Navigating Through the Sea of User Interactions on YouTube

How to Find Your Comments on YouTube?

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever felt worried about any YouTube comment that you published long ago, and later you realized that it was a mistake? Or, do you want to know what comments did you post and when? If so, YouTube offers a simple way of finding your past remarks, and making any changes to them if need be.

That said, the following sections teach you how to find your YouTube comments on a desktop or laptop computer, and also on a mobile device if you are a gadget freak.

• Part 1: How to Find Comments You’ve Posted on YouTube?
• Part 2: How to Find All YouTube Comments Your Channel Has Received?
• Part 3: How to Find Someone’s YouTube Comments by User Name?
• Part 4: How to Edit and Reply to YouTube Comments?
• Part 5: How to Moderate YouTube Comments?
• Part 6: Tips for Writing Good YouTube Comments

Part 1: How to Find All the Comments You’ve Posted on YouTube?

YouTube allows you to post comments on any video only if you are signed in to your Google account while browsing the streaming platform. Because of this, the portal is able to keep a record of your activities, thus enabling you to track all your comments, and take necessary action such as deleting or modifying them as required.

You can learn how to find all the comments you have posted on YouTube while using your preferred device by following the instructions given below:

1. Find Your YouTube Comments on a Desktop or Laptop Computer

Step 1: Sign In to Your YouTube Account

Launch your favorite web browser, go to the YouTube page, click SIGN IN from the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen instructions to enter your credentials and sign in to your Google/YouTube account.

Step 2: Get to the History Page

Click the Menu button from the top-left corner of the page, and then click History from the categories available in the navigation bar in the left.

Step 3: Access/View Your Past Comments

Click Comments from the right of the History page to view all the comments that you have posted earlier.

2. Find Your YouTube Comments on an iPhone

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the YouTube app for iOS doesn’t have the feature to view your comments history. However, there is a workaround where you can use a web browser on your smartphone to get this done. The process that is given below explains how to view your past YouTube comments on an iPhone:

Step 1: Sign In to Your YouTube Account on an Internet Browser

Launch your favorite web browser on your iPhone (Safari, the default one, is used here for illustration), go to https://m.youtube.com , tap the profile icon from the top-right corner, tap Sign in from the menu that appears, and follow the on-screen instructions to use your Google account credentials to sign in to YouTube.

Step 2: Access the Desktop Version of YouTube

Tap the More Options icon from the top-left corner of the browser, and then tap Request Desktop Website from the menu that appears to access the desktop version of YouTube on your iPhone.

Step 3: View Your Past YouTube Comments

Tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube page, and tap History from the menu that appears. On the History page, tap Comments from the right pane to view/access your YouTube comments that you posted in the past.

3. Find Your YouTube Comments on an Android Smartphone

As it is with iOS, the YouTube app for Android doesn’t allow you to view your comments history either. However, the workaround of using a web browser works pretty well on Android smartphones too, but with a few tweaks. The process of doing so is given below:

Step 1: Use a Web Browser to Sign In to Your YouTube Account

Launch Google Chrome on your Android smartphone (you can use any other web browser of your choice), and go to https://m.youtube.com . Notice how the interface automatically changes to the desktop version. Note: If the desktop version of the website isn’t visible, you can tap the More button (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the browser, and check the Desktop site box.

Next, tap SIGN IN from the top-right corner of the YouTube page, enter your Google account credentials in the box available on the Sign in screen, enter your password when prompted, and sign in to your YouTube account.

Step 2: Choose a Web Browser (for Confirmation)

When the confirmation box pops up at the bottom, choose your preferred web browser, and tap the frequency of its usage for accessing YouTube. For instance, choose Chrome and Just once to use Google Chrome to access YouTube only for this session.

Step 3: View/Access Your Past YouTube Comments

Once you are signed in to your account, tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube page, and tap History from the menu that appears. When the History page opens up, tap Comments from the right pane to view and/or access your past YouTube comments.

Part 2: How to Find All YouTube Comments Your Channel Has Received?

If you own a YouTube channel and have posted several videos there, it is likely that you also have received a decent number of comments. Usually, these remarks are pretty helpful as they tell you how to improve your production quality, and what your audience prefers to watch in the future. Therefore, it is imperative to learn how to find all the comments that your YouTube channel has received, and the process given below explains exactly that:

1. Find Your Channel’s YouTube Comments on a Desktop or Laptop Computer

You can use your favorite web browser on a PC to easily find all the comments that the videos on your YouTube channel have received as long as you are signed in to your Google account. The step-by-step instructions on how this can be done are given below:

Step 1: Go to the Your videos Page

Open your favorite Internet browser, go to https://www.youtube.com , and sign in to your YouTube account as explained in the previous sections. Next, click the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube homepage, and click Your videos from the menu that appears.

Step 2: View the Comments

Make sure that the Uploads tab is selected on the Channel content window, and check the number under the Comments column of each video to see how many comments that particular film has received. You can click the number for any video to view its comments.

Step 3: Hide or Hold a Comment for Approval

Click the More icon from the right of the comment you want to moderate, and click Hide user from channel or Always approve comments from this user to hide the comments from the selected user or keep their comments on hold until you review and approve them respectively.

