YouTube Unlisted vs Private vs Public Videos: What's the difference?

In our everyday life , while trying YouTube videos we often come across notifications which prompt, "This video is Private or Unlisted" and as a result we cannot play those videos. Moreover , while uploading certain videos sometimes you don't want the whole world to see those videos for this you can change its privacy settings by making it private. But have you ever wondered what private and unlisted videos signify? Or how are private videos different from that of Unlisted Videos? However both have their own roles to play in the YouTube world.

youtube 5000699

So, before bouncing back on the differences between Unlisted and private videos. Let's take a look at the terms like 'private' , 'unlisted' and 'public'.

Public YouTube Videos

Public is the default video setting given on YouTube. If you want your YouTube video to be viewed by everyone then you can change your account's privacy settings to public. Doing this will not only attract more audience on your channel but can also help you in building personal brand and making money through it. 

Moreover,  if you want to flourish your business and make more YouTube subscribers on your channel then you can upload public videos like commercial videos, instructional videos, product review videos and many more.

Private YouTube videos

Private videos are the safest type of videos on YouTube.  If you have set your videos to private, it means that only you and the person you invite is available to access that video, no one else. 

In order to share the video you'll find a share option on the right side of the screen and then you can share with the one you want via email. But if the person wants to forward the mail to someone else; unfortunately it won't work. So in this way your video will remain private.

Most of the teachers use private video for the online classes or for online courses . And it proves to be very useful in that case.

Unlisted YouTube videos

In this case if you make your video unlisted, it means that your video will neither pop up on the search list nor will anyone be able to see that video on your channel either. Only you can watch the videos and can share them with anybody you want. Moreover they can also share it with others. And that's how people can watch that video no one else can in a chain. 

It is also considered very effective for the ones who don't want to show their videos to the public but want to share them with their friends and family members.

Difference between unlisted videos and private videos

Youtube provides these two features to maintain your privacy. Both are very useful in their own way depending on your work .

Here are some main points which make unlisted and private videos different from each other. These differences are as follows:-

  • Both features are unavailable for the public which means no one can view them without your permission. 
  • For "private" video it will appear on your channel yet cannot be playable. But in case of unlisted videos they will be available to anyone in your channel too, if they are able to find the video URL somehow.
  • Private videos, as the name itself means privacy, signifies that no-one can access your videos without your permission only the person to whom you shared through mail will be able to see it. 

On the other hand, Unlisted video will also remain hidden but you can share it by sending the video link to your closed ones. In addition then they can also share your video to their known people . So in this way, your video will continue to be in a  particular chain of people and will remain hidden from others. 

YouTube doesn't allow scheduling of unlisted videos whereas you can schedule private videos if you want to report it as public at any given point of time.

How can you change the privacy setting for your video?

If you want to change the privacy of your video, you first need to log into your YouTube account and then click on the upload icon which is present in the upper right corner for uploading a video.

After you select the video file, YouTube will guide you through the process in which you can choose the visibility of the YouTube video you have uploaded.

YouTube provides you with these three visibility options so that you can filter undesired users and can make your videos highly secure.

Screen Shot 2020 04 09 at 12.36.26

Here is the video walkthrough:

How to Find Unlisted YouTube Videos?

YouTube users have been increasing with leaps and bounds; this platform has been largely popular during the pandemic time. YouTube, though not a social media site but attracts many as these days it has become easier to skim through a video than an article on some topic.

In this article, we will walk you through a new feature that YouTube has launched. This feature is the usage of unlisted videos, and we will let you know how to find them.

What are Unlisted YouTube Videos?

Many of the readers must be familiar with the Private video feature of YouTube. This includes videos that will not come up on Google search results, YouTube search results, or any other platform.

The people you share the URL with will only be able to view it. Private video is viewed by people with whose email address you share the video URL, that is, the people you invite. If the people you share the URL with share it with others, the URL will not work. The owner controls the URL.

Now, we come to talk about the Unlisted videos, this feature also helps you maintain a certain degree of latency. It is not the same as the Private video feature.

In Unlisted YouTube videos, anyone that is shared the URL with or has it can watch the video. In the Unlisted videos, you share the URL in any normal way as you had like and if that person shares it then it will also be visible to the second person.

Like the Private videos, the Unlisted videos will not be visible in the search results, posted on your channel, or appear in your subscriber feed. The Unlisted videos will not come up in the related or recommended video sections but can be commented on by people who have the URL.

Yet, the main difference between the two can be seen in the scheduling domain. If you at some point want to make your Private video public, you can do it by scheduling it for a particular time. You cannot make use of this function with the Unlisted videos. You cannot make the Unlisted videos public, they cannot be scheduled for that.

As mentioned above, both of these features help you have some secrecy and control directly or in some way the traffic being driven to your video. Thus, make sure to pick the one that will suit your needs the best.

Further, if you wish for everyone to use it, you have to follow the usual path. You have to upload your video on YouTube as a Public video so anyone can comfortably find it in the search results or be recommended the video.

How to Upload Unlisted Videos?

Uploading an Unlisted video is a piece of cake. Just follow the simple steps listed below to upload a video as an Unlisted video.

  • Firstly, go to the YouTube page and sign in with your email address.
  • Next, locate an underlined arrow that is placed on the top right corner of the screen.
  • Click on that to go to YouTube Studio.
  • If it is your first time then you will be asked to create a channel.
  • After creating the channel from the left menu select the Videos option.
  • Hover over the video you had liked to update.
  • Select the Live tab and then go to the Visibility option.
  • From the visibility option select whether you want to upload your video as a Public, Private, or Unlisted video.
  • Lastly, click on Save.

Unlisted Videos Can Be Located Without URLs!

Yes, you heard us right!

Though YouTube claims that the videos are not visible to people without the URLs but there are a few ways to view the Unlisted videos on YouTube.

  • The first way is through Google search. We know we earlier said that these videos do not appear on Google searches but mostly do if you know how to search for them. The Unlisted videos on YouTube have this disclaimer - ‘This video is unlisted. Only those with the link can see it’.

To view an Unlisted video, run a Google search that looks like this - site:youtube.com ‘This video is unlisted. Only those with the link can see it’ - inurl:all_comments. The site mentions the place where you want to find something from and inurl means return results for particular. This way you can discover several of the Unlisted videos and watch them.

  • Another way to watch the Unlisted videos is when they get placed in a playlist. It is either an algorithm flaw or a sneaky attempt of YouTube to make you watch that video. If that Unlisted video becomes a part of a playlist then the video becomes visible through both the API and the YouTube website. The video will still have the Unlisted features and not be visible through normal searches on YouTube.
  • The last way to view an Unlisted video is through another website. A website that goes by the name of ‘Unlisted Video’ is a heaven if you want to watch tons of Unlisted YouTube content. Many videos can be found on the site and watched by people who do not have the URL. People can upload their YouTube Unlisted videos on this site or search for it. The website follows some policies and therefore you can find Unlisted videos of celebrities, famous stars in the many fields of entertainment. Finding videos of common people becomes difficult or they might not be there.

The Search Comes to an End

Within a few minutes, you have gained a lot of knowledge about YouTube videos. When it comes to the internet, nothing is private or hidden. There is always a way around.

Public, Private, or Unlisted, there is much content on YouTube to stream. Making a video is as much fun as uploading one, thus, find other people’s Unlisted videos and upload yours too.

If you still can’t find the Unlisted video through the ways mentioned above, then, there is only one other way. Ask the person for the URL.