Verify your identity to use YouTube features

Note: This article does not cover channel verification badges. For more info on verification badges, visit this Help Center article.

YouTube offers many tools and features to help you make the most of your channel. The majority of creators have access to these features, but some features require additional verification to unlock. This additional access criteria makes it harder for scammers, spammers, and other bad actors to cause harm. Only primary channel owners can verify their identity to get access to additional features.

Access intermediate features with phone verification

If you complete phone verification, you'll get access to intermediate features. To get access to advanced features, verify your identity by providing identification.

On a computer, sign in to YouTube Studio.
Click Settings.
Click Channel.
Click Feature eligibility Intermediate features VERIFY PHONE NUMBER.

You’ll be asked to enter a phone number. We’ll send a verification code by text or voice call to that phone number.

Access advanced features with phone and ID/video verification

To access advanced features, you must first complete phone verification, then complete verification using ID or video. You can also wait to build up sufficient channel history.

To access advanced features, start by completing phone verification.

Complete phone verification

On a computer, sign in to YouTube Studio.
Click Settings.
Click Channel.
Click Feature eligibility Intermediate features VERIFY PHONE NUMBER.
You’ll be asked to enter a phone number. We’ll send a verification code by text or voice call to that phone number.

If you don’t complete phone verification, your ID/video verification will be automatically deleted and you will not get access to advanced features.

After completing the phone verification step, the next step is to complete verification using ID or video. You can also wait to build up sufficient channel history.

Complete ID verification

Sign in to YouTube Studio.
Click Settings .
Click Channel.
Click Feature eligibility Advanced features ACCESS FEATURES.
Select Use your valid ID, then click Get email.
- Google will send you an email. You can also scan a QR code instead.
On your phone, open the email and tap Start verification.
Follow the prompts to perform an action, like following a dot, or turning your head.
When your verification video is done uploading, we'll review your video.
- Review usually takes 24 hours. You’ll get an email when it’s approved.

Learn more about how your ID verification data is used.

Complete video verification

Sign in to YouTube Studio.
Click Settings .
Click Channel.
Click Feature eligibility Advanced features ACCESS FEATURES.
Select Use video verification, then click Next and Get email.
- Google will send you an email. You can also scan a QR code instead.
On your phone, open the email and tap Start verification.
Follow the prompts to perform an action, like following a dot, or turning your head.
When your verification video is done uploading, we'll review your video.
- Review usually takes 24 hours. You’ll get an email when it’s approved.

Learn more about how your video verification data is used.

How ID & video verification data is used

ID verification

Once you submit a valid ID (such as a passport or driver's license), we’ll use it to confirm:

Your date of birth
That you haven’t previously been suspended from YouTube

Your ID or video verification will be automatically deleted from your Google Account within 2 years. It’s usually deleted in a few months after you’ve built sufficient channel history, or after 1 year if you haven’t used advanced features. Learn more about how to delete your verification data.

Video verification

A video verification is a short video of a person’s face. We’ll use this video to help us verify:

You're a real person
That you haven't been suspended for violating YouTube's policies

It will also help us protect against fraud and abuse and may improve our verification systems.

Data retention and deletion

You can delete your ID or video verification at any time in your Google Account. Note that if you delete either before you establish your YouTube channel history, you can’t use advanced YouTube features unless you:

Build up your YouTube channel history

Complete ID or video verification again

To ensure individuals or groups don’t evade our restrictions by creating new accounts, we assess whether you may have previously violated YouTube policies and restrict repeat applications. Google may save your ID or your video and facial recognition data for a period of time to protect against abuse.

This data will be retained for a maximum of 3 years from your last interaction with YouTube.

Access advanced features by building channel history

Your channel history data is used to determine whether your content and activity has consistently followed YouTube’s Community Guidelines.

Your channel history is a record of your:

Channel activity (like video uploads, live streams, and audience engagement)
Personal data related to your Google Account
- When and how the account was created
- How often it’s used
- Your method of connecting to Google services

Most active channels already have sufficient channel history to unlock advanced features without any further action required. But, we understand that we sometimes make mistakes, which is why we also offer other verification options for quicker access.

