YouTube Unlisted videos uploaded before 2017 to become Private

Google last month announced that starting on July 23, YouTube Unlisted videos uploaded before 2017 will be made Private.

Unlisted videos are often used for YouTube ads. Unlisted is a setting for videos that can be viewed and shared by anyone with the link to that particular video, but don’t show up in search results or other tabs.

According to Google, any link previously used to embed or share them as Unlisted will no longer work. The Private videos can only be seen by the owner and the people they choose.

Google says the new update is part of new security enhancements that make the links for your Unlisted videos even harder for someone to discover.

YouTube channel owners can out of this change by filling out a form by July 23, 2021 to keep their Unlisted videos uploaded before 2017 in their current Unlisted state.

As an alternative, Google also recommends YouTube channel owners to reupload the older videos as Unlisted.

YouTube videos have 3 states - Private, Unlisted, and Public - and Googles says these 3 states will continue to exist.