YouTube is arguably the most popular online video-sharing and social media platform in recent years. However, the site has made various content policy changes, particularly leaning towards promoting family or child-friendly content. This resulted in some videos being deleted by the creators or YouTube.
But, some users of the platform have asked how to watch deleted YouTube videos. This guide will show you the steps to watch deleted YouTube videos with URL and if it’s possible to download deleted YouTube videos.
Read this guide to learn more.
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Is it Possible to Watch Deleted YouTube Videos?
Yes. Although YouTube hasn’t put out an official way to watch removed or deleted videos, there are still some workarounds that you can do to view them. When a video gets deleted from YouTube, it’s not actually “deleted” from the platform; instead, you can still find them from archiving sites and databases.
How to Find the URL of Deleted YouTube Videos
When trying to find and watch a deleted YouTube video, having its URL is necessary. A Uniform Resource Locator or URL helps your browser quickly find any webpage on the Internet. Here are two workarounds you can try to find the URL of a deleted YouTube video:
Method #1: Finding the URL via Your Watch History
If you’re trying to re-watch a YouTube video that just got deleted a while ago, you may find it on your YouTube account’s watch history. However, this will only work when you’re logged into your account while watching the video and you’ve allowed YouTube to track your watch history.
To find the URL of a deleted YouTube video via your watch history, follow the steps below:
- Go to YouTube and ensure that you’re logged in to your account.
- Select your profile avatar and choose the History tab on the left pane.
- Choose Watch History and find the deleted video.
- Once found, select it and copy its URL found in the address bar of your browser.
Method #2: Find the URL Through Your Saved Playlists or Liked Videos
Another way to track the URL of a deleted video on YouTube is through your saved playlists and liked videos on the platform. It could be a playlist that you’ve personally created or one that you’re actively following. Also, if you’ve liked the deleted video, it will be listed along with other videos you’ve liked on YouTube.
To find your playlists on YouTube, log in to your YouTube account and select Library in the left pane. Your saved playlists will be listed in the Playlists group. You can find your liked videos on the platform by clicking the Liked videos tab on the left pane.
How to Watch Deleted YouTube Videos With URL
Once you’ve found the URL of the deleted YouTube video you want to watch, here are some methods you can try to view them even when removed. Remember to review each method and check which one you think is the most effective:
Method #1: Via the Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a great database when looking for digital archives. Founded by the nonprofit organization the Internet Archive, it works by letting users view an archived version of a URL in a specific date range.
To view deleted YouTube videos using the Wayback Machine, proceed to these steps:
- Open your computer’s default browser and visit archive.org.
- Copy the URL of the deleted YouTube video you want to watch and paste it onto the field. Click Browse History.
- Select a date range when you know that the video is still online.
- Once found, you can play it directly or download it once the video doesn’t play.
Method #2: Find the Video Using Google Search Operators
One quick way to do a targeted search for a deleted YouTube video is by Google Search Operators, specifically using the “cache:” operator on Google search. To do this, visit Google and type in the prefix cache: followed by the URL of the deleted YouTube video. This allows you to view a cached version of the video URL, which may end up online.
If it doesn’t work, you can try searching the video ID of the deleted YouTube video; this can be found on the last segment of the video’s URL, starting with the “v=…” followed by a string of numbers and letters. You can use this to find other video versions, which may be posted or shared on sites other than YouTube, like Facebook, Dailymotion, Reddit, etc.
Method #3: Contact YouTube Support
If you’re trying to recover deleted videos from your own YouTube channel after a hacking incident, or they were just deleted unintentionally, try contacting the YouTube Help Center to get assistance in finding and recovering those videos.
Make sure to explain in detail what happened and enumerate all deleted videos, if possible. Also, it’s ideal to contact the support team immediately so they can take action.
Final Thoughts
YouTube has been one of the most popular destinations on the Internet when finding various content, like vlogs, music, documentaries, tutorials, and much more. However, some videos may be deleted due to content policy violations, removed by the channel creator, and other undisclosed reasons.
Hopefully, this guide helps you know more about the effective methods to watch deleted YouTube videos.