How to sign out of your YouTube account on desktop or mobile, and protect your account

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Signing out of YouTube is equivalent to signing out of your Google account.

• You should always sign out of YouTube if you've logged in on a shared device, like a computer at work, or in a school or library.
• When you log out of YouTube, you'll still be able to search and view videos, but you won't be able to comment or add them to playlists.
• Logging out of YouTube on desktop or on mobile (using either an iPhone or Android) only takes a few seconds, and getting back into your account is just as easy.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The more you use YouTube, the more important it is that you have an account. A YouTube account lets you "Like" and comment on videos, subscribe to channels, upload your own content, and enjoy a YouTube experience that is custom-catered to your interests.

However, it's a good idea to keep your YouTube account a private affair, and that's true even if you haven't been viewing any questionable material.

Leaving yourself logged in on public computers can allow strangers to access your account, which is never good. If you know you won't be YouTubing again for a while, go ahead and sign out when you're done.

It's likewise a good idea to sign out of YouTube on mobile if your iPhone or Android phone is going to be lying around where another pair of hands might pick it up.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone Xs (From $999 at Best Buy)

Google Pixel 3 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to sign out of YouTube on desktop

1. Click the icon in the top right corner of the screen that depicts your image or avatar, or has a letter in a circle.

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Click your account icon.

2. Click the words "Sign out" in the dropdown menu.

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Click "Sign Out."

If there is now a box reading "SIGN IN" at the top right corner, you did it, you're out.

How to sign out of YouTube on mobile

1. Tap your icon image at the top right corner of the screen.

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Again, tap your account icon in the top-right corner.

2. Under "Account," tap your name or email.

3. Tap the words "Use YouTube signed out."

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Select "Use YouTube signed out," under your accounts.

And… you're out.