If you notice that some or all of your playlists are missing from the YouTube app, don’t worry – there are a few things you can try to restore access to your playlists. Usually this is just a minor technical issue that can be easily fixed.
Check your internet connection
One of the most common reasons playlists may not show up properly is an unstable or slow internet connection. YouTube requires a reasonably fast, steady connection to sync your account data and populate your playlists. Try disconnecting from the internet completely, turning on airplane mode for 30 seconds, then reconnecting to the internet and restarting the YouTube app. This will force your device to reload your account data from YouTube’s servers.
Update the YouTube app
An outdated version of the YouTube app can also cause issues with playlists not loading. Open your device’s app store, search for YouTube, and check if there are any pending updates. Install the latest version of the YouTube app and then restart it to see if your missing playlists have returned.
Sign out and back in
Signing out of your YouTube account and then signing back in essentially refreshes your account connection within the app. From the YouTube app menu, select “Sign out”. Once signed out, sign back into your account. This forces the app to re-sync your account details from YouTube’s servers, which often resolves missing playlist issues.
Check different devices
See if your playlists appear properly when logged into your YouTube account on a different device, like a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If your playlists show up on another device, the issue is isolated to your original device. Clear the YouTube app’s cache and data before reinstalling the app to eliminate any corrupted local files.
Check the YouTube website
Visit youtube.com in your device’s internet browser and sign into your account. Navigate to your playlists to see if they are missing here as well or if the issue is isolated to just the mobile app. This can help you determine if your playlists were accidentally deleted versus just a technical glitch.
Restore locally deleted playlists
Sometimes playlists may disappear from your YouTube account if they were deleted directly on your mobile device. Playlist deletions on one device sync across all devices. To restore recently deleted playlists, log into YouTube Studio from a computer and look in the Content menu for the “Deleted playlists” section. Recover individual playlists here.
Check restricted mode settings
If your YouTube app has Restricted Mode enabled, either by your own settings or network restrictions, access to some playlists may be blocked if they contain age-restricted content. Disable Restricted Mode in the YouTube app settings to show all of your playlists.
Contact YouTube support
For playlist issues persisting across devices that can’t be resolved, you may need help directly from the YouTube support team. From the YouTube app, visit the Help section and select “Contact Us” to get specialized troubleshooting help. Be prepared to provide details of the problem and troubleshooting steps you’ve tried.
Recreate missing playlists
If your playlists have gone missing from your YouTube account entirely and cannot be recovered via YouTube Studio, you unfortunately may have to manually recreate them. Use your Watch History to find videos that were added to now-missing playlists and compile them into new playlists.
Prevent future playlist issues
To avoid playlists going missing again, be cautious of accidentally deleting playlists and make use of the playlist backup feature within YouTube Studio. Under the Content menu, export an offline copy of your playlist data. You can reimport this file to restore playlists if needed.
Playlists disappearing in YouTube can be annoying, but are usually easy to recover from. Updates, sign outs, changing devices, and contacting YouTube directly can typically get your account syncing properly again. Be proactive with playlist backups and you’ll have peace of mind if they ever go missing unexpectedly.
What causes YouTube playlists to disappear?
There are a few common reasons YouTube playlists may seem to suddenly vanish from your account:
- Poor internet connection interrupting syncing between devices
- An outdated version of the YouTube app with bugs
- Accidentally deleting a playlist on one device
- Enabling Restricted Mode to filter age-restricted content
- Sync errors between YouTube’s servers and apps
- Exceeding the 5000 video limit per playlist
Why did my YouTube playlists disappear on mobile?
The most likely reason your YouTube playlists are missing only on mobile devices is an issue with the app syncing properly with your account. Poor connectivity, an outdated app version, signing out and back in, or reinstalling the app can often resolve mobile-specific missing playlist issues.
How do I restore my deleted YouTube playlists?
If you accidentally deleted a YouTube playlist, you may be able to recover it in a few ways:
- Check the Deleted Playlists section in YouTube Studio
- Use a third party YouTube playlist recovery tool
- Manually recreate the playlist if recently deleted videos are still in History
However, playlists not recoverable through YouTube Studio are likely permanently deleted, requiring manually recreating as the only option.
Can I export my YouTube playlists?
YouTube provides the ability to download full playlist backups within YouTube Studio Content settings. Export formats include .CSV spreadsheet files and .JSON text files containing full playlist data. These can be imported back to YouTube as needed for playlist recovery.
How do I backup my YouTube playlists?
To create backups of your important YouTube playlists:
- Go to YouTube Studio from a desktop browser
- Under Content, select Playlists
- Click the Export button to download .CSV or .JSON files
- Store these files offline as restore point backups
- Import playlists back as needed from these files
Regularly exporting updated playlist backup files provides protection if playlists ever go missing or get deleted accidentally.
Why are my YouTube playlists not loading?
Common reasons YouTube playlists may not load properly include:
- Temporary server sync issues
- Restricted Mode filtering age-restricted videos
- Excessively long playlists exceeding 5000 videos
- Corrupted local app files or cached data
- Connectivity issues like unstable internet
Troubleshooting connectivity, updating the app, signing out and back in, or contacting YouTube support can help get playlists loading again.
Why does YouTube keep deleting my playlists 2022?
In late 2022, some YouTube users reported issues with playlists randomly being deleted from accounts. Likely causes include:
- Bugs from rollout of new playlist features
- Glitches when migrating playlists to different Google accounts
- Possible connectivity problems deleting playlists on one device
YouTube acknowledged investigating the deleted playlists issues. Update to the latest app version and stay vigilant about playlist backups until resolved.
