Due to a new law in Australia, the minimum age required to sign in to YouTube in Australia is 16. This means that starting on 10 December 2025, users under 16 years old will be automatically signed out from YouTube. This includes any supervised pre-teen and teen accounts. We recognise this has important implications for users, and we encourage you to review your options below.
When signed out, you won’t have access to certain features, including:
- Likes
- Subscriptions
- Private playlists
- Memberships
If you have a YouTube channel, your channel will no longer be visible to other users, and you will not be able to access it, including:
- Uploads
- Comments
- Earning money on YouTube
You can follow the instructions below to download your data and the content you’ve created.
What you can do
Download your data & content
- Go to Google Takeout.
- Under “CREATE A NEW EXPORT,” select the YouTube and YouTube Music checkbox.
- Select Next step.
- Fill out the “Choose file type, frequency & destination” form.
- Select Create export.
Even if you don’t download your data and content, they will be available to you again when you turn 16.
Delete your data & content
We’re continuously working to keep you in control of your privacy and security on YouTube. At any time, you can permanently delete your channel and content, including videos, subscriptions, and search and watch history.
- Go to myaccount.google.com/youtubeoptions.
- Select I want to permanently delete my content.
- Select the options that apply to you.
- Select Delete my content.
Update your location
If you no longer live in Australia and believe that a different location should be associated with your account, you can submit a request to change your region. If you’re using pre-teen supervision, then your family manager — the parent who supervises your account — will need to fill out the form for you.
Sign in when you turn 16
When you turn 16, you will be able to sign in to YouTube again, giving you access to your channel(s), all your uploads, and comments. To re-enable your channel, follow the steps to create a new channel. Once the steps are completed, your old channel will be reinstated.
FAQs
What if I am a co-owner of a channel?
What if my child is using a supervised account?
If your child is under 16, they will automatically be signed out from YouTube and will no longer be using a supervised pre-teen or teen experience on YouTube.
If your child is under 13 and using pre-teen supervision and is signed in on an Android or ChromeOS device, they will not be able to access YouTube at all.