Note: To view all comments received on your YouTube channel, go to the Comments tab under YouTube Studio, and you will find all Channel comments & mentions.

2. Find Your Channel’s YouTube Comments on a Mobile App

This process is comparatively simpler than the previous one as all that you need to do is download the YT Studio app, and access a central location where all the comments for all the videos can be viewed. The process is given below:

Step 1: Obtain a Mobile App

Go to App Store or Google Play Store, and search and download the YT Studio app on your iPhone or Android smartphone (iPhone X is used here for illustration).

Step 2: View/Access All the Comments

Launch the YT Studio app, and sign in to your YouTube account. Tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the interface, and tap Comments from the menu to view all the published comments for all the videos that you have received on your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Hide Users and View Held Comments

Tap the More button from the right of an inappropriate comment, and tap Hide user from channel from the menu that comes up. In addition, you can tap the More button next to Published from the top, and tap Held for review from the box that pops up to view the comments that are waiting for your approval.

Note: Unfortunately, you cannot hold the comments for approval using the YT Studio app. As a workaround, you can follow the procedure given earlier to access the desktop version of YouTube on your smartphone, and then use the method explained in the previous section to get this done. However, it is recommended that you do all such sensitive tasks on a laptop or desktop computer to avoid any errors.

Part 3: Find Someone’s YouTube Comments by User Name

If any of your YouTube videos has thousands of comments and you need to find a particular one from a specific user, checking each remark manually would be an extremely time-consuming and tedious task. Therefore, it is a good idea to let an efficient application do the job for you.

One program, a Google Chrome extension called YCS – YouTube Comment Search to be precise, can help you with this. All you are required to do is, install the extension, go to the video, and search the comment by the name of the user. The step-by-step instructions on how this can be done are given below:

Step 1: Install YCS – YouTube Comment Search

Launch Google Chrome on your desktop or laptop computer, search for YCS – YouTube Comment Search, click Add to Chrome, and click Add extension on the notification box that pops up to install the YCS – YouTube Comment Search extension on your instance of Google Chrome.

Step 2: Load All Comments

Go to your or any other’s YouTube video, and click Load All from the top-right corner of the YouTube Comment Search panel that is present under the description box to allow YCS to scan all the comments the video has received.

Step 3: Search Comments from a Particular User

Choose Comments from the search type drop-down list, enter the name of the user in question in the Search box, and click Search to fetch all their comments on the video.

Part 4: How to Edit and Reply to YouTube Comments?

Editing an existing YouTube comment that you have posted earlier, or replying to the one published by someone else is simple. The process is given below:

Step 1: Edit an Existing Comment

Use any of the methods explained above to locate your YouTube comment that you want to edit. Next, click the More icon from the right of the comment, click Edit from the menu, make the required changes to the text, and click SAVE.

Step 2: Reply to a Comment

Locate the comment that you want to reply to, click REPLY from under the comment, type your text in the available field, and click REPLY.

Part 5: How to Moderate YouTube Comments?

If you publish videos on YouTube that may put some impact on people’s lifestyle, you are likely to face criticism quite often. Therefore, you might want to moderate all your comments before they become visible to the audience so as not to spread negativity among the mass. Fortunately, YouTube helps you get this done easily, and the instructions that teach you the process are given below:

Step 1: Get to Your Channel’s Settings Box

Sign in to your YouTube account, click the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the homepage, and click Your videos from the menu that appears.

From the bottom of the navigation bar on the left of the YouTube Studio page, click Settings to open the channel’s Settings box.

Step 2: Moderate YouTube Comments

Go to the Community category from the left pane, and go to the Defaults tab from the right. Next, choose Hide all comments for review from the Comments on your new videos drop-down list, and click SAVE from the bottom-right corner of the box to moderate all YouTube comments that your new videos receive from this point onward.

Part 6: Tips for Writing Good YouTube Comments

While posting a comment on a YouTube video, it is imperative to keep a few things in mind. Some important tips that might come in handy in this regard are suggested below:

• Make your comment as relevant to the video as you possibly can
• Avoid using harsh language or slangs to maintain decency
• Be genuine while leaving feedback. However, make sure to choose polite words while typing a comment
• In case you want to add some suggestions, make sure to be humble
• Ignore the replies with inappropriate content

FAQs About YouTube Comments

Q1) Why can’t I see the comments I posted?

A: If you cannot see your comments, this could be because the owner or moderator has configured the channel or the video to hold all the comments for review before they are visible on YouTube.

In such a case, you are advised to wait for the authorized person to approve your remark before it is published. Another possibility is that the moderator/owner has added you to the ‘hidden users’ list due to some reason. Even in this case, your comment won’t be visible until you are removed from that list.

Q2) I have enabled ‘Notify me’ about comments and other activity on my channel or videos, but can’t see the comments on my video. Why?

