[Updated] In 2024, The Spy's Guide to Unearthing Hidden YouTube Videos

The Spy’s Guide to Unearthing Hidden YouTube Videos

You may have noticed that some videos in your YouTube playlist are unavailable. This is because the platform allows content creators to categorize their videos into public, private, or unlisted based on their preferences.

To help you uncover the content that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, we’ve compiled a detailed guide to show you how to find YouTube hidden videos. We’ve also explained why so many unlisted videos are now labeled as private.

So, let’s get started with our guide without any further delay!

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4 Types of Videos on YouTube

Firstly, let’s learn about the background of the types of YouTube videos. YouTube videos fall into the following four broad categories:

Public Videos: YouTube contains videos on many themes and topics. It makes it impossible to watch all uploaded content under a specific category.

So, whenever you search for a video or theme, a list of content is displayed in the search result: “Public Videos.” It means that they are visible to everyone around the globe (depending on the terms and conditions). Moreover, you can share, like, unlike, download, or add these videos to your playlists for later watching.

Private Videos: Private videos on YouTube can only be seen by people invited by the person who uploaded the video. This means that only those with access to the video’s shareable link can watch it.

Private videos are not visible to the public or to people who are not logged into YouTube. Hence, it is a great way to share sensitive or personal information with a select group.

Unlisted Video Unlisted videos on YouTube are not publicly visible on the site. They can only be seen by people who have the URL. This category works as a bridge between private and public videos. It is accessible only through sharable links without appealing in any YouTube public playlist or search result.

You might upload an unlisted video to YouTube if you do not want everyone to see it. However, you still want to share it with specific people, like your friends or family. You might also use an unlisted video to test out a new idea before making it public on the video-sharing platform.

Age-Restricted Videos: Age-restricted videos on YouTube are not suitable for all audiences. It may contain content that includes violence, profanity, sexual content, and other inappropriate material. YouTube requires that users be at least 18 years old to view these types of videos.

If you search on YouTube and come across an age-restricted video, you will be asked to confirm your age before viewing its content.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos

Now that we’ve learned about the four types of YouTube content, let’s discuss how you can find unlisted YouTube videos:

How To Find Other People’s Unlisted YouTube Videos?

Since unavailable videos in YouTube playlists are hidden from general public viewers, you cannot find them on YouTube or Google search results.

However, the following workaround can help you watch these YouTube videos without facing much trouble:

Step 1: First, open a browser on your PC and visit the Unlisted Videos website. This platform contains over 600,000 unlisted YouTube videos from 2016 and earlier. You can also submit your unlisted video on the site.

Step 2: Use the search bar at the top of your screen to search for other people’s YouTube playlists. You can also click the “All Video” or “Random Videos” option to find the hidden content of a user.

How To See Unlisted Videos on My YouTube Channel?

To see your unlisted videos on your YouTube channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, install the YouTube Studio app on your mobile device or visit its website using a browser on your computer. Next, launch the app and sign in to your channel’s account using your email and password.

Step 2: In the next step, tap/ click the “Content” tab and tap/click the “Funnel” icon at the top of the video list to access the visibility options.

Step 3:

Now, choose the “Visibility” option.
Select “Unlisted” to change the visibility.
Click the “Save” option to apply changes.
See the hidden videos on your channel.

Since YouTube has marked the videos uploaded before 2017 as private as of July 2021, you can find your old unlisted videos under the “Private” list. To access it, choose “Private” as the visibility option.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos with Google

Sometimes, unlisted YouTube videos appear on Google when someone shares the link to them on a public forum or website.

To confirm this, open a browser on your computer or a mobile device, head to the Google website, and search for your query. With some luck, you can find these unlisted YouTube videos in the search results.

You May Want to Know: Why Are So Many Unlisted Videos Now Private?

All unlisted videos uploaded to YouTube before January 2017 were switched to private. Therefore, if you have any older unlisted videos added to your Playlist or embedded on your website, you won’t be able to access them now.

However, the channel’s owner can restore access to the video by switching it back to unlisted or public. If now, the video will be labeled as “Private” indefinitely or until its settings are changed.

Conclusion

In this detailed guide, we’ve explored the four types of videos on YouTube and how to find YouTube hidden videos in three different ways. We’ve also explained why so many videos are now listed as “Private” and inaccessible.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now access the unlisted videos on YouTube without hassle.