# How to Recover a YouTube Account (Locked Out or Hacked)

> How to recover a YouTube account: use Google account recovery, secure a hacked account, restore your channel via YouTube Help and avoid recovery scams.

Canonical: https://scheduleforyou.com/blog/how-to-recover-youtube-account
Last updated: 2026-10-23

Category: YouTube. 

To recover a YouTube account, recover the Google account it belongs to. Go to Google's account recovery page at [accounts.google.com/signin/recovery](https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery), enter your email or phone number and follow the steps. If your channel was hacked, secure the Google account first, then use the hacked-channel troubleshooter in [YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube) to report the takeover and restore your channel.

If your channel is on a Brand Account, you need to get back into a Google account that is an owner of it. Everything below uses official Google and YouTube routes only.

## Quick answer: what to do in your situation

| Situation | What to do first |
| --- | --- |
| Forgot your password | Google account recovery |
| Lost your phone or 2-Step Verification method | Google account recovery, using a backup code or "Try another way" |
| Hacked, but you can still sign in | Change your password and run Google's Security Checkup, then use YouTube's hacked-channel help |
| Hacked, and you're locked out | Google account recovery, then YouTube's hacked-channel help |
| Channel is on a Brand Account and you lost access | Recover a Google account that owns it, or ask another owner to re-add you |
| Channel was terminated | Appeal through YouTube's official appeal process |
| Google account was deleted | Try Google account recovery quickly; recent deletions can sometimes be restored |

## First: a warning about recovery scams

People who lose a channel are prime targets for scams. Be suspicious of anyone who contacts you offering to get it back.

- **Never pay a "recovery service."** No outside company, "YouTube insider" or hacker can bypass Google's recovery process for you.
- **Never share your password, verification codes or backup codes.** Google and YouTube staff won't ask for them.
- **Ignore DMs and comments** that claim to be from YouTube support. Official help lives at support.google.com/youtube.
- **Don't sign in through links** in unexpected emails. Type the address yourself.

Timing varies for every recovery and appeal, and no one can guarantee a result or a date.

## Step 1: Recover your Google account

1. Go to [accounts.google.com/signin/recovery](https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery).
2. Enter the email address or phone number linked to the account.
3. Answer the questions as fully as you can. If you're asked for the last password you remember, give your best guess rather than skipping it.
4. Use a device and location you've signed in from before, such as your usual laptop on your home Wi-Fi. This helps Google confirm it's you.
5. Enter the codes sent to your recovery phone or recovery email.
6. If you don't have access to an option, click **Try another way** to see the alternatives.
7. Once you're in, create a new, strong password you haven't used anywhere else.

If recovery fails, wait a while and try again from a familiar device, with as many accurate answers as possible. Google's automated recovery is the only route for most personal accounts.

### If you lost your 2-Step Verification phone

Use a backup code if you saved one, or another second step you set up, such as a security key or a prompt on another signed-in device. If none of those are available, go through the account recovery flow above.

## Step 2: Secure your Google account

Getting back in isn't the end. If someone else had access, close every door they might have left open.

1. **Run Google's Security Checkup** at myaccount.google.com and fix every warning.
2. **Sign out of unknown devices** under **Security → Your devices**.
3. **Check recovery info.** Remove any phone number or email you don't recognize, and add your own.
4. **Review third-party access** under **Security → Your connections to third-party apps & services** and remove anything you don't recognize.
5. **Check Gmail** for forwarding rules, filters or delegated access you didn't create.
6. **Turn on 2-Step Verification**, ideally with a passkey or security key, which resists phishing better than text messages.

## Step 3: Restore your YouTube channel

Once the Google account is secure, deal with what happened to the channel itself. Hijacked channels are often renamed, used to stream scams, or have their videos deleted.

1. Go to [YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube) and search for help with a hacked channel.
2. Follow YouTube's hacked-channel troubleshooter. It asks what happened and guides you through securing the account and reporting the takeover.
3. If prompted, submit the request to YouTube while signed in with the recovered account.
4. YouTube may be able to reverse changes the attacker made, such as a changed channel name, uploaded videos or removals. What can be restored depends on the case.