A: You won’t be able to view the unpublished comments or those from the users you have added to the ‘hidden’ list. To fix this problem, you may want to disable moderation from your channel or the videos, and also unhide the users. The processes of both these configurations are explained in detail in the above sections.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever felt worried about any YouTube comment that you published long ago, and later you realized that it was a mistake? Or, do you want to know what comments did you post and when? If so, YouTube offers a simple way of finding your past remarks, and making any changes to them if need be.

That said, the following sections teach you how to find your YouTube comments on a desktop or laptop computer, and also on a mobile device if you are a gadget freak.

• Part 1: How to Find Comments You’ve Posted on YouTube?
• Part 2: How to Find All YouTube Comments Your Channel Has Received?
• Part 3: How to Find Someone’s YouTube Comments by User Name?
• Part 4: How to Edit and Reply to YouTube Comments?
• Part 5: How to Moderate YouTube Comments?
• Part 6: Tips for Writing Good YouTube Comments

Part 1: How to Find All the Comments You’ve Posted on YouTube?

YouTube allows you to post comments on any video only if you are signed in to your Google account while browsing the streaming platform. Because of this, the portal is able to keep a record of your activities, thus enabling you to track all your comments, and take necessary action such as deleting or modifying them as required.

You can learn how to find all the comments you have posted on YouTube while using your preferred device by following the instructions given below:

1. Find Your YouTube Comments on a Desktop or Laptop Computer

Step 1: Sign In to Your YouTube Account

Launch your favorite web browser, go to the YouTube page, click SIGN IN from the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen instructions to enter your credentials and sign in to your Google/YouTube account.

Step 2: Get to the History Page

Click the Menu button from the top-left corner of the page, and then click History from the categories available in the navigation bar in the left.

Step 3: Access/View Your Past Comments

Click Comments from the right of the History page to view all the comments that you have posted earlier.

2. Find Your YouTube Comments on an iPhone

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the YouTube app for iOS doesn’t have the feature to view your comments history. However, there is a workaround where you can use a web browser on your smartphone to get this done. The process that is given below explains how to view your past YouTube comments on an iPhone:

Step 1: Sign In to Your YouTube Account on an Internet Browser

Launch your favorite web browser on your iPhone (Safari, the default one, is used here for illustration), go to https://m.youtube.com , tap the profile icon from the top-right corner, tap Sign in from the menu that appears, and follow the on-screen instructions to use your Google account credentials to sign in to YouTube.

Step 2: Access the Desktop Version of YouTube

Tap the More Options icon from the top-left corner of the browser, and then tap Request Desktop Website from the menu that appears to access the desktop version of YouTube on your iPhone.

Step 3: View Your Past YouTube Comments

Tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube page, and tap History from the menu that appears. On the History page, tap Comments from the right pane to view/access your YouTube comments that you posted in the past.

3. Find Your YouTube Comments on an Android Smartphone

As it is with iOS, the YouTube app for Android doesn’t allow you to view your comments history either. However, the workaround of using a web browser works pretty well on Android smartphones too, but with a few tweaks. The process of doing so is given below:

Step 1: Use a Web Browser to Sign In to Your YouTube Account

Launch Google Chrome on your Android smartphone (you can use any other web browser of your choice), and go to https://m.youtube.com . Notice how the interface automatically changes to the desktop version. Note: If the desktop version of the website isn’t visible, you can tap the More button (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the browser, and check the Desktop site box.

Next, tap SIGN IN from the top-right corner of the YouTube page, enter your Google account credentials in the box available on the Sign in screen, enter your password when prompted, and sign in to your YouTube account.

Step 2: Choose a Web Browser (for Confirmation)

When the confirmation box pops up at the bottom, choose your preferred web browser, and tap the frequency of its usage for accessing YouTube. For instance, choose Chrome and Just once to use Google Chrome to access YouTube only for this session.

Step 3: View/Access Your Past YouTube Comments

Once you are signed in to your account, tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube page, and tap History from the menu that appears. When the History page opens up, tap Comments from the right pane to view and/or access your past YouTube comments.

Part 2: How to Find All YouTube Comments Your Channel Has Received?

If you own a YouTube channel and have posted several videos there, it is likely that you also have received a decent number of comments. Usually, these remarks are pretty helpful as they tell you how to improve your production quality, and what your audience prefers to watch in the future. Therefore, it is imperative to learn how to find all the comments that your YouTube channel has received, and the process given below explains exactly that:

1. Find Your Channel’s YouTube Comments on a Desktop or Laptop Computer

You can use your favorite web browser on a PC to easily find all the comments that the videos on your YouTube channel have received as long as you are signed in to your Google account. The step-by-step instructions on how this can be done are given below:

Step 1: Go to the Your videos Page

Open your favorite Internet browser, go to https://www.youtube.com , and sign in to your YouTube account as explained in the previous sections. Next, click the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube homepage, and click Your videos from the menu that appears.

Step 2: View the Comments

Make sure that the Uploads tab is selected on the Channel content window, and check the number under the Comments column of each video to see how many comments that particular film has received. You can click the number for any video to view its comments.

Step 3: Hide or Hold a Comment for Approval

Click the More icon from the right of the comment you want to moderate, and click Hide user from channel or Always approve comments from this user to hide the comments from the selected user or keep their comments on hold until you review and approve them respectively.

