The quickest way to sign out of YouTube
To sign out of YouTube, click your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen, then select "Sign out" from the menu that appears. On mobile apps, the process is identical — tap your profile picture and choose "Sign out". YouTube will immediately end your session and return you to the home page without your account information.
If you cannot see a profile picture, you are already signed out. If you see a generic user icon instead of a photo, you are signed in but have not set a profile picture — click it anyway to access the sign-out option.
Key Takeaways
- Click your profile picture in the top right corner and select "Sign out" to end your YouTube session on desktop or mobile.
- Signing out removes your account from that device but does not delete your videos, playlists, or watch history.
- If you share a device, signing out prevents the next person from accessing your recommendations, subscriptions, and saved content.
- On shared computers, use your browser's private or incognito mode instead of signing out if you plan to watch again soon.
- Signing out of YouTube does not automatically sign you out of other Google services like Gmail or Google Drive.
Why you might want to sign out
Sign out when you finish using YouTube on a device you do not own or share with others. Your watch history, recommendations, and subscriptions are tied to your account, so anyone using the device after you can see what you watched and what channels you follow.
Signing out is also a basic security step if you used YouTube on a public computer — at a library, school, or internet café. Even if you close the browser window, your session may remain active if the next person opens YouTube in the same browser.
On your own device, signing out is optional. Many people stay signed in on their personal phone or laptop for convenience. The choice depends on who else has access to the device and whether you care if they see your viewing patterns.
Signing out on desktop or laptop
Open YouTube in any browser and look for your profile picture in the top right corner of the page. If you see a circular image or icon, click it. A dropdown menu will appear with several options, including your email address, "Create a channel", "Settings", and "Sign out" at the bottom.
Click "Sign out". YouTube will clear your session immediately. The page will refresh and show the YouTube home feed without your account information. You can still watch videos and browse, but YouTube will not save your watch history or show personalized recommendations.
If you cannot find the profile picture, scroll to the very top right of the page — it may be hidden behind the browser's own interface on smaller screens. On some older browsers, you may need to refresh the page first to see it.
Signing out on the YouTube mobile app
Open the YouTube app on your phone or tablet. Tap your profile picture in the top right corner — it appears in the same location as on desktop. The same menu will open with your account options.
Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and tap "Sign out". The app will end your session and return you to the home feed. You will remain logged out until you sign back in with your email and password.
On Android devices, you can also sign out through your phone's Settings app. Go to Settings, then Accounts, then Google, then select your account and choose "Remove account". This signs you out of all Google services on that device, not just YouTube.
What happens after you sign out
Your account remains intact. Signing out does not delete your videos, playlists, channel, watch history, or any other data. Everything stays on YouTube's servers under your account name. The next time you sign back in with your email and password, you will see everything exactly as you left it.
YouTube stops showing personalized recommendations based on your viewing habits. Instead, you see trending videos and generic recommendations. Your subscriptions, liked videos, and saved playlists are still there — you just cannot access them without signing back in.
If you signed out on a shared device, the next person who opens YouTube will see a blank slate. They will not see your watch history, recommendations, or subscriptions. If they sign in with their own account, they will see their own data.
Signing out does not affect other Google services
Signing out of YouTube does not automatically sign you out of Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, or other Google products. These services use the same Google account system, but each one maintains its own session.
If you want to sign out of all Google services at once, go to myaccount.google.com, click "Security" in the left menu, scroll down to "Your devices", and select "Manage all devices". From there you can sign out of all active sessions across all devices at once. This is useful if you think someone else has access to your account.
Using private or incognito mode instead of signing out
If you use YouTube on a shared device but do not want to sign out every time, use your browser's private or incognito mode. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Command+Shift+N (Mac). In Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Command+Shift+P (Mac). In Safari, press Command+Shift+N.
Private mode does not save your browsing history, cookies, or login information. When you close the private window, YouTube forgets you were there. You can sign in during the session, but as soon as you close the window, you are automatically signed out and your data is erased from that browser.
This approach is faster than signing out manually if you switch between accounts frequently or use a shared computer. The downside is that you have to sign in again every time you open a private window.
Troubleshooting sign-out problems
If the "Sign out" option does not appear, you may already be signed out. Look for a "Sign in" button instead, usually in the top right corner. If you see a generic user icon rather than a profile picture, click it — the sign-out option should still be there.
If clicking "Sign out" does nothing, try clearing your browser's cookies and cache. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac), select "All time" for the time range, check "Cookies and other site data", and click "Clear data". Then refresh YouTube and try signing out again.
If you are signed in on multiple devices and want to sign out everywhere at once, go to myaccount.google.com on any device, click "Security", scroll to "Your devices", and select "Manage all devices". You can sign out of all sessions from there without touching each device individually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does signing out delete my watch history?
No. Your watch history stays on YouTube's servers under your account. Signing out just prevents YouTube from showing your personalized recommendations on that device. When you sign back in, your full watch history will be there.
Can I sign out of YouTube without signing out of Gmail?
Yes. Signing out of YouTube only ends your YouTube session. You will remain signed into Gmail and other Google services. If you want to sign out of all Google services at once, use myaccount.google.com instead.
What if I forget to sign out on a public computer?
Go back to that computer if you can and sign out manually. If you cannot, go to myaccount.google.com from any other device, click "Security", find "Your devices", and sign out of that specific computer remotely. This ends your session without needing to physically return to the device.
Does signing out protect my account from hackers?
Signing out on a shared device prevents other users from seeing your data, but it does not protect your account from hackers. If someone has your password, they can sign back in. To protect your account, use a strong unique password and enable two-factor authentication in your Google account settings.
Can I sign out of YouTube on my smart TV?
Yes, but the process varies by TV model. On most smart TVs, go to Settings, find Accounts or Users, select your Google account, and choose "Sign out" or "Remove account". Some TV models may require you to go through the YouTube app itself — open YouTube, find Settings, and look for a sign-out option there.