Struggling to find a specific video you watched days, weeks or even months ago? This is where YouTube’s history search tool comes in handy. Scroll down to learn how to use it.
As with all browsing activity associated with your Google account, you have the option to track and pause your history. Not only does this make it easy to dig up content you’ve already seen, but it also allows YouTube to offer new video recommendations the website thinks you’ll like.
Of course, to search your YouTube history, you’ll need to make sure this feature is turned on. If your activity is paused, the website won’t be able to tell you what you’ve seen. You can find this option under ‘Activity Controls’ in the ‘Data and Personalisation’ section of your Google account.
Once you’ve confirmed your activity is being recorded, follow the steps below to search for a specific video in your YouTube history.
What you’ll need:
- A Google account
The Short Version
- Go to your YouTube history
- Sign in to your account
- Click the magnifying glass
- Type your search and hit Apply
Step
1Open your YouTube history
This is part of your Google activity.
Step
2Click Verify
You’ll need to sign into your account again to confirm your identity.
Step
3Enter your password and click Next
This will take you back to your YouTube history page.
Step
4Click the magnifying glass icon
You can also click the calendar icon next to it to choose a date.
Step
5Type your search and hit Apply
This will show you any YouTube searches or videos you’ve watched that match those specific criteria.
Troubleshooting
You can delete individual searches or your entire search history via the YouTube history page linked in step 1. You can also set your account to automatically clear your search and watch history after a set amount of time.
Any searches made in Incognito Mode will not be saved to your YouTube history.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.