Avoid delays in building channel history:

Violations of YouTube’s Community Guidelines will delay the process. The following behavior is strictly forbidden:

Posting violative content such as sexual, harmful, dangerous, hateful, violent, or graphic content
Harassment, cyberbullying, hateful comments, misleading metadata, spamming, inaccurate reporting, and deceitful practices
Threats and scams
Impersonation, nudity, violating child safety and privacy

Troubleshoot problems

If you get a message saying "Advanced YouTube features aren’t available for this account":
This means that you're signed in to an account where you're not the primary owner. This can happen if you're signed in to an account supervised by a parent, or you're signed in to a Brand Account.
If you get a message saying "Check your browser":
Your browser isn’t compatible. Make sure to update your device to the latest operating system and browser version.
If you get a message saying "ID verification doesn’t work with this phone’s camera":
Your camera isn't compatible. Sign in with a phone that has a full HD rear-facing camera to submit your ID.
If you get a message saying "Another application might be using your camera. Close open apps and try again":
This means that another app is using your camera. Close your open apps and try again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does YouTube ask for my phone number / video verification / valid ID?

YouTube terminates millions of channels per year for violative content and behavior. Many of these channels are created by the same groups and individuals, using or over-using the same kinds of features in an effort to defraud, scam, or abuse viewers, creators, and advertisers. Verifying your identity is one way that we tackle abuse and determine whether you have previously violated our policy and restrict repeat applications.

What do you do with the data from my phone number, valid ID, or video verification?

If you choose to submit a phone number, Google will use it to:

Send you a verification code.

If you choose to submit a video verification, Google will use it to:

Confirm you’re a real person and haven’t been suspended for violating YouTube’s policies
Confirm you’re old enough to use Google services
Improve verification services for Google products and protect against fraud and abuse

If you choose to submit a valid ID, Google will use it to:

Confirm that your ID is current and valid
Verify your date of birth
Check that you haven’t been suspended for violating YouTube’s policies
Improve verification services for Google products and protect against fraud and abuse

If you don’t want to provide an ID or video verification to unlock advanced features, you don’t need to. You can always build sufficient channel history instead. By the time you’re ready to unlock advanced features, you’ll likely have built up sufficient history anyways.

When you use our services, you’re trusting us with your information. We understand this is a big responsibility, and we work hard to protect your information and put you in control. Google’s privacy policy applies here, just as it does for all of our products and features. You can manage the collected data in your Google Account, where you can delete your video verification or valid ID at any time. If you remove your video verification or valid ID before establishing sufficient channel history, you will lose access to advanced features. To regain access, you must build your YouTube channel history or complete ID or video verification again.

Note: We never sell your personal information to anyone.

How can I delete my verification data?

Important: If you delete your ID or video verification before you establish your channel history, you'll lose access to advanced features.

Sign in to your Google Account.
On the left, click Personal info.
Click Identity document or Video verification.
Click Delete .

Learn more about how to delete your verification data.

Why is a smartphone required? Can’t I just upload a video or a picture of my ID?

A smartphone is required because it provides additional security to make it harder for scammers and spammers to cause harm.

I haven't received the verification code on my phone. What’s wrong?

You should get the code immediately. If you haven't, you can request a new code. Make sure you're not running into one of these common problems:

Text message delivery can be delayed. Delays can happen in densely populated areas, or if you don’t have a strong signal. If you've waited more than a few minutes and still haven't received our text message, try the voice call option.
If you've already verified 2 channels with 1 phone number, you must verify a different phone number. To help prevent abuse, we limit the number of channels that can be associated with each phone number.
Some countries/regions and carriers don't support text messages from Google. Most mobile carriers support text messages from Google. If your carrier doesn't support text messages from Google, you can try the voice call option, or use a different phone number.

My valid ID / video verification was rejected. What can I do?

If your first try was rejected, you’ll be notified by email. We recommend you review the tips in your email.

If the second try is unsuccessful, you must wait 30 days before trying either one of the verification methods again. If you think your second video verification should have been approved, you can appeal it and let us know why.

You can also wait and build channel history instead.

How does this work for channels that have multiple users?

If you have a Brand Account:

Only the primary owner of the channel will be eligible to perform identity verification. Depending on their verification status, all users of the channel will have access to the same features as the primary owner.

If you don’t have a Brand Account:

Only the owner of the channel will be eligible to perform identity verification. Depending on their verification status, all users of the channel will have access to the same features as the owner.

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