Note: To view all comments received on your YouTube channel, go to the Comments tab under YouTube Studio, and you will find all Channel comments & mentions.

2. Find Your Channel’s YouTube Comments on a Mobile App

This process is comparatively simpler than the previous one as all that you need to do is download the YT Studio app, and access a central location where all the comments for all the videos can be viewed. The process is given below:

Step 1: Obtain a Mobile App

Go to App Store or Google Play Store, and search and download the YT Studio app on your iPhone or Android smartphone (iPhone X is used here for illustration).

Step 2: View/Access All the Comments

Launch the YT Studio app, and sign in to your YouTube account. Tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the interface, and tap Comments from the menu to view all the published comments for all the videos that you have received on your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Hide Users and View Held Comments

Tap the More button from the right of an inappropriate comment, and tap Hide user from channel from the menu that comes up. In addition, you can tap the More button next to Published from the top, and tap Held for review from the box that pops up to view the comments that are waiting for your approval.

Note: Unfortunately, you cannot hold the comments for approval using the YT Studio app. As a workaround, you can follow the procedure given earlier to access the desktop version of YouTube on your smartphone, and then use the method explained in the previous section to get this done. However, it is recommended that you do all such sensitive tasks on a laptop or desktop computer to avoid any errors.

Part 3: Find Someone’s YouTube Comments by User Name

If any of your YouTube videos has thousands of comments and you need to find a particular one from a specific user, checking each remark manually would be an extremely time-consuming and tedious task. Therefore, it is a good idea to let an efficient application do the job for you.

One program, a Google Chrome extension called YCS – YouTube Comment Search to be precise, can help you with this. All you are required to do is, install the extension, go to the video, and search the comment by the name of the user. The step-by-step instructions on how this can be done are given below:

Step 1: Install YCS – YouTube Comment Search

Launch Google Chrome on your desktop or laptop computer, search for YCS – YouTube Comment Search, click Add to Chrome, and click Add extension on the notification box that pops up to install the YCS – YouTube Comment Search extension on your instance of Google Chrome.

Step 2: Load All Comments

Go to your or any other’s YouTube video, and click Load All from the top-right corner of the YouTube Comment Search panel that is present under the description box to allow YCS to scan all the comments the video has received.

Step 3: Search Comments from a Particular User

Choose Comments from the search type drop-down list, enter the name of the user in question in the Search box, and click Search to fetch all their comments on the video.

Part 4: How to Edit and Reply to YouTube Comments?

Editing an existing YouTube comment that you have posted earlier, or replying to the one published by someone else is simple. The process is given below:

Step 1: Edit an Existing Comment

Use any of the methods explained above to locate your YouTube comment that you want to edit. Next, click the More icon from the right of the comment, click Edit from the menu, make the required changes to the text, and click SAVE.

Step 2: Reply to a Comment

Locate the comment that you want to reply to, click REPLY from under the comment, type your text in the available field, and click REPLY.

Part 5: How to Moderate YouTube Comments?

If you publish videos on YouTube that may put some impact on people’s lifestyle, you are likely to face criticism quite often. Therefore, you might want to moderate all your comments before they become visible to the audience so as not to spread negativity among the mass. Fortunately, YouTube helps you get this done easily, and the instructions that teach you the process are given below:

Step 1: Get to Your Channel’s Settings Box

Sign in to your YouTube account, click the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the homepage, and click Your videos from the menu that appears.

From the bottom of the navigation bar on the left of the YouTube Studio page, click Settings to open the channel’s Settings box.

Step 2: Moderate YouTube Comments

Go to the Community category from the left pane, and go to the Defaults tab from the right. Next, choose Hide all comments for review from the Comments on your new videos drop-down list, and click SAVE from the bottom-right corner of the box to moderate all YouTube comments that your new videos receive from this point onward.

Part 6: Tips for Writing Good YouTube Comments

While posting a comment on a YouTube video, it is imperative to keep a few things in mind. Some important tips that might come in handy in this regard are suggested below:

• Make your comment as relevant to the video as you possibly can
• Avoid using harsh language or slangs to maintain decency
• Be genuine while leaving feedback. However, make sure to choose polite words while typing a comment
• In case you want to add some suggestions, make sure to be humble
• Ignore the replies with inappropriate content

FAQs About YouTube Comments

Q1) Why can’t I see the comments I posted?

A: If you cannot see your comments, this could be because the owner or moderator has configured the channel or the video to hold all the comments for review before they are visible on YouTube.

In such a case, you are advised to wait for the authorized person to approve your remark before it is published. Another possibility is that the moderator/owner has added you to the ‘hidden users’ list due to some reason. Even in this case, your comment won’t be visible until you are removed from that list.

Q2) I have enabled ‘Notify me’ about comments and other activity on my channel or videos, but can’t see the comments on my video. Why?

A: You won’t be able to view the unpublished comments or those from the users you have added to the ‘hidden’ list. To fix this problem, you may want to disable moderation from your channel or the videos, and also unhide the users. The processes of both these configurations are explained in detail in the above sections.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever felt worried about any YouTube comment that you published long ago, and later you realized that it was a mistake? Or, do you want to know what comments did you post and when? If so, YouTube offers a simple way of finding your past remarks, and making any changes to them if need be.

