How to Contact YouTube Support for Access Problems

Is this your situation?

Do this first

Which situation is yours?

• Still signed in: update your password and secure the Google Account.
• Cannot sign in: follow the steps to recover your Google Account or Gmail.
• Channel terminated after a hack: find the appeal email once the Google Account is recovered.
• Google Account recovered, need more help: eligible creators can contact the YouTube Creator Support team.
• Cannot reach Creator Support: get help from @TeamYouTube on X.
• Hack happened over 9 months ago: YouTube may not be able to recover the channel.
• Appeal rejected: the appeal may not be accepted if account recovery is incomplete.

How YouTube handles this

• Recovering the hacked Google Account associated with the channel is necessary before recovering the channel.
• Eligible creators, such as those in the YouTube Partner Program, who already recovered their Google Account can contact Creator Support.
• Users who are unable to contact the Creator Support team can get help from @TeamYouTube on X.
• Support for hacking incidents is limited to those that occurred within the past 9 months due to the data retention policy.
• If the hacking issue happened more than 9 months ago, YouTube may not be able to recover the channel.

Which recovery path is yours?

1. Can you still sign in to the Google Account? If a user can still sign in to their Google Account, they should update their password and secure their Google Account.
2. Can you not sign in at all? If a user can't sign in to their Google Account, they should follow the steps to recover their Google Account or Gmail.
3. Was the channel terminated after the hack? If a channel was terminated after being hacked, a user can appeal once they recover their Google Account.
4. Did the hack happen more than 9 months ago? If a hacking issue happened more than 9 months ago, YouTube may not be able to recover the channel.
5. Did your appeal get rejected after recovery? An appeal for channel termination may not be accepted if the account recovery is incomplete.

What not to do

• Contacting support before recovering the Google Account Recovering the hacked Google Account is necessary before recovering the channel.Why it happens: The channel feels like the priority, not the account behind it.
• Appealing termination with incomplete recovery An appeal may not be accepted if the account recovery is incomplete.Why it happens: The recovery steps were not finished before the appeal was filed.
• Expecting recovery long after the hack If the hacking issue happened more than 9 months ago, recovery may not be possible.Why it happens: Support for hacking incidents is limited to the past 9 months.
• Trying third-party account recovery services Google does not work with any third-party service that claims to provide account support.Why it happens: Search results surface services that look official but are not.

What to have ready

• Google Account sign-in status Know whether you can still sign in.
• Timeline of the hack Support for hacking incidents is limited to those that occurred within the past 9 months.
• Termination status Check whether the channel was terminated.
• YouTube Partner Program eligibility Eligible creators who have recovered their Google Account can contact Creator Support.
• Account recovery completion An appeal may not be accepted if the account recovery is incomplete.
• Password status Choose a strong password not already used with the account.
• Alternate support channel Users unable to contact Creator Support can get help from @TeamYouTube on X.

Stop this happening again

Quick reference

Keeping track of who has access