Update March 2019: This process still works, but with the shutdown of consumer Google+ on April 2, 2019, there are only Brand Accounts, not Google+ Pages. I have updated the text to refer to "Google Account" instead of "Google+ Profile" and "Brand Account" instead of "Google+ Page".
Don’t want to comment on YouTube with your real name? Or is your channel connected to the wrong Google Account or Brand Account? Now you can move your YouTube channel to a different Google identity.
New! YouTube has just launched a channel transfer tool that allows you to move your YouTube channel to or from a Brand Account.
YouTube Help Center: Move YouTube channel to Brand Account
- What is (and isn’t) transferred along with your channel?
- Your account must be the owner of both the source and destination Google Account or Brand Account
- > Transfer your channel to a Brand Account owned by a different account
- > Transfer your channel from one Google Account to a different Google Account
- The transfer process:
- Sign in as the owner of the YouTube channel you want to transfer
- Open your channel’s Advanced Account Settings (www.youtube.com/account_advanced)
- Select the option to transfer your channel (www.youtube.com/account_transfer_channel)
- Re-enter your Google account password
- Review your current channel details
- Scroll down to see the list of destination Brand Accounts
- Select a destination Google Account or Brand Account
- If the destination Google Account or Brand Account Profile is already connected to a channel, delete it
- Move your channel
What is (and is not) transferred along with your YouTube channel?
Your channel and its contents will be transferred, but any comments or messages will stay with the source Google Account or Brand AccountWhat will be transferred along with your YouTube channel:
- uploaded videos
- playlists, favorites and likes
- subscriptions
- subscribers
- legacy username
- custom URL set after November 2014
- channel name and profile photo/channel icon
- comments posted after November 2013
- sent and received private messages
- automated filter community settings
You must the owner of both source and destination Brand Accounts
To transfer your YouTube channel from one Google identity to another, you must be signed in as the owner of both the source and destination Google Account and Brand Account(s).- Not sure whether you are the owner? You can figure out which account is the owner in the Brand Account s manager settings.
- Open your Brand Account list at myaccount.google.com/brandaccounts
- Click the Brand Account name to open the Details page
- On the Brand Account's Details page click Manage Permissions
- The Brand Account's Managers and Owners are listed. You can move your cursor over the name to see their email address.
What if the the destination Brand Account is owned by a different account?
If you want to transfer your YouTube channel to a Brand Account that is owned by a different Google account, you have two options:
- you can transfer ownership of the destination Brand Account to the same account that owns your YouTube channel
- if your YouTube channel is on a Brand Account, you can transfer ownership of the YouTube channel-connected Brand Account to the account that owns the destination Google+ Page or Profile
How can I transfer my channel from one Google Account to a different Google Account?
A Google account can only be associated with one Google+ Profile. Moving a YouTube channel from one Google Account to a different Google Account requires an intermediary Brand Account for the transfer process.1. You will first need to create a Brand Account for your YouTube channel:
- Sign in to YouTube channel
- Open www.youtube.com/channel_switcher
- Click + Create a new channel
- Follow the steps to create a new channel with a Brand Account
Note that you will have to agree to replace the new channel on the new Brand Account. Make sure you are replacing the correct channel, as deleted channels cannot be recovered.
3. After 24 hours you can transfer ownership of the Brand Account to the destination Google Account.
4. Sign in to the destination account and repeat the transfer process, this time from the Google+ Page to the destination Google Account
5. Once the transfer is complete, and your YouTube channel is no longer connected, you can delete the Brand Account
How to transfer your YouTube channel from one Brand Account to another Brand Account or Google Account
1. Sign in to YouTube as the owner of the channel you want to transfer.
You may need to switch channel identities by clicking your avatar in the upper right corner, or by going to “All my channels” (www.youtube.com/channel_switcher)2. Open your channel’s advanced settings
To open your YouTube channel's Advanced Settings- click your avatar in the upper right corner
- click the gear icon
- click “Advanced”
3. Select the option to transfer your YouTube channel
If you do not see the option to transfer your channel, you are likely not signed in as the Owner.
