Yes, it is possible to see your previously saved playlists on YouTube even if you have cleared or deleted them. YouTube keeps record of all playlists you have created and saved over time. So with a few easy steps, you can recover and access playlists you have saved in the past.
Finding your YouTube viewing history
The easiest way to see your past saved playlists is to look at your full YouTube viewing history. This contains a record of all the videos you have watched and playlists you have created or saved over time on YouTube.
To see your full YouTube viewing history:
- Go to your YouTube account settings
- Click on “History & privacy”
- Under “Viewing history” click on “See full history”
This will show your entire YouTube viewing history in chronological order. Playlists you have saved in the past will be mixed in with individual videos.
Searching for deleted playlists
You can also search directly for playlists you may have deleted. Even if you delete a playlist, it leaves a record that you can find.
To search for a deleted playlist:
- Go to YouTube and click on the search bar
- Search for the name of the deleted playlist or any video that was in it
- Scroll down and click on “Playlists” below the search bar
This will show all playlists matching your search, including deleted playlists you have saved in the past. You can select any of them to see the full playlist and recover it.
Finding playlists you have saved
You can also see all playlists you have ever saved or added videos to in the past. Even if you have cleared your account or deleted playlists, YouTube still keeps a record of them tied to your account.
To see all playlists you’ve saved before:
- Go to your YouTube account
- Under “Playlists” click on “See all playlists”
- Click on “Sort by” and select “Last added”
This will show all playlists you have created or added videos to, with the most recently modified ones on top. Scroll down to go back chronologically through your playlist save history.
Recovering cleared or deleted playlists
Once you find your old playlist via search or your YouTube history, you can recover or save it again if you want access.
To recover a cleared or deleted playlist:
- Click on the playlist name or thumbnail image
- Click the “Save” button to save it again
- Access the saved playlist from your account playlists
This will save the playlist again under your account, allowing you full access as if you had never deleted or cleared it.
Why past playlists are still available
YouTube retains data on your viewing history, searches, and account activity for an extended period of time. This allows you to recover information like deleted playlists, as YouTube still has a record of it tied to your account.
Specifically, some key reasons past playlists remain available include:
- YouTube stores your full viewing history and account activity for up to 9 months or more.
- Deleting a playlist does not fully erase it from YouTube’s servers, only removes your access.
- YouTube’s recommendation system utilizes your full viewing history data.
- Playlists are tied to your Google account rather than an individual browser or device.
So even if you delete playlists or clear your YouTube history, that data is retained by YouTube for an extended period for internal analytics. This allows you to recover and view playlists you have created or saved in the past, even months or years ago.
Clearing playlist history more permanently
If you wish to more permanently clear your YouTube playlist history, deleting playlists and clearing history is not enough.
To fully clear past playlist history:
- Delete any playlists you want removed
- Pause watch history and search history
- Request to delete your YouTube viewing history
This prevents YouTube from tracking and retaining new watch data. Old viewing history can only be cleared automatically after time, up to 9 months.
Keep in mind this will also reset your YouTube recommendations and channel subscriptions. So clearing playlist history fully takes effort but can be done.
Downloading past playlist data
You can also download your full YouTube data history including playlists to have your own backup.
To download your YouTube data:
- Go to your Google account settings
- Navigate to “Data & privacy”
- Under YouTube, click on “Download your data”
- Select YouTube data to download
This allows you to download a copy of your YouTube viewing history and account data including playlists. You can then access old playlists even if they are cleared from YouTube servers.
Key Takeaways
- View your full YouTube history to see past saved playlists.
- Search for deleted playlists to recover them.
- Sort your account playlists by last added to see furthest back.
- Deleting playlists doesn’t fully erase them from YouTube’s data.
- Clear history and pause tracking to remove playlists more permanently.
- Download your YouTube data to get your own playlist backup.
