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Heroes of Might and Magic 3Hacked Channel Recovery
To recover a hacked YouTube channel, first recover the Google Account that owns it (password reset and Google's account recovery), then undo the hacker's changes with YouTube Studio's cleanup tool, then secure the account with 2-Step Verification; YouTube's hacked channel assistant helps in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
A hacked YouTube channel is recovered in three steps, in this order (Recover a hacked YouTube channel): recover the Google Account that owns the channel (change the password if you can still sign in, or use Google's account recovery at g.co/recover if you cannot), undo the hacker's changes to the channel, ideally with YouTube Studio's cleanup tool, and secure the account so it cannot happen again. YouTube's hacked channel assistant, a chat linked from its Help page, walks anyone through it in English, Spanish or Portuguese, and Creator Support can help channels in the YouTube Partner Program once the Google Account is back. Act fast: YouTube supports only incidents from the past 9 months.
Quick facts
| Step 1 | Recover the Google Account (g.co/recover) |
| Step 2 | Clean up the channel (Studio's cleanup tool, or by hand) |
| Step 3 | Secure the account: 2-Step Verification with a passkey |
| Hacked channel assistant | Chat in English, Spanish and Portuguese |
| Time limit | Incidents from the past 9 months |
| Cleanup edits | Changeable for usually 30 days after you submit |
| Terminated after the hack | Appeal once the Google Account is recovered |
Sources: Recover a hacked YouTube channel and Clean up a hacked YouTube channel, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026.
Signs your YouTube channel was hacked
- Changes you did not make: a new profile picture, name, handle, banner or description, a changed email setting or AdSense for YouTube link, messages you did not send.
- Videos you did not upload, sometimes followed by emails about penalties or strikes.
- You can no longer sign in, or Google emails you about a password change or a new sign-in.
The usual causes are malware and phishing: suspicious links in spam or fake sponsorship emails, downloads from sources you do not trust, and fake software updates (Secure your YouTube channel).
Step 1: Recover the Google Account
The channel belongs to a Google Account, so YouTube cannot give a channel back until the account is yours again.
- If you can still sign in: change the password at once to a strong one you have not used before, then run Google's Security Checkup and remove devices, recovery details and apps you do not recognize.
- If you cannot sign in: go to g.co/recover (Google's account recovery) and answer the questions as fully as you can. Reset the password when asked.
- Everyone with access: if managers or editors also use the channel, each must secure their own Google Account, since any of them can be the way in.
George Vanous, who runs the Freedom! network, had a Google Account deleted by a hacker in 2019 and got it back; in his video the one detail Google asked for was the month he created the account. His advice is to look up the first email your account ever received now, and keep a note of that month for the day you need it.
Step 2: Clean up the channel
The cleanup tool: owners and managers can open YouTube Studio's cleanup tool, which lists unusual activity when YouTube has detected some (Clean up a hacked YouTube channel):
- On a computer, open the cleanup tool in YouTube Studio (linked from YouTube Help's cleanup page) and click Start review.
- Check activity: tick the changes you made yourself (or I made all changes), then Next.
- Review plan: read how YouTube will fix the rest, then Next.
- Check permissions: remove anyone who should not have access, then Next.
- Submit, after the extra steps listed.
YouTube makes the changes within a few hours and emails a link to follow the request. You can edit the review until the date in that email, usually 30 days; changes marked as not yours cannot be undone.
By hand, or to finish the job:
- Uploads: delete videos the hacker uploaded if they carry no strikes or claims. If they brought Community Guidelines or copyright strikes, do not just delete them: contact YouTube to start an investigation.
- People: remove unknown users in Channel Permissions, or from the Brand Account.
- Identity: restore the channel name, handle, profile picture and banner quickly: YouTube warns that a channel left looking like someone else's brand can be permanently suspended for trademark infringement.
- Everything else: comments made as your channel, playlists, thumbnails, subscriptions, and AdSense and Content Manager settings.
Step 3: Secure the account
Turn on 2-Step Verification, preferably with a passkey or security key, add a recovery phone and email, and keep your channel's email separate from accounts you use elsewhere (Secure your YouTube channel). Share access only through channel permissions, never by sharing a password. YouTube warns it cannot always confirm the hacker is gone, so review the channel again after a few days.
George Vanous's Aug 16, 2020 video "How to NOT GET HACKED on YouTube!" tells how a Freedom! partner's hacked channel was recovered and what the network learned about protecting channels; it predates passkeys and the cleanup tool, so follow today's Help steps above.
If YouTube terminated the hacked channel
Hijacked channels are often terminated for what the hacker posted. YouTube Creators' recovery video adds that once the Google Account is back, the email YouTube sent about the termination explains that the channel was compromised and how to appeal. Recover the Google Account first, then appeal with YouTube's appeal form; an appeal can be refused while recovery is incomplete (Recover a hacked YouTube channel). See Channel Termination.
Getting help
- Hacked channel assistant: a chat linked from the top of YouTube's hacked channel Help page, open to anyone, in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Creator Support: for eligible creators, such as channels in the YouTube Partner Program, once the Google Account is recovered. See YouTube Support.
- @TeamYouTube on X: YouTube's page sends creators who cannot reach Creator Support there, though @TeamYouTube itself says hacked channels should go to Creator Support (Get help from @TeamYouTube on X).
Frequently asked questions
How do I recover my hacked YouTube channel? Recover the Google Account first at g.co/recover or by changing the password, then use YouTube Studio's cleanup tool to undo the hacker's changes, then turn on 2-Step Verification. YouTube's hacked channel assistant can guide you through each step.
Can YouTube restore a hacked channel after it was deleted or terminated? A terminated channel can be appealed once the Google Account is recovered. YouTube supports hacking incidents only from the past 9 months, so older cases may not be recoverable.
Should I delete the videos the hacker uploaded to my YouTube channel? Yes, if they have no strikes or claims. If they brought strikes or copyright claims, contact YouTube first so it can investigate and remove the penalties.
How do I contact YouTube about a hacked channel? Use the hacked channel assistant chat on YouTube Help's hacked channel page. Creators in the YouTube Partner Program can also reach Creator Support after recovering the Google Account.
How do hackers get into YouTube channels? YouTube names malware and phishing as the usual causes, such as links in fake sponsorship emails and untrusted downloads. Passkeys and security keys protect best against phishing.
Sources
- Recover a hacked YouTube channel, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Clean up a hacked YouTube channel, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Secure your YouTube channel, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Get help from @TeamYouTube on X, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Recover a Hacked Channel, YouTube Creators, Sep 29, 2025 (video)
- How to NOT GET HACKED on YouTube!, Freedom!, Aug 16, 2020 (video)
- Hacker deleted my Google account! - How I recovered it, Freedom!, Mar 10, 2019 (video)
Moments
Recover a Hacked Channel
YouTube Creators
- A hacked YouTube channel is recovered in three steps, in this order (Recover a