Alex Ruben
How To Successfully Verify Your YouTube Account
This whole process of verifying a YouTube account can feel kinda annoying, but honestly, it’s worth it if you want those extra bells and whistles—like custom thumbnails, live streaming, or uploading videos longer than 15 minutes. Sometimes the steps aren’t super straightforward, and if you don’t do it right, you might not get access to the features you’re after. So here’s the lowdown on what’s worked for folks trying to get verified and unlock all that stuff, even if the process sometimes feels like a bit of a puzzle.
How to Verify Your YouTube Account for the Best Features
Access YouTube Studio and Find the Settings
Okay, first, you need to be in your YouTube Studio. The way in might vary depending on the device, but on a desktop:
- Click on your profile icon in the top right corner.
- Select YouTube Studio from the menu.
If you’re on mobile, it’s similar, but sometimes the menu paths are less obvious. Once in, go to the dashboard, then down to the bottom left corner to find Settings. On some setups, you might have to look around a bit—trust me, it’s not always smoothly laid out.
Go to Channel Settings and Check Feature Eligibility
In YouTube Studio, click on Channel from the left sidebar, then look for Feature eligibility. It’s like the control panel for what you can unlock. Here you’ll see three levels of features:
- Standard: Available if you haven’t got any community strikes. Usually default.
- Intermediate: Includes the big stuff—custom thumbnails, live streaming, longer videos—you gotta verify your phone number.
- Advanced: Needs ID or video checks for super high-tier features. Usually not needed unless you’re running a big channel.
On some accounts, this page feels kinda slow to load or sometimes doesn’t show everything immediately. Not sure why it works sometimes, then not in others, but once you see your options, it’s clearer what to do next.
Verify Your Phone Number to Unlock Major Features
This step’s the most straightforward, but also the most finicky sometimes. When you hit Verify phone number, you’ll need to:
- Select your country from the dropdown menu.
- Type in your phone number—double-check because mistakes here cost time.
- Click Next. Then wait for an SMS with a six-digit code.
Enter that code in the field that pops up. Sometimes, the SMS arrives quickly, but occasionally, it seems delayed or gets lost in the ether—refresh and try again if needed. On a few setups, the verification failed once, then worked after a reboot or re-trying. That’s pretty common with these things.
For the Fancy Stuff: Finish Up with Verified ID or Video
If you’re after the super advanced features, you’ll need to do a bit more. Choices are:
- Complete a video verification—don’t ask me why, but apparently YouTube wants to see your face.
- Provide an ID, like your passport or driver’s license—make sure it’s clear and up-to-date because blurry docs can stall everything.
Follow the prompts, upload the docs or record the video, then sit tight. Sometimes, this process takes a few hours or a day to confirm, so patience is key.
Wait for Confirmation—Don’t Freak Out
After submitting, check the status—it’ll say pending. Few minutes, few hours—depends. Once confirmed, your account is fully verified. In my experience, sometimes it fails the first time or gets stuck, and a reattempt or waiting a bit longer clears it up. If it still nags, double-check your ID info or try re-verifying.
Extra Tips & Common Shortcuts
Because of course, YouTube has to make this harder than it needs to be:
- Make sure your channel is clean—no strikes or bans—otherwise, it blocks verification.
- If the code doesn’t arrive, check your number’s accuracy, or ask for a new one—sometimes SMS delivery is spotty.
- When doing ID verification, use clear, high-quality photos or scans—no blurry messes, or it’ll delay everything.
Summary
- Head into YouTube Studio and open Settings.
- Go to Channel > Feature eligibility.
- Verify your phone number to access mid-tier features.
- Complete ID or video verification for super high-tier access.
- Wait for confirmation, then enjoy the unlocked features.
Wrap-up
Verifying your YouTube account isn’t exactly effortless, but once it’s done, it’s like flipping a switch—suddenly you get access to tools that can seriously improve your channel’s quality and reach. Sometimes things don’t go perfectly—and yeah, it feels like a bit of a maze—but following these steps usually gets results. Just keep an eye on your texts, use clear IDs, and don’t get discouraged if it takes a bit longer than expected.