YouTube Channel Hacked: What to Do Right Now

Signs your YouTube channel may be hacked

• The channel name, handle, banner or profile picture changed, often to imitate a well-known company or crypto brand.
• Videos were deleted, set to private, or replaced with unfamiliar uploads or live streams promoting giveaways or crypto.
• Google sends security alerts about a new sign-in, a changed password or recovery option that you did not make.
• Unknown people appear under channel permissions in YouTube Studio.
• Your password no longer works or the recovery email or phone changed.
• Your channel was removed by YouTube after the attacker posted content that broke the rules. See our Community Guidelines strike guide if that happened.

Not every odd event is a hack. A copyright claim, a monetization change or a sudden drop in views is usually a policy or reach issue. See the copyright strike guide and the YouTube shadowban guide for those.

What to do, in order

1. Try to sign in to the Google account. If your password still works, change it straight away to a long, unique one. If it does not, use the official Google account recovery and answer the questions with a device and location you normally use.
2. Check the Google security page. Review recent security activity, sign out of every device you do not recognise and look at the recovery email and phone numbers. Remove any you did not add.
3. Turn on 2-Step Verification. A passkey, security key or authenticator app is generally safer than SMS.
4. Review third-party access. Remove apps and sites that have access to your Google account and that you do not recognise or use.
5. Check channel permissions. In YouTube Studio, open Settings and Permissions, and remove any manager, editor or owner you did not invite.
6. Undo the changes. Restore your channel name, handle and branding, and stop any live stream you did not start. Check that your linked AdSense account and payment details are correct.
7. Report what happened. Use the YouTube Help Center to report a hijacked channel, especially if videos were deleted or the channel was impersonated. Follow the current steps it gives you.

Google's YouTube Help Center has the current steps for a hacked channel and may differ slightly from the above.

Secure the email and phone too

If the recovery email or phone number on the Google account is weak or old, an attacker can reset the password again. Secure that email account first or at the same time, and check it for forwarding rules or filters you did not create.

Do not fall for recovery scams

• Anyone who offers to "recover" a hacked channel for a fee is a scammer, and some are the hackers themselves. YouTube does not sell recovery.
• Do not send your password, a verification code or an ID photo to anyone who contacted you first, including accounts that claim to be YouTube or Google support.
• Be careful with emails about a "copyright violation", "channel verification" or a sponsorship that attach a file or link to a login page. Many channel takeovers start with a fake collaboration offer that installs malware or steals your session.
• Do not download files from unknown brand deals. Open the YouTube or Google site yourself by typing the address.

If you earn money from the channel

Check the AdSense account linked to the channel for changed payment details or payout settings. If money was redirected, contact Google about the payment and your bank if needed, and keep records of dates, screenshots and emails.

After you get it back

• Keep 2-Step Verification on, and use a password manager so every account has a unique password.
• Give team members the lowest role they need rather than sharing the login.
• Scan your computer for malware if the hack began with a downloaded file.
• Use the same habits on your other accounts. Our Instagram, TikTok and Facebook hacked account guides cover them.

This guide is general information based on platform help pages and user reports, not an official statement from the platform. Rules and timings change, so check the platform's own notice and Help Center. Never pay anyone who promises to unban an account, and never share passwords, codes or ID with them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my YouTube channel was hacked or just glitching?

Strong signs are Google security alerts about changes you did not make, unknown channel managers, or a renamed channel with deleted videos. A single odd metric or a drop in views is more often a reach issue than a hack.

Can YouTube recover a hacked channel?

Often yes, if you can regain control of the Google account or show it is yours through the official routes, but there is no guarantee. Results depend on what contact details are still attached and what can be verified.

Should I pay someone to get my channel back?

No. Offers to recover a channel for money are scams. Only Google and YouTube can restore access, and they do not charge for this.

Will I lose my subscribers and videos?

If you regain control quickly, the subscribers and remaining videos are usually still there, but deleted videos may be hard or impossible to restore. Check YouTube Studio and the Help Center for what can be recovered.

Could the hacker get me a strike or ban?

It is possible if they upload content that breaks the rules. If that happens, explain in an appeal that the channel was hijacked, using the official appeal option in YouTube Studio or the notice.