Move channel to your Google Account or a different Brand Account
If you are signed in as Owner of a Brand Account-connected channel it will state "You're the owner of this channel and the connected Brand Account", and you should be able to proceed.
If you are signed in as the Manager of the Brand Account-connected channel you will need to sign in with the Owner Google account. The "Move channel" link will be grayed out.
You may also see an error message. You will need to sign in to YouTube with the Google account that owns the channel.
4. Re-enter your Google account password.
Note: it's good practice to always sign out of your account when you step away from your computer. And never share your account login details.
and below that a list of Brand Accounts and Google Accounts that already have a YouTube channel.
Yes, I have too many Brand Accounts.
If you do not see the Brand Account you want to move your channel to in either list, you are not signed in as an owner of your destination Brand Account. You will have to transfer ownership of that Brand Account - at least temporarily - to complete the transfer process.
If you want to transfer your channel from one Google Account to a different Google Account, you will have to use a Brand Account as an intermediary.
March 2019: Note that this currently incorrectly shows the "after move" channel icon as the same as the current channel icon. The channel icon will actually change.
Check the details before completing the transfer!
Note that while a legacy username will be transferred along with your channel, the custom URL will stay with the original Google Account or Brand Account. Even if you delete that custom URL, you will not be able to add it back after transferring your channel.
5. Review the details shown about your channel
You will see details about your channel and the current Brand Account or Google Account it is connected to. Review those details to make sure that you are transferring the correct channel.- legacy username, if set
- channel name
- number of uploads, subscribers and playlists
- custom URL, if set
6. Scroll down to see the destination list
You will see a list of the available Brand Accounts that you Own, and that do not have a channeland below that a list of Brand Accounts and Google Accounts that already have a YouTube channel.
If you do not see the Brand Account you want to move your channel to in either list, you are not signed in as an owner of your destination Brand Account. You will have to transfer ownership of that Brand Account - at least temporarily - to complete the transfer process.
If you want to transfer your channel from one Google Account to a different Google Account, you will have to use a Brand Account as an intermediary.
7. Select the destination Brand Account or Google Account
If you click on an Available Brand Account you will then see a confirmation screen showing the details of your channel after the transfer.
Check the details before completing the transfer!
Note that while a legacy username will be transferred along with your channel, the custom URL will stay with the original Google Account or Brand Account. Even if you delete that custom URL, you will not be able to add it back after transferring your channel.
8. Delete the YouTube channel connected to your destination Brand Account
If you click on a Brad Account that is already connected to a YouTube channel, you will be given the option of deleting that channel to complete the transfer.A confirmation screen will appear that lists the number of videos, playlists and comments that will be permanently deleted along with the channel. Click the channel's URL to view it.
9. Click the Move channel button to complete the process
Your channel will immediately be transferred.Note that you may not be able to access your channel for up to 72 hours after transfer. Don't panic! If you are still having trouble accessing your channel after 72 hours, please report the issue in the official YouTube Help Forum.
Be sure to update links to your channel's custom URL in your promotional material!
What are the alternatives for changing your YouTube channel identity?
If you cannot transfer your channel to a different Brand Account there are alternatives for changing your YouTube identity.- change the name on your Google Account or Brand Account (start from YouTube)
- create a new YouTube channel and Brand Account
- add a YouTube channel to an existing Brand Account
Peggy, you are such a great resource! Thanks so much for this article. I am worried about view count transfers, however. If I move my YouTube channel from my Google+ profile to a Google+ page, will my overall view count, as well as the view counts for my individual videos, be transferred over?
ReplyDeleteKristin: sorry for the delayed response. Yes all your view counts will move with your videos.
DeleteKristin: your channel's view counts should transfer along with your channel and videos. The only things that do not transfer are Google+ based: channel icon, channel name, private messages, the comments you have made, and new-style custom URL.