That said, the following sections teach you how to find your YouTube comments on a desktop or laptop computer, and also on a mobile device if you are a gadget freak.

• Part 1: How to Find Comments You’ve Posted on YouTube?
• Part 2: How to Find All YouTube Comments Your Channel Has Received?
• Part 3: How to Find Someone’s YouTube Comments by User Name?
• Part 4: How to Edit and Reply to YouTube Comments?
• Part 5: How to Moderate YouTube Comments?
• Part 6: Tips for Writing Good YouTube Comments

Part 1: How to Find All the Comments You’ve Posted on YouTube?

YouTube allows you to post comments on any video only if you are signed in to your Google account while browsing the streaming platform. Because of this, the portal is able to keep a record of your activities, thus enabling you to track all your comments, and take necessary action such as deleting or modifying them as required.

You can learn how to find all the comments you have posted on YouTube while using your preferred device by following the instructions given below:

1. Find Your YouTube Comments on a Desktop or Laptop Computer

Step 1: Sign In to Your YouTube Account

Launch your favorite web browser, go to the YouTube page, click SIGN IN from the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen instructions to enter your credentials and sign in to your Google/YouTube account.

Step 2: Get to the History Page

Click the Menu button from the top-left corner of the page, and then click History from the categories available in the navigation bar in the left.

Step 3: Access/View Your Past Comments

Click Comments from the right of the History page to view all the comments that you have posted earlier.

2. Find Your YouTube Comments on an iPhone

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the YouTube app for iOS doesn’t have the feature to view your comments history. However, there is a workaround where you can use a web browser on your smartphone to get this done. The process that is given below explains how to view your past YouTube comments on an iPhone:

Step 1: Sign In to Your YouTube Account on an Internet Browser

Launch your favorite web browser on your iPhone (Safari, the default one, is used here for illustration), go to https://m.youtube.com , tap the profile icon from the top-right corner, tap Sign in from the menu that appears, and follow the on-screen instructions to use your Google account credentials to sign in to YouTube.

Step 2: Access the Desktop Version of YouTube

Tap the More Options icon from the top-left corner of the browser, and then tap Request Desktop Website from the menu that appears to access the desktop version of YouTube on your iPhone.

Step 3: View Your Past YouTube Comments

Tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube page, and tap History from the menu that appears. On the History page, tap Comments from the right pane to view/access your YouTube comments that you posted in the past.

3. Find Your YouTube Comments on an Android Smartphone

As it is with iOS, the YouTube app for Android doesn’t allow you to view your comments history either. However, the workaround of using a web browser works pretty well on Android smartphones too, but with a few tweaks. The process of doing so is given below:

Step 1: Use a Web Browser to Sign In to Your YouTube Account

Launch Google Chrome on your Android smartphone (you can use any other web browser of your choice), and go to https://m.youtube.com . Notice how the interface automatically changes to the desktop version. Note: If the desktop version of the website isn’t visible, you can tap the More button (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the browser, and check the Desktop site box.

Next, tap SIGN IN from the top-right corner of the YouTube page, enter your Google account credentials in the box available on the Sign in screen, enter your password when prompted, and sign in to your YouTube account.

Step 2: Choose a Web Browser (for Confirmation)

When the confirmation box pops up at the bottom, choose your preferred web browser, and tap the frequency of its usage for accessing YouTube. For instance, choose Chrome and Just once to use Google Chrome to access YouTube only for this session.

Step 3: View/Access Your Past YouTube Comments

Once you are signed in to your account, tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube page, and tap History from the menu that appears. When the History page opens up, tap Comments from the right pane to view and/or access your past YouTube comments.

Part 2: How to Find All YouTube Comments Your Channel Has Received?

If you own a YouTube channel and have posted several videos there, it is likely that you also have received a decent number of comments. Usually, these remarks are pretty helpful as they tell you how to improve your production quality, and what your audience prefers to watch in the future. Therefore, it is imperative to learn how to find all the comments that your YouTube channel has received, and the process given below explains exactly that:

1. Find Your Channel’s YouTube Comments on a Desktop or Laptop Computer

You can use your favorite web browser on a PC to easily find all the comments that the videos on your YouTube channel have received as long as you are signed in to your Google account. The step-by-step instructions on how this can be done are given below:

Step 1: Go to the Your videos Page

Open your favorite Internet browser, go to https://www.youtube.com , and sign in to your YouTube account as explained in the previous sections. Next, click the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube homepage, and click Your videos from the menu that appears.

Step 2: View the Comments

Make sure that the Uploads tab is selected on the Channel content window, and check the number under the Comments column of each video to see how many comments that particular film has received. You can click the number for any video to view its comments.

Step 3: Hide or Hold a Comment for Approval

Click the More icon from the right of the comment you want to moderate, and click Hide user from channel or Always approve comments from this user to hide the comments from the selected user or keep their comments on hold until you review and approve them respectively.

