How to remove a channel subscription on YouTube

To stop following a channel on YouTube, go to that channel's page, look for the Subscribed button (it appears in red), and click it. The button will change to Subscribe, and you will no longer receive notifications or see that channel's videos in your subscription feed. The process takes one click and happens instantly.

You can reach any channel by searching for it by name, clicking a video from that creator, or finding it in your subscription list. Once you are on the channel page, the subscription button sits near the top, usually to the right of the channel name and profile picture.

Removing a subscription does not delete your watch history, comments, or likes on that channel's videos. It only stops new uploads from appearing in your feed and turns off notifications about their activity.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the red Subscribed button on any channel page to unsubscribe instantly.
  • You can unsubscribe from the channel page, from your subscription list, or from the notification bell menu.
  • Unsubscribing does not remove your past comments, likes, or watch history on that channel.
  • If you change your mind, you can resubscribe to the same channel at any time.
  • YouTube does not send a notification to the channel creator when you unsubscribe.

Unsubscribe from your subscription list

Open YouTube and click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Subscriptions from the menu. You will see all the channels you follow, organized by how recently they posted.

Hover over any channel tile and a menu icon (three vertical dots) will appear in the corner. Click it and select Unsubscribe. The channel will disappear from your list immediately.

This method is faster if you want to remove several subscriptions at once, since you can see all of them in one place without navigating to each channel individually.

Turn off notifications from a channel without unsubscribing

If you want to keep a subscription but stop getting alerts every time the channel posts, you do not have to unsubscribe. Instead, click the bell icon on the channel page. A menu will appear with three options: All, Personalized, None, or Off (the exact wording varies by device).

Choose None or Off to silence notifications while staying subscribed. You will still see their videos in your subscription feed, but you will not get pop-up alerts or emails. This is useful for channels you like but do not want constant reminders about.

You can change notification settings anytime by returning to the channel and clicking the bell icon again.

Manage subscriptions on mobile

On the YouTube mobile app, tap your profile picture at the top right and select Subscriptions. Find the channel you want to remove, tap the three-dot menu next to it, and tap Unsubscribe.

Alternatively, open the channel page directly, tap the Subscribed button near the top, and confirm the unsubscribe. Both methods work the same way and take effect immediately.

The mobile app works identically to the desktop version — unsubscribing removes the channel from your feed and turns off notifications, but your watch history and comments remain.

What happens to your data when you unsubscribe

YouTube keeps your watch history, likes, and comments on a channel's videos even after you unsubscribe. If you want to remove those records, you must delete them separately through your watch history and activity settings.

To clear your watch history, go to your account settings, select Privacy, and choose Clear all watch history. To remove individual videos from your history, go to Watch history in the menu and click the X next to each video. Neither action affects your subscription status.

The channel creator does not receive a notification when you unsubscribe, and they cannot see who has unsubscribed from their channel.

Resubscribe to a channel you removed

If you change your mind after unsubscribing, you can resubscribe to the same channel anytime by visiting its page and clicking the Subscribe button. You will return to the same notification settings you had before (or the channel's default settings if you do not remember).

Resubscribing does not restore any deleted watch history or comments — those remain deleted if you removed them. It only adds the channel back to your subscription feed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the channel creator know when I unsubscribe?

No. YouTube does not notify creators when someone unsubscribes. Creators can see their total subscriber count over time, but they cannot see which individual viewers have left.

Can I unsubscribe from multiple channels at once?

YouTube does not have a bulk unsubscribe feature. You must remove each subscription individually by clicking the Subscribed button or using the three-dot menu. If you have many channels to remove, the subscription list method is fastest because you can see them all in one place.

Will unsubscribing delete my comments on that channel's videos?

No. Your comments, likes, and watch history remain on the channel's videos. Unsubscribing only stops new uploads from appearing in your feed and turns off notifications. To remove your comments, you must delete them individually from each video.

What is the difference between unsubscribing and turning off notifications?

Unsubscribing removes the channel from your subscription feed entirely. Turning off notifications keeps you subscribed but silences alerts. Choose unsubscribe if you do not want to see their videos anymore; choose notification settings if you want to stay subscribed but receive fewer alerts.

Can I see a list of channels I have unsubscribed from?

YouTube does not provide a list of channels you have unsubscribed from. Once you remove a subscription, it disappears from your subscription list. If you want to resubscribe, you will need to search for the channel by name.