ReplyDeleteWorked beautifully! Like a charm! You are a Godsend! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThat's great Jill! Glad it worked for you.
DeleteThanks so much for your great article. If the google plus name is You Have Chosen Remember. But the Google plus custom URL is YouHaveChosentoRememberOneness – can the new youtube url just have YouHaveChosentoRemember? Also, it seems like Google is putting out conflicting information about which comments do not get brought over. Is it the comments made BEFORE or AFTER November 2013? Is it all the comments or just the ones that the channel owner added via Google Plus? Are you sure this can be reverted to the old name (and comments) if something doesn't work well (ex. important comments are lost) Again, thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer: the YouTube custom URL is going to be the same as the Google+ custom URL - if you have plus.google.com/+YouHaveChosentoRememberOneness
DeleteThe YouTube channel connected to that Google+ will be:
www.youtube.com/c/YouHaveChosentoRememberOneness
Regarding comments: If the comments are Google+ based comments made after November 2013, then they will stay with the original Google+ Page when you move your channel. If the comments were made before November 2013, they should stay with your channel.
As far as I know, you can move your channel back to the original Google+ and it should be restored, but I cannot guarantee 100% that will work.
Hi Peggy
ReplyDeleteDoes it transfer all the comments made by viewer to the new Google + Page ?
Yes all the comments in the video should nice with the video. However any comments you posted before moving your channel will still be linked to the old identity.
DeletePeggy - a few days ago I have transferred my YouTube channel connected to my google plus profile to a google plus business page. Now I can not find videos - my both accounts are empty even though there is one showing my videos and subscriptions. Can I undo the changes or my videos are lost?
DeleteHi Peggy. A few days ago I transferred my YouTube channel connected to my google plus profile to a business google plus page. Now my videos are gone even though there is an account showing them when I sign into YouTube. Why? Can I undo the changes?
DeleteDmitri: could you share one of your video URLs? If the video are visible, you should be able to access your channel.
DeleteWill this get rid of the old /user/nickname URL?
ReplyDeleteI set up a custom URL (using my real name) but the channel still displays the ugly ass nickname I choose when I was 14: /user/dark515rogue
Hi Patrick, yes, that's currently the case. If you have an old /user/ URL, YouTube may display that in the browser address bar. And even if you do not, YouTube may display the /channel/ URL instead. People only see the new custom URL in the address bar when following a link to your channel.
DeleteHi there, so I'm a bit confused with the comments thing. Will my youtube comments be deleted? Or just comments I made or someone else made on my google+ account?
ReplyDeleteDaniel: your post-November 2013 comments remain back on the original Google account. Best I can tell, the comments stay there, but link to the Google+ for that Google identity, since there is no longer a channel.
DeleteDo your video views transfer when you perform an account transfer?
ReplyDeleteKrissy: Yes, your videos and playlists transfer along with your channel.
DeleteIf I move my youtube channel to a google brand will the share link addresses change? I have many things linked back to my videos.
ReplyDeleteWhen you move your channel, all the video URLs stay the same. Also the /channel/ URL and any old /user/ URL (if your channel has one) stay the same. The only URL that changes is the Google+ based /c/ URL.
DeleteHi, this is similar to a problem I'm now having. I moved moved my YouTube page to a brand account and now all my post 2013 comments have disappeared along with my "watch history", this is STILL the case when I link my YouTube page back to my old Google+ account. I've also now checked my notifications (for my old Google+ account) and everything before I linked my YouTube page to a different account is gone.
ReplyDeleteI think it's unbelievable that Google doesn't clearly warn people of this.
If I transfer my channel will it give me another chance to change my custom URL. Turns out another channel has the same name as I do and I need to change my channel name and custom URL.
