There’s something intriguing about unlisted videos that makes you want to watch them. Whether you’re after exclusive content, trying to rediscover old favorites, or just curious, unlisted videos won’t appear in search results or subscriber feeds unless they’re added to public playlists.
But don’t worry. This article provides tutorials on how to find unlisted YouTube videos and watch them.
Video Visibility Options on YouTube
YouTube provides three options for video visibility:
- Public — This is the default setting that allows anyone to view your video. You’d need this to reach a broad audience and gain visibility for your content.
- Private — With this setting, only invited viewers can access your video. Private videos won’t appear in search results or on your channel. The URL can’t be shared with non-invitees, and you can schedule private videos for future publication as public.
- Unlisted — Videos set to unlisted won’t show up in search results or on your channel, but anyone can find unlisted YouTube videos with a direct link. It’s a middle ground between public and private.
So, don’t be confused between the two non-public video types. From here onward, we’ll specifically discuss unlisted videos.
How to View Unlisted YouTube Videos With a Link
This isn’t anything complicated, but just in case — here’s how to watch unlisted YouTube videos:
- First, obtain the direct URL link to the unlisted video. This link may be shared with you directly by the video creator or someone who has access to the video.
- Open your web browser and paste the link into the address bar. Press Enter to load the page.
- Once the page loads, you should see the unlisted video embedded on the page. Simply click the play button to start watching the video.
If you have permission to share the video or want to save it for later viewing, you can bookmark the page or copy the URL to share with others.
Respect the privacy of unlisted videos, though. Avoid sharing the link without permission from the video creator. After all, unlisted videos are intended for a limited audience.
How to Find Unlisted YouTube Videos in a Playlist
If you don't have access to the video link but know that the creator added the video to one, you can do the following:
- Go to the YouTube playlist containing the unlisted videos.
- Click on the playlist title to open it.
- Then, click on the three-dot menu icon next to the playlist title to access the playlist settings.
- In the playlist editor, you'll see a list of videos included in the playlist.
- Look for any videos labeled as Unlisted in the video details.
- Click on the unlisted video to open and watch it.
If you don’t have access to the playlist but know that the creator added the video to one, search for it using its title, keywords, or other identifying information.
Can You Watch Unlisted Videos Without a Link or a Playlist?
No, unlisted videos are designed to be somewhat secretive. The only way to watch them is if you have the direct link someone shared or if the creator has added them to a public playlist. To find these, you can try checking the user’s playlists just in case.
There are online methods claiming you can find unlisted videos by searching on Google, but they don’t really work.
Does UnlistedVideos.Com Work?
Yes, UnlistedVideos.com does exist, but it’s important to note that the unlisted videos available there are only those that have been submitted by someone. You can’t simply search for random unlisted videos using keywords or titles.
There are rules for what types of videos are allowed. Generally permitted are unlisted videos from official accounts of brands, bands, celebrities, and commercial organizations, as well as videos unlisted for decluttering purposes or those deemed useful or interesting to others.
Forbidden are videos unlisted for privacy reasons, those accompanied by statements indicating a preference not to be shared widely, videos listed elsewhere, those likely to become public soon, videos posted for paid subscribers, and videos containing illegal or copyright-infringing content.
How to See Your Own Unlisted Videos
Finding your own unlisted videos is much easier than searching for others’ hidden videos. Without any links or third-party websites, you can quickly access them through the YouTube Studio app on your channel. Follow these steps for mobile:
- Install and open the YouTube Studio app on your mobile phone.
- Sign in to your channel account using your email and password.
- Tap the Content tab at the bottom, then select the Funnel icon at the top of the video list to access various options.
- Choose Visibility and then select Unlisted.
- Finally, hit Publish to save your changes and view the list.
For desktop, simply go to the YouTube Studio website instead of using the app and follow the same steps.
If you want to change these settings, stay on YouTube Studio. When you hover over a video, you’ll see clickable icons allowing you to adjust video details, access video-level analytics, review comments, and more. Clicking the checkbox next to a specific video also lets you change the title, description, tags, visibility, and more.
You can even add it to a playlist for others to access using the instructions above. For bulk visibility changes, select multiple or all of your videos at once, then click edit.
What Can You Do With Unlisted Videos?
You can do many of the same things with unlisted videos as with regular ones.
For example, you can share the link with specific individuals or groups, embed the video on a website or blog, and add it to playlists. Unlisted videos also support features like adding annotations, captions, and end screens, as well as accessing analytics data and editing video details.
Keep in mind that downloading videos without permission may violate YouTube’s terms of service or copyright laws. So, double-check if you have the necessary rights or permissions before downloading unlisted videos.
Final Thoughts
So, here’s the deal with finding unlisted YouTube videos. Turns out that making a video unlisted isn’t as secure as you might think. If you don’t want others to access your draft video, it’s safer to set it as Private. That way, it can’t be downloaded or seen by anyone else, and you can still share it privately with specific people. Keep that in mind next time you’re uploading!