Note: To view all comments received on your YouTube channel, go to the Comments tab under YouTube Studio, and you will find all Channel comments & mentions.

2. Find Your Channel’s YouTube Comments on a Mobile App

This process is comparatively simpler than the previous one as all that you need to do is download the YT Studio app, and access a central location where all the comments for all the videos can be viewed. The process is given below:

Step 1: Obtain a Mobile App

Go to App Store or Google Play Store, and search and download the YT Studio app on your iPhone or Android smartphone (iPhone X is used here for illustration).

Step 2: View/Access All the Comments

Launch the YT Studio app, and sign in to your YouTube account. Tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the interface, and tap Comments from the menu to view all the published comments for all the videos that you have received on your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Hide Users and View Held Comments

Tap the More button from the right of an inappropriate comment, and tap Hide user from channel from the menu that comes up. In addition, you can tap the More button next to Published from the top, and tap Held for review from the box that pops up to view the comments that are waiting for your approval.

Note: Unfortunately, you cannot hold the comments for approval using the YT Studio app. As a workaround, you can follow the procedure given earlier to access the desktop version of YouTube on your smartphone, and then use the method explained in the previous section to get this done. However, it is recommended that you do all such sensitive tasks on a laptop or desktop computer to avoid any errors.

Part 3: Find Someone’s YouTube Comments by User Name

If any of your YouTube videos has thousands of comments and you need to find a particular one from a specific user, checking each remark manually would be an extremely time-consuming and tedious task. Therefore, it is a good idea to let an efficient application do the job for you.

One program, a Google Chrome extension called YCS – YouTube Comment Search to be precise, can help you with this. All you are required to do is, install the extension, go to the video, and search the comment by the name of the user. The step-by-step instructions on how this can be done are given below:

Step 1: Install YCS – YouTube Comment Search

Launch Google Chrome on your desktop or laptop computer, search for YCS – YouTube Comment Search, click Add to Chrome, and click Add extension on the notification box that pops up to install the YCS – YouTube Comment Search extension on your instance of Google Chrome.

Step 2: Load All Comments

Go to your or any other’s YouTube video, and click Load All from the top-right corner of the YouTube Comment Search panel that is present under the description box to allow YCS to scan all the comments the video has received.

Step 3: Search Comments from a Particular User

Choose Comments from the search type drop-down list, enter the name of the user in question in the Search box, and click Search to fetch all their comments on the video.

Part 4: How to Edit and Reply to YouTube Comments?

Editing an existing YouTube comment that you have posted earlier, or replying to the one published by someone else is simple. The process is given below:

Step 1: Edit an Existing Comment

Use any of the methods explained above to locate your YouTube comment that you want to edit. Next, click the More icon from the right of the comment, click Edit from the menu, make the required changes to the text, and click SAVE.

Step 2: Reply to a Comment

Locate the comment that you want to reply to, click REPLY from under the comment, type your text in the available field, and click REPLY.

Part 5: How to Moderate YouTube Comments?

If you publish videos on YouTube that may put some impact on people’s lifestyle, you are likely to face criticism quite often. Therefore, you might want to moderate all your comments before they become visible to the audience so as not to spread negativity among the mass. Fortunately, YouTube helps you get this done easily, and the instructions that teach you the process are given below:

Step 1: Get to Your Channel’s Settings Box

Sign in to your YouTube account, click the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the homepage, and click Your videos from the menu that appears.

From the bottom of the navigation bar on the left of the YouTube Studio page, click Settings to open the channel’s Settings box.

Step 2: Moderate YouTube Comments

Go to the Community category from the left pane, and go to the Defaults tab from the right. Next, choose Hide all comments for review from the Comments on your new videos drop-down list, and click SAVE from the bottom-right corner of the box to moderate all YouTube comments that your new videos receive from this point onward.

Part 6: Tips for Writing Good YouTube Comments

While posting a comment on a YouTube video, it is imperative to keep a few things in mind. Some important tips that might come in handy in this regard are suggested below:

• Make your comment as relevant to the video as you possibly can
• Avoid using harsh language or slangs to maintain decency
• Be genuine while leaving feedback. However, make sure to choose polite words while typing a comment
• In case you want to add some suggestions, make sure to be humble
• Ignore the replies with inappropriate content

FAQs About YouTube Comments

Q1) Why can’t I see the comments I posted?

A: If you cannot see your comments, this could be because the owner or moderator has configured the channel or the video to hold all the comments for review before they are visible on YouTube.

In such a case, you are advised to wait for the authorized person to approve your remark before it is published. Another possibility is that the moderator/owner has added you to the ‘hidden users’ list due to some reason. Even in this case, your comment won’t be visible until you are removed from that list.

Q2) I have enabled ‘Notify me’ about comments and other activity on my channel or videos, but can’t see the comments on my video. Why?

A: You won’t be able to view the unpublished comments or those from the users you have added to the ‘hidden’ list. To fix this problem, you may want to disable moderation from your channel or the videos, and also unhide the users. The processes of both these configurations are explained in detail in the above sections.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever felt worried about any YouTube comment that you published long ago, and later you realized that it was a mistake? Or, do you want to know what comments did you post and when? If so, YouTube offers a simple way of finding your past remarks, and making any changes to them if need be.

