views as possible on your YouTube channel. But this is not the case if you want to share something such as a work in progress with a selected audience.

In such a scenario, the anonymity of a private YouTube video makes perfect sense. This way your content stays safe and private, and potential harm stays away from your videos as there are no third parties allowed to view or share your video.

Other smaller benefits include how you can share your videos with those you only trust, instead of just business partners or collaborators.

You can also make a private video library that contains art, music, or collections that you want to take a look at later. It is kind of like a video journal that only you will need to access and view as you please. 

If you want to let some stress released from your local device, this is another thing you can use YouTube’s private video option for.

If you have some content on your PC that is waiting to be uploaded or is just staying on your PC without purpose, you can delete it, but you can also store it on YouTube’s private video sector. You can save some valuable space on your PC through this. 

Conclusion

These were the ways you can share a private YouTube video. This is an essential feature for YouTubers, especially if they ever need to hide any content. We hope this article has proved helpful and given you significant insight into the topic of private YouTube videos.

Read More: How to Watch Deleted YouTube Videos?