You can delete a YouTube Short you posted, but the process depends on whether you're using your phone or a computer
YouTube Shorts are short vertical videos that live on your channel. Once you post one, you own it and can remove it at any time. The steps are straightforward, but they're slightly different depending on what device you're using. If you delete a Short, it disappears from your channel, your subscribers' feeds, and search results — though YouTube may keep a copy on their servers for a while after deletion.
This guide covers how to delete Shorts from both mobile devices and computers, what happens when you delete one, and how to handle Shorts you didn't post yourself.
Key Takeaways
- On your phone, open the YouTube app, go to your profile, find the Short, tap the three-dot menu, and select delete.
- On a computer, sign into YouTube.com, go to your channel, find the Short in your uploads, click the three-dot menu, and select delete.
- Deleting a Short removes it from public view immediately, but YouTube may retain a copy internally for a limited time.
- You cannot delete Shorts posted by other creators, but you can report them if they violate YouTube's policies.
- If you delete a Short by mistake, you cannot recover it — there is no undo or trash folder.
Deleting a Short from the YouTube mobile app
Open the YouTube app on your phone and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Select "Your channel" from the menu. Scroll down to find the Short you want to delete — it will appear in your uploads section with a vertical thumbnail and a "Shorts" label.
Tap the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the corner of the Short's thumbnail. A menu will appear with several options. Select "Delete" from this menu. YouTube will ask you to confirm — tap "Delete" again to remove the Short permanently from your channel.
The Short will disappear from your channel immediately. Anyone who tries to watch it will see an error message saying the video is no longer available. The deletion is instant on your end, though YouTube's servers may take a few hours to fully remove it from all their systems.
Deleting a Short from YouTube on a computer
Go to YouTube.com and sign into your account. Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select "Create a short" or navigate directly to your channel by clicking "Your channel." Once you're on your channel page, look for the "Videos" tab or scroll to find your uploads section.
Find the Short you want to delete — it will have a vertical thumbnail and may be labeled as a Short. Hover your mouse over the thumbnail to reveal a three-dot menu icon. Click this menu and select "Delete" from the dropdown. YouTube will ask you to confirm the deletion. Click "Delete" again to remove it.
The Short will be removed from your channel and public view right away. Unlike some other platforms, YouTube does not have a trash or recovery folder for deleted videos, so make sure you actually want to delete it before confirming.
What happens after you delete a Short
Once deleted, the Short no longer appears on your channel, in your subscribers' feeds, or in YouTube search results. Anyone with a direct link to the video will see a message saying the video is no longer available. Comments, likes, and views associated with that Short are also removed from public view.
YouTube may keep internal records or backups of deleted content for a limited time as part of their standard data practices, but you have no way to recover the video yourself. If you need the video back, your only option is to re-upload it if you still have the original file.
Deleting a Short does not affect your channel's overall statistics or your ability to post new Shorts. You can delete as many Shorts as you want without any penalty to your account.
Deleting Shorts you didn't post yourself
You cannot delete Shorts posted by other creators, even if they appear on your channel or in your recommendations. YouTube only allows creators to delete their own content.
If a Short violates YouTube's community guidelines — for example, if it contains harassment, misinformation, or inappropriate content — you can report it instead. Click the three-dot menu on the Short and select "Report." Choose the reason the content violates guidelines, and YouTube will review your report. If they agree, they may remove the Short or take action against the creator's account.
Recovering a deleted Short
YouTube does not offer a way to recover deleted Shorts. Once you confirm the deletion, the video is gone from your channel permanently. There is no undo button, no trash folder, and no recovery window — the deletion is final.
If you deleted a Short by mistake and still have the original video file on your phone or computer, you can re-upload it. Open the YouTube app or go to YouTube.com, click the camera icon to create a new video, and upload the file again. You will need to add a title, description, and any other details again, but the video itself can be restored this way.
Troubleshooting: The delete option isn't showing up
If you cannot see the delete option when you tap or click the three-dot menu, check that you are signed into the account that posted the Short. You can only delete Shorts from the account that created them. If you are signed in to a different account, you will not see the delete option.
If you are signed into the correct account and still do not see the delete option, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the YouTube app. Sometimes the menu does not load properly on the first try. If the problem persists, sign out completely, close the app or browser, and sign back in.
On mobile, make sure you are using the official YouTube app, not YouTube Music or another YouTube product. The delete option is only available in the main YouTube app. On a computer, use a standard web browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari — some older browsers may not display the menu correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a Short if I made it private or unlisted?
Yes. Whether a Short is public, unlisted, or private, you can delete it using the same steps. The privacy setting does not affect your ability to delete it. The delete option appears in the three-dot menu regardless of the Short's visibility setting.
Will deleting a Short remove comments people left on it?
Yes. When you delete a Short, all comments, likes, and replies associated with it are removed from public view. People who left comments will no longer see them on the platform, though they may still have notifications about their own comments in their history.
Does deleting a Short hurt my channel's performance?
No. Deleting a Short does not penalize your channel or affect your ability to post new content. YouTube does not reduce your reach or visibility because you removed a video. You can delete as many Shorts as you want without consequences.
What if someone else has a screenshot or saved my Short before I deleted it?
You cannot control what people do with screenshots or saved copies they made before deletion. Once content is posted online, people may capture it. Deleting the original from YouTube removes it from the platform, but it does not remove copies people may have saved elsewhere.
Can I schedule a Short to delete automatically?
No. YouTube does not have a feature to schedule automatic deletion of Shorts or any other videos. You must delete them manually whenever you decide to remove them.