That said, the following sections teach you how to find your YouTube comments on a desktop or laptop computer, and also on a mobile device if you are a gadget freak.

• Part 1: How to Find Comments You’ve Posted on YouTube?
• Part 2: How to Find All YouTube Comments Your Channel Has Received?
• Part 3: How to Find Someone’s YouTube Comments by User Name?
• Part 4: How to Edit and Reply to YouTube Comments?
• Part 5: How to Moderate YouTube Comments?
• Part 6: Tips for Writing Good YouTube Comments

Part 1: How to Find All the Comments You’ve Posted on YouTube?

YouTube allows you to post comments on any video only if you are signed in to your Google account while browsing the streaming platform. Because of this, the portal is able to keep a record of your activities, thus enabling you to track all your comments, and take necessary action such as deleting or modifying them as required.

You can learn how to find all the comments you have posted on YouTube while using your preferred device by following the instructions given below:

1. Find Your YouTube Comments on a Desktop or Laptop Computer

Step 1: Sign In to Your YouTube Account

Launch your favorite web browser, go to the YouTube page, click SIGN IN from the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen instructions to enter your credentials and sign in to your Google/YouTube account.

Step 2: Get to the History Page

Click the Menu button from the top-left corner of the page, and then click History from the categories available in the navigation bar in the left.

Step 3: Access/View Your Past Comments

Click Comments from the right of the History page to view all the comments that you have posted earlier.

2. Find Your YouTube Comments on an iPhone

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the YouTube app for iOS doesn’t have the feature to view your comments history. However, there is a workaround where you can use a web browser on your smartphone to get this done. The process that is given below explains how to view your past YouTube comments on an iPhone:

Step 1: Sign In to Your YouTube Account on an Internet Browser

Launch your favorite web browser on your iPhone (Safari, the default one, is used here for illustration), go to https://m.youtube.com , tap the profile icon from the top-right corner, tap Sign in from the menu that appears, and follow the on-screen instructions to use your Google account credentials to sign in to YouTube.

Step 2: Access the Desktop Version of YouTube

Tap the More Options icon from the top-left corner of the browser, and then tap Request Desktop Website from the menu that appears to access the desktop version of YouTube on your iPhone.

Step 3: View Your Past YouTube Comments

Tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube page, and tap History from the menu that appears. On the History page, tap Comments from the right pane to view/access your YouTube comments that you posted in the past.

3. Find Your YouTube Comments on an Android Smartphone

As it is with iOS, the YouTube app for Android doesn’t allow you to view your comments history either. However, the workaround of using a web browser works pretty well on Android smartphones too, but with a few tweaks. The process of doing so is given below:

Step 1: Use a Web Browser to Sign In to Your YouTube Account

Launch Google Chrome on your Android smartphone (you can use any other web browser of your choice), and go to https://m.youtube.com . Notice how the interface automatically changes to the desktop version. Note: If the desktop version of the website isn’t visible, you can tap the More button (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the browser, and check the Desktop site box.

Next, tap SIGN IN from the top-right corner of the YouTube page, enter your Google account credentials in the box available on the Sign in screen, enter your password when prompted, and sign in to your YouTube account.

Step 2: Choose a Web Browser (for Confirmation)

When the confirmation box pops up at the bottom, choose your preferred web browser, and tap the frequency of its usage for accessing YouTube. For instance, choose Chrome and Just once to use Google Chrome to access YouTube only for this session.

Step 3: View/Access Your Past YouTube Comments

Once you are signed in to your account, tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube page, and tap History from the menu that appears. When the History page opens up, tap Comments from the right pane to view and/or access your past YouTube comments.

Part 2: How to Find All YouTube Comments Your Channel Has Received?

If you own a YouTube channel and have posted several videos there, it is likely that you also have received a decent number of comments. Usually, these remarks are pretty helpful as they tell you how to improve your production quality, and what your audience prefers to watch in the future. Therefore, it is imperative to learn how to find all the comments that your YouTube channel has received, and the process given below explains exactly that:

1. Find Your Channel’s YouTube Comments on a Desktop or Laptop Computer

You can use your favorite web browser on a PC to easily find all the comments that the videos on your YouTube channel have received as long as you are signed in to your Google account. The step-by-step instructions on how this can be done are given below:

Step 1: Go to the Your videos Page

Open your favorite Internet browser, go to https://www.youtube.com , and sign in to your YouTube account as explained in the previous sections. Next, click the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the YouTube homepage, and click Your videos from the menu that appears.

Step 2: View the Comments

Make sure that the Uploads tab is selected on the Channel content window, and check the number under the Comments column of each video to see how many comments that particular film has received. You can click the number for any video to view its comments.

Step 3: Hide or Hold a Comment for Approval

Click the More icon from the right of the comment you want to moderate, and click Hide user from channel or Always approve comments from this user to hide the comments from the selected user or keep their comments on hold until you review and approve them respectively.

Note: To view all comments received on your YouTube channel, go to the Comments tab under YouTube Studio, and you will find all Channel comments & mentions.

