Can't sign in to YouTube, or the wrong account appears

YouTube uses a Google Account for sign-in, so some sign-in problems actually lie in the Google Account, others in the browser, the app, or in the fact that one account can have several channels. The sections below are organized by symptom: each one gives the likely cause and the fix.

1. Is it YouTube or the Google Account?

Symptom: sign-in gets stuck at the password or the verification code, or the account is not accepted. Cause: YouTube has no separate password; sign-in is handled by the Google Account. Fix: try signing in to Gmail or myaccount.google.com with the same account. If that fails as well, the Google Account needs to be recovered: I can't sign in to my Google Account: how account recovery works. If there was a suspicious sign-in alert or the password changed unexpectedly, this may not be a glitch but a hacked account: Hacked Google Account: first steps.

2. YouTube keeps signing out

Symptom: sign-in works, but the next time YouTube is opened, or a few minutes later, it shows a signed-out state again. Cause: the browser does not keep the sign-in cookie or deletes it regularly. Fix:

1. In the browser's privacy settings, check whether cookies are cleared when the browser closes, and whether cookies for youtube.com and google.com are blocked.
2. Turn off ad blockers, tracking blockers and “cookie cleaner” extensions, then try again. If it works that way, add an exception for the two sites in the extension.
3. Check the computer's date and time: with a wrong clock, the sign-in can appear invalid.
4. If every device was signed out at the same time, the password may have been changed. In that case, also review the recent security events in the Google Account.

3. The wrong account or channel appears

Symptom: YouTube shows a different name, different subscriptions or an old channel. Cause: several Google Accounts are signed in to the browser, and YouTube opens the default one (usually the one signed in first); or one Google Account has both a personal channel and Brand Account channels. Fix: click the profile picture in the top right corner, then in “Switch account” choose the right account or channel. In the mobile app, the same option is available by tapping the profile picture, or the account name on the “You” tab.

• If the channel you are looking for is not in the list, it probably belongs to another Google Account. The youtube.com/account page shows which channels can be managed with the current account.
• Anyone who regularly uses two accounts (for example, personal and work) will find it easier to create two separate browser profiles. More on managing several accounts: Using multiple Gmail accounts on one device.
• How accounts and channels relate: Creating your own YouTube channel and a Brand Account.

4. “Account disabled” or channel terminated

Symptom: a notice about the suspension appears at sign-in or arrives by email. Cause: there are two different cases, and the fix differs too.

• The whole Google Account is disabled: in this case Gmail and the other Google services are unavailable too. The sign-in screen usually offers a way to request restoration; the process is described in the Google Account Help.
• Only the YouTube channel was terminated (for example, for repeated violations of the Community Guidelines): the Google Account works, but the channel does not. After signing in to YouTube Studio, an appeal can be started under the termination notice; according to YouTube Help, this is possible for one year after the termination. Terminations for copyright reasons have a separate procedure (counter notification).
• Creating a new channel to get around a terminated one is not allowed, and that channel can be terminated as well.

5. The app won't let you sign in

Symptom: the YouTube app does not offer the account, shows an error, or stays blank after sign-in. Cause: an old app version, a corrupted cache, a VPN, or the Google Account missing from the phone. Fix: update YouTube in the app store, restart the phone, and try without a VPN. On Android, accounts are managed in the accounts section of the phone's settings: if the Google Account is not listed there, add it there first. On Android, the YouTube app's cache can also be cleared. On iPhone, the YouTube app uses its own sign-in, so sign in from the app's profile menu. If none of this helps, uninstall and reinstall the app.

6. With a work or school account

With an organization's Google Account, the administrator can restrict YouTube or turn it off entirely; in that case sign-in works, but videos are unavailable or some features are missing. There is a separate article on this: Restricted Mode and blocked YouTube on a work or school account.