Meanwhile, check YouTube Studio for:

- **Videos uploaded or deleted** by the attacker. If videos are missing, see [how to find deleted YouTube videos](https://scheduleforyou.com/blog/how-to-find-deleted-youtube-videos).
- **Channel name, handle, picture and links** that were changed.
- **Live streams** scheduled by someone else.
- **Channel permissions** (Settings → Permissions) for people you didn't invite.
- **Your AdSense account**, if you're monetized, for changed payment details. Our guide to [when YouTube starts paying you](https://scheduleforyou.com/blog/when-does-youtube-start-paying-you) explains how AdSense payments work.

### If the channel was terminated while it was hacked

Hacked channels are sometimes terminated because of what the attacker posted. Mention the hack when you go through the hacked-channel flow or YouTube's appeal process so the takeover can be taken into account.

## Brand Account channels: recovering ownership

Many channels sit on a Brand Account, which can have several owners and managers, each signing in with their own Google account.

### If you were removed as an owner or manager

1. Ask the **primary owner** or another owner to re-add you through the channel's permissions in YouTube Studio, or at myaccount.google.com/brandaccounts.
2. If the attacker removed every legitimate owner, recover the Google account that was the primary owner (Step 1), then use YouTube's hacked-channel help (Step 3).

### If you are the primary owner

After you're back in, review everyone with access and remove anyone you don't recognize. Google applies a waiting period before a newly added owner can become primary owner, which helps protect against quick takeovers.

### Use roles instead of shared passwords

Give editors and managers their own access through YouTube Studio permissions instead of sharing a password. You can remove a person's access without changing anything for everyone else.

## Deleted and terminated channels

- **Deleted Google account:** if it was deleted recently, Google may let you restore it through account recovery. After a period of time, deletion is permanent.
- **Hidden channel:** if you hid your channel, you can restore it by signing in and creating your channel again with the same account.
- **Deleted channel:** deleting a channel permanently removes its content. It can't normally be undone.
- **Terminated channel:** appeal through YouTube's official process. YouTube explains the reason in an email and in YouTube Help; timing varies.

## Reconnect your apps after recovery

Changing your password and signing out other sessions disconnects apps that publish on your behalf. If you schedule uploads with Schedule For You ([how YouTube publishing works](https://scheduleforyou.com/youtube)), its failed-post alert will prompt you to reconnect: open the **Accounts** screen and reconnect YouTube so scheduled videos can publish again. Remove any app connection in your Google account you don't recognize.

## How to prevent it happening again

| Risk | Prevention |
| --- | --- |
| Fake sponsorship emails with "software" or attachments | Don't download or run files from unknown senders; review offers inside a browser only |
| Phishing sign-in pages | Use a password manager, which won't fill in passwords on fake sites |
| Stolen passwords from other sites | Use a unique password for your Google account |
| Text-message codes intercepted | Use a passkey or security key |
| Shared logins on a team | Use YouTube Studio permissions and Brand Account roles |
| Outdated recovery details | Check your recovery phone and email every few months |

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I recover my YouTube account without my email or phone number?

Sometimes. Go through Google account recovery and answer as accurately as you can from a familiar device and location. Without a recovery phone or email, it's harder for Google to confirm ownership, and recovery isn't guaranteed.

### How long does YouTube account recovery take?

It varies. Google account recovery can be quick if you have your recovery details, but can take longer if Google needs more checks. Requests about hacked channels also vary, and neither Google nor YouTube guarantees a timeline.

### Can YouTube support recover my channel for me?

YouTube can help restore a hacked channel through its hacked-channel help flow, but you must first recover the Google account yourself. No one at YouTube can bypass Google's account recovery.

### Can I recover a deleted YouTube channel?

A hidden channel can be restored, and a recently deleted Google account may be recoverable. A channel you permanently deleted can't normally be brought back.

### Someone offered to recover my channel for a fee. Is it legitimate?

No. Paid recovery services and "account hackers for hire" are scams that often steal money, passwords or the channel itself. Use only Google account recovery and YouTube Help.

## Related

- [All guides](https://scheduleforyou.com/blog)
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