Want to play the videos in one of your YouTube playlists in reverse order? It’s easy to do right from the YouTube website. Here’s a step-by-step guide.
Why Reverse the Order of a YouTube Playlist?
There are a few reasons you may want to reverse the order of videos in a YouTube playlist:
- Watch a series or storyline in reverse chronological order
- Shake up the order of an existing playlist to hear the songs in a new sequence
- Correct the order if you accidentally added videos to a playlist backwards
Luckily YouTube makes it simple to reverse a playlist without having to manually rearrange every video.
How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist
These steps work for reversing video order in any YouTube playlist you own or have permission to edit.
- Open the YouTube playlist you want to reverse.
- Click on the “Manage videos” button below the playlist title.
- Select the first video in the current playlist order.
- Click the “Move to bottom” button (down arrow icon).
- Repeat steps 3 and 4, moving each video to the bottom one at a time until all videos are in reverse order.
And that’s all there is to it! The videos in the playlist will now play in reverse sequential order from how they were originally added.
Additional Tips
- Use the keyboard shortcut Shift + A to select all videos at once. Then click “Move to bottom” just once to reverse the full playlist.
- You can also select a range of videos to reverse a section in the middle of a playlist.
- The “Move to top” button will return videos to their original added order.
- Refresh the page after reversing a playlist to confirm the new order saved correctly.
How to Reverse Order on Mobile
The process for reversing a YouTube playlist is very similar in the YouTube mobile apps for iPhone and Android:
- Open the playlist in the YouTube app.
- Tap the “Manage videos” button below the playlist title.
- Press and hold the first video thumbnail, then tap “Move to bottom.”
- Repeat step 3 for each video until all are reversed.
The only difference is that you press and hold a video to select it before moving it on mobile, rather than just clicking it. Everything else works the same way.
Reverse Only Part of a Playlist
If you only want to reverse a portion in the middle of a playlist, just select the range you want before moving videos to the bottom. For example:
- Select videos 10–20 in the playlist.
- Move them to the bottom as a block, reversing that section.
- Videos 1–9 and 21+ remain in their original order.
This keeps everything else intact while letting you flip a smaller segment. Use this for rearranging a storyline, changing a block of related songs, or testing video order.
How to Copy a Playlist in Reverse Order
Rather than altering your original playlist, you can also make a full reversed copy:
- Open the playlist and click “Save as new playlist” at the top.
- Name the copied playlist something like “Original Playlist (Reversed).”
- Reverse the video order in this new playlist using the steps above.
Now you have both the original order and a separate reversed playlist. This is useful if you want to publish a playlist in reverse chronology but keep the original intact too.
Reverse Playlist Order Using Third-Party Tools
In addition to the built-in YouTube options, there are also third-party tools and extensions that let you reverse playlists:
- Playlists Reverser – Website dedicated specifically to reversing YouTube playlists. Just paste in a link and reorder.
- Reverse Playlist – Chrome extension to reverse playlists with one click.
- List Reverser – Browser extension that adds reverse options for YouTube lists.
These tools work similarly and let you quickly flip a playlist without much effort. They can be handy for frequent reordering tasks.
Reverse Auto-Generated YouTube Playlists
YouTube also creates automated playlists for features like watch history, liked videos, and channel activity. These function a little differently than normal playlists:
- Automated playlists are generated automatically and not directly editable.
- They dynamically update based on your watching activity rather than fixed videos.
- The auto-playlist order depends on algorithms and your viewing history.
As a result, you cannot directly reverse the video order in auto-generated playlists. However, you still have a couple options:
- Use a 3rd party website or extension to temporarily view the playlist reversed.
- Manually add videos from the auto-playlist into a new customizable playlist in reversed order.
So while you don’t have full control over auto-playlists themselves, you can still access the videos in reverse if needed.
Reverse Videos in a YouTube Channel
Within a YouTube channel, videos are displayed in reverse chronological order automatically based on publish date.
To see a channel’s videos in oldest to newest order:
- Open the Videos tab on a channel page.
- Click the “Sort” dropdown menu.
- Select “Oldest” to reorder by original publication date.
This lets you quickly switch between newest and oldest videos on any channel. You can also filter by playlists, search, etc. in whichever order you prefer.
Reverse a YouTube Playlist Using Downloads
If you want to play a YouTube playlist in reverse order outside of the website itself, downloading the videos is an option:
- Use a YouTube downloader tool to save the playlist videos onto your computer.
- Add the downloaded files into your preferred media player library.
- Right click the first video > Select “Play in reverse order.”
Most video player apps like VLC have the ability to play back a playlist or folder of files in reverse sequence. Just add the YouTube downloads and flip the order.
Why Can’t You Reverse YouTube Playlists on Smart TVs?
When viewing YouTube playlists on television platforms like Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, smart TVs, etc. there is no option to reverse order. Why not?
Primarily because the TV YouTube apps use a simplified version of the full YouTube experience. Their playlist management options are limited to basic controls like adding/removing videos and autoplay.
Without the full “Manage videos” menu and reordering capabilities, reverse playback on TVs is not supported. So unfortunately you can only reverse a YouTube playlist on the website and in the mobile apps at this time.
Reverse YouTube Playlist Order with Developers API
For developers working with the YouTube API, you can also programmatically reorder playlist videos in your code.
Key methods for playlist reversing:
- playlistItems.list – Retrieve metadata for all videos in a playlist.
- playlistItems.insert – Insert a video in a specific position.
- playlistItems.delete – Delete videos from a playlist.
To reverse a playlist:
- Get the playlistItems metadata array.
- Iterate through the array backwards.
- Insert each item into the beginning of the playlist using insert.
- Optional: Delete all existing playlistItems.
This will result in a reversed order. See the YouTube API docs for more details.
Reverse Play a Single YouTube Video
Reversing a single video works differently than a full playlist:
- YouTube doesn’t allow reversing just one video directly on the site.
- You’ll need to use a video download or extension to play in reverse.
- Some browser extensions provide a “reverse” option on video pages.
- Mobile apps like VLC let you reverse downloaded YouTube videos.
So while single videos can’t be reversed on YouTube itself, desktop tools do provide workarounds. Just download or integrate an extension for quick access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are some videos missing when I reverse a playlist?
If certain videos seem to disappear when reversing a playlist, it likely means they were removed from the original playlist prior to reordering. YouTube playlists are dynamic, so changes can occur over time.
How do I undo reversing a playlist?
To return a playlist to its original order, simply move all videos back to the top one by one. Or select all and use the “Move to top” button to quickly reset.
Can I reverse playlists on smart TVs or gaming consoles?
Unfortunately at this time, YouTube apps for television and consoles do not support reversing playlists. You’ll need to use the main YouTube website or mobile apps.
Is there a shortcut to reverse all videos without selecting individually?
Yes, the keyboard shortcut Shift+A will select all videos at once. Then click “Move to bottom” to quickly reverse the full playlist order.
Recap
- Open playlist > Manage videos > Move selections to bottom to reverse order.
- Reverse an entire playlist or just a portion in the middle.
- Copy a playlist and reverse the copy to keep original intact.
- Use 3rd party tools like extensions and websites for easy reversing.
- Reverse auto-generated playlists by downloading and playing outside YouTube.
- Change channel sorting to “Oldest” to see videos in reverse chronological order.
Reversing your YouTube playlists is simple and can open up new ways to enjoy your favorite videos. Follow the steps in this guide to get started!
