Recovery
Someone removed me from my YouTube channel
Find out what to check first, and what to do if you no longer have access.
Is this your situation?
You go to YouTube Studio and find your channel missing, or see someone else now controls it. This page is for a channel that was accessible to you and is not anymore.
Do this first
Do not create a new channel yet. To recover a hacked YouTube channel, first recover the hacked Google Account. Then check permissions by reviewing who has access to the channel, and update roles or remove access if needed.
Which situation is yours?
- You can still sign in: update your password and secure your Google Account.
- You can't sign in: follow the steps to recover your Google Account or Gmail.
- Channel terminated after a hack: you can appeal once you recover your Google Account.
- Videos uploaded you didn't make with no strikes or claims: delete them.
- A manager or editor removed you: check permissions by reviewing who has access to the channel.
- Eligible creators who have recovered their Google Account can contact Creator Support.
- Can't contact Creator Support: get help from @TeamYouTube on X.
How YouTube handles this
- Every YouTube channel is associated with at least one Google Account.
- When a YouTube channel is hacked, at least one associated Google Account is also compromised.
- To recover a hacked channel, it is necessary to first recover the hacked Google Account associated with the channel.
- A hacker who gains control of a channel can make several changes to the account.
- It's not always possible for YouTube to determine that a channel hijacker has been removed.
Which recovery path is yours?
- Can you still sign in to the Google Account? If you can still sign in to your Google Account, update your password and secure your Google Account.
- Can't sign in at all? If you can't sign in to your Google Account, follow the steps to recover your Google Account or Gmail.
- Was the channel terminated after the hack? If the channel was terminated after the Google Account was hacked, once the Google Account is recovered you can find an email about appealing channel termination.
- Did a hacker upload videos? If the videos have no associated Community Guidelines strikes, copyright strikes, or copyright claims, delete them.
- Is the account recovered but access still unclear? Check permissions by reviewing who has access to the channel, and update roles or remove access if needed.
What not to do
- Creating a new channel You feel ready to start over instead of waiting on recovery.Why it happens: Anxiety pushes people to start over before recovery is attempted.
- Appealing termination before recovery is complete An appeal may not be accepted if account recovery is incomplete.Why it happens: Users assume the appeal works independently of account status.
- Leaving hacker uploads in place All content must comply with Community Guidelines, so delete unauthorized uploads.Why it happens: Users focus on access before cleaning up the channel.
- Expecting help after 9 months Support for hacking incidents is limited to the past 9 months.Why it happens: The incident feels resolved once access is back, so the clock is simple to overlook.Already happened: If this already happened, see recovery options.
What to have ready
- Can you still sign in to the Google Account? Determines which recovery path applies.
- Is there a hacking-related email in your inbox? May contain strike or termination notices.
- Was the channel terminated? Changes whether you appeal or secure access.
- Are you in the YouTube Partner Program? Affects which support channel to use.
- Do you know the exact date access was lost? Check how long ago this happened.
- Do you have a recovery phone or email on the account? Required for most recovery flows.
- Can you list who had channel access before this? Needed to check permissions afterward.
- Have you checked for unauthorized uploads? Helps decide what to delete or report.
Stop this happening again
Review your channel to help prevent this happening again. Check who has channel access regularly, reviewing who has access to the channel.
Quick reference
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Can sign in | If you can still sign in, update your password and secure your Google Account. |
| Can't sign in | If you can't sign in, follow the steps to recover your Google Account or Gmail. |
| Channel terminated | If the channel was terminated after being hacked, appeal once the Google Account is recovered. |
| Unauthorized uploads present | If uploads have no strikes or claims, delete them. |
| Uploads with strikes or claims | If uploads have associated strikes or claims, contact YouTube to start an investigation. |
| Partner Program creator, account recovered | Eligible creators who have recovered their Google Account can contact the YouTube Creator Support team. |
| Incident older than 9 months | YouTube may not be able to recover the channel. |
Keeping track of who has access
You want to notice a sudden change in access before it becomes a crisis. Delvia keeps a record of who holds access to a channel, so a sudden change is easier to notice and reverse. Set it up before the next incident, not after, since this kind of loss is preventable with that habit in place.
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