ReplyDeleteWhether your custom URL will move with your channel depends exactly when and how it was added. I recommend contacting YouTube Creator support directly if you have that option, and ask them if that would work for your channel: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3545535
Deletemy youtube channel monitization disabled and as well adsense due to invalid click activity. when i click Move channel to Brand Account youtube page pop up and say..
ReplyDeleteYour channel can't be moved because monetization on this account has been disabled
plz help me with that
Thank you brother for this amazing write up. Please I'd like you to do me a favour. How did you make this page click and follow?
ReplyDeleteWhat I am referring to is, the HEADLINES, when I click, it will take me down the page to another article.
How please?
Do you mean the table of contents at the top of the article? I added that HTML manually. I first wrote the article with the headlines.
DeleteThen, in the HTML I added id="keyword" like this:
<h4 id="delete">
8. Delete the YouTube channel connected to your destination Google+ Page</h4>
In the table of contents, I link to that heading by adding #keyword to the URL.
Like this:
<a href="http://www.peggyktc.com/2015/03/transfer-youtube-channel-google-plus.html#delete">If the destination Profile or Page is already connected to a channel, delete it</a>
I had to do it all manually.
Hi Peggy, thanks so much for this article! Because I'm a newbie to YouTube I'm still pretty confused and hoping you can help...I have my main 'Agnes W' account with 1 video and 0 subscribers. I have since then created a branded account 'houseofillusions' with 1 video and 5 subscribers. I would like to move the 1 video + 5 subscribers from the branded account to my original 'Agnes W' account. When I follow the instructions, I do not get a view of what the new channel will look like (like in your steps) and I get a warning that if I proceed the Agnes W channel (with video) will be permanently deleted. If I proceed with this, will the video + subscribers from the branded account merge into my main account (thereby giving me 2 videos under that account now with 5 subscribers?) or will it just override the video content from the main channel with the branded channel content? (Losing the video I have under the 'Agnes W' account)? Hope I explained that right. Any advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Agnes
Agnes: there isn't any way to move just the videos or merge two YouTube channels. If you move the channel you have on your Brand account to your main Google account, it will replace the channel you have there already. That would delete the channel already on your Google account along with its videos.
DeleteThere is a complicated way you can shuffle the channels around to keep both channels, while moving the Brand Account channel to your main Google account:
1. You have two channels:
> Channel 1 on Google account
> Channel 2 on Brand Account A
2. Create a new Brand Account, Brand Account B (you can do that by creating a new channel at http://www.youtube.com/channel_switcher - that channel will be deleted)
Call this Brand Account B
3. Move Channel 1 from your Google Account to Brand Account B
4. Move Channel 2 from Brand Account A to your Google Account
5. (optional) move Channel 1 from Brand Account B to Brand Account A, then delete Brand Account B
However, since you don't have many subscribers yet, it might be easier to just re-upload the videos on your Brand Account channel to your main Google Account channel. That way you don't lose anything.
Peggy, thank you so much for that thorough answer and explanation. I think I may go with your last suggestion. Thank you again, you have been most helpful!!
DeleteAgnes
Hi Peggy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for creating this page, We have 110 subscribers and our channel is over 2 years old. Is there a reason why we are not eligible?
Thanks,
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSBocCra1PAEpXgnau_0btQ
https://www.seekvisa.com.au/
We also have channel art and icon since 2017
seekvisa: do you mean for a custom URL? Custom URLs are usually based on your channel name. Looking at your channel, I would speculate that the name might cause an issue:
Delete* The name is very long, likely longer than a custom URL can be
* The name contains a character that is not a letter or number |
YouTube hasn't provided any guidance about what exactly might prevent an offer of a custom URL, so that is speculation on my part.
You might try changing your channel name to see if that makes any difference. But note that if you do that, you may not be able to change it again for 90 days.
Hi. Total visualization of the channel will be transfered?
ReplyDeleteYour channel, the videos you uploaded, your playlists, your subscribers will all be transferred. The comments you posted and your custom URL will not be transferred.
Delete