The only video streaming platform in the social media industry for so long, YouTube has really come a long way.
To become a connoisseur of a newbie, we’ve all seen tutorials for what’s not on the platform. And the two things that come to mind for finding information on anything are: Google or YouTube.
But what if you want to search for something and the corresponding videos are private? That must be a problem.
So if you don’t want to be confronted with the image given above on YouTube again, keep reading. In this article, we’ll discuss why you can’t view private videos on YouTube and how you can watch them with or without the owner’s permission. Without further ado, let’s get to the heart of the matter!
Why can’t we watch private videos on YouTube?
Some YouTubers set their privacy settings to private. So users can only watch private videos if the link of the channel or videos is shared. Private videos do not appear in search results because they cannot be viewed, nor will they appear as a recommended video. Additionally, subscribers will not be notified when private videos are uploaded. You can watch an unlisted video if someone shares the link with you, but to access a private video, you must contact its owner and ask permission to watch it. Any private YouTube video can only be watched by a user who has received permission from the uploader or channel owner on the video’s setup page. It can also help business profiles to publish their videos in advance, which is very useful during an election campaign. Going public can be done at just the right time and can be considered a good strategy.
How to watch private videos on YouTube?
There are a few ways through which you can stream private videos on YouTube. So we offer you easy to understand methods that can help you.
With access or permission
It’s easy to watch the videos on YouTube thanks to the permission of the channel owner or YouTuber:
- Get in touch with the owner of the video and ask- him to send you the link to the video you want to watch.
- If he replies and sends you the link, you can watch the video.
However, sometimes even after getting the link, we face problems watching the private video. This may be due to the following reasons:
- Make sure you have a valid and genuine YouTube account.
- You have more than one account on YouTube.
- The video may only open with a special link that must be shared by the owner.
Without access or permission
Follow the steps given below to watch private videos on YouTube without the permission of the channel owner or YouTuber:
- Go to the private video you want to watch.
- Delete delete watch? of its URL.
- The result will then be something like this: https://www.youtube.com/v=rhRTe5UbYTR
- Now press the Enter key.
Using this method will unlock the private video, and you can watch it in full window without logging in.
Note: The steps mentioned above may not work for all users.
Steps to watch private videos without logging in
If you have watched videos before and they are now marked as private, follow the steps given below:
- Use a utility named VideoCacheView to get the video that was downloaded to your cache.
- Then the video will be transformed into a format such as Мреg-Dаsh.
- Then use a software named GРАС to convert the video to МР4 format.
- Using Video Сасhе View utility, you can рlау thе сасhеd version оf thе рrіvаtе video.
Apart from the above-mentioned methods, you can also try using YouTube video download sites.
To share a private video on YouTube privately, you can do it easily by sharing the link via email. Follow the steps given below on how to do this:
- Go to your profile icon on YouTube.
- Select YouTube Studio.
- Then select Content from the menu on the left side of the page.
- Go to the video you want to share and press its privacy option (Private, Public or Unlisted).
- Tap on the down arrow of the selected option, and you will see the option Share privately.
- Then tap on this option and enter the email address of the user you want to share the video with, check the Notify by email box and tap on OK.
- You will be notified who you shared the video with and then save the changes by tapping Save.
Now your video’s privacy settings will not be affected by sharing the video privately with another user.
Private, public and unlisted videos on YouTube
When uploading a video on YouTube, the user has the option to change the privacy settings of this video to Private, Public or Unlisted.
- Private – This means that only people you have invited can view the video, and it will not appear in search results or in your recommended video lists. Users must have their own YouTube account logged in, and the maximum number is 50 usernames. If you try to share it with someone who hasn’t been invited, they won’t be able to see it or connect to it.
- Public – This is the default setting, which means anyone can see your video. It appears in recommended videos and search results and anyone in the public can see it.
- Unlisted – Unlisted means your video will not appear in search results or on your channel. Only selected people who have the link can see it. You can share the link with anyone, even those who don’t have a YouTube account/username. This type of video can still be seen by anyone, but only if they get the link.
Note: Even if your video is already uploaded, you can still change the privacy settings of each video and permanently delete your videos. Go to your video manager, in the drop-down menu, and modify the privacy settings of your choice.
In addition, YouTube offers many features that most of us are probably unaware of, such as the ability to see who is watching our YouTube videos and many more.
FAQ
Answer: Yes, a private video on YouTube can be shared privately by following the steps in the article above.
Answer: To view the video shared by the video owner via email, the guest needs to complete one simple step: Click on the thumbnail of the three dots shown in the email. And that’s all.