2. Find Your Channel’s YouTube Comments on a Mobile App

This process is comparatively simpler than the previous one as all that you need to do is download the YT Studio app, and access a central location where all the comments for all the videos can be viewed. The process is given below:

Step 1: Obtain a Mobile App

Go to App Store or Google Play Store, and search and download the YT Studio app on your iPhone or Android smartphone (iPhone X is used here for illustration).

Step 2: View/Access All the Comments

Launch the YT Studio app, and sign in to your YouTube account. Tap the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the interface, and tap Comments from the menu to view all the published comments for all the videos that you have received on your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Hide Users and View Held Comments

Tap the More button from the right of an inappropriate comment, and tap Hide user from channel from the menu that comes up. In addition, you can tap the More button next to Published from the top, and tap Held for review from the box that pops up to view the comments that are waiting for your approval.

Note: Unfortunately, you cannot hold the comments for approval using the YT Studio app. As a workaround, you can follow the procedure given earlier to access the desktop version of YouTube on your smartphone, and then use the method explained in the previous section to get this done. However, it is recommended that you do all such sensitive tasks on a laptop or desktop computer to avoid any errors.

Part 3: Find Someone’s YouTube Comments by User Name

If any of your YouTube videos has thousands of comments and you need to find a particular one from a specific user, checking each remark manually would be an extremely time-consuming and tedious task. Therefore, it is a good idea to let an efficient application do the job for you.

One program, a Google Chrome extension called YCS – YouTube Comment Search to be precise, can help you with this. All you are required to do is, install the extension, go to the video, and search the comment by the name of the user. The step-by-step instructions on how this can be done are given below:

Step 1: Install YCS – YouTube Comment Search

Launch Google Chrome on your desktop or laptop computer, search for YCS – YouTube Comment Search, click Add to Chrome, and click Add extension on the notification box that pops up to install the YCS – YouTube Comment Search extension on your instance of Google Chrome.

Step 2: Load All Comments

Go to your or any other’s YouTube video, and click Load All from the top-right corner of the YouTube Comment Search panel that is present under the description box to allow YCS to scan all the comments the video has received.

Step 3: Search Comments from a Particular User

Choose Comments from the search type drop-down list, enter the name of the user in question in the Search box, and click Search to fetch all their comments on the video.

Part 4: How to Edit and Reply to YouTube Comments?

Editing an existing YouTube comment that you have posted earlier, or replying to the one published by someone else is simple. The process is given below:

Step 1: Edit an Existing Comment

Use any of the methods explained above to locate your YouTube comment that you want to edit. Next, click the More icon from the right of the comment, click Edit from the menu, make the required changes to the text, and click SAVE.

Step 2: Reply to a Comment

Locate the comment that you want to reply to, click REPLY from under the comment, type your text in the available field, and click REPLY.

Part 5: How to Moderate YouTube Comments?

If you publish videos on YouTube that may put some impact on people’s lifestyle, you are likely to face criticism quite often. Therefore, you might want to moderate all your comments before they become visible to the audience so as not to spread negativity among the mass. Fortunately, YouTube helps you get this done easily, and the instructions that teach you the process are given below:

Step 1: Get to Your Channel’s Settings Box

Sign in to your YouTube account, click the Menu icon from the top-left corner of the homepage, and click Your videos from the menu that appears.

From the bottom of the navigation bar on the left of the YouTube Studio page, click Settings to open the channel’s Settings box.

Step 2: Moderate YouTube Comments

Go to the Community category from the left pane, and go to the Defaults tab from the right. Next, choose Hide all comments for review from the Comments on your new videos drop-down list, and click SAVE from the bottom-right corner of the box to moderate all YouTube comments that your new videos receive from this point onward.

Part 6: Tips for Writing Good YouTube Comments

While posting a comment on a YouTube video, it is imperative to keep a few things in mind. Some important tips that might come in handy in this regard are suggested below:

• Make your comment as relevant to the video as you possibly can
• Avoid using harsh language or slangs to maintain decency
• Be genuine while leaving feedback. However, make sure to choose polite words while typing a comment
• In case you want to add some suggestions, make sure to be humble
• Ignore the replies with inappropriate content

FAQs About YouTube Comments

Q1) Why can’t I see the comments I posted?

A: If you cannot see your comments, this could be because the owner or moderator has configured the channel or the video to hold all the comments for review before they are visible on YouTube.

In such a case, you are advised to wait for the authorized person to approve your remark before it is published. Another possibility is that the moderator/owner has added you to the ‘hidden users’ list due to some reason. Even in this case, your comment won’t be visible until you are removed from that list.

Q2) I have enabled ‘Notify me’ about comments and other activity on my channel or videos, but can’t see the comments on my video. Why?

A: You won’t be able to view the unpublished comments or those from the users you have added to the ‘hidden’ list. To fix this problem, you may want to disable moderation from your channel or the videos, and also unhide the users. The processes of both these configurations are explained in detail in the above sections.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Improve Video Clarity with Simplified Caption Steps

How To Add Captions to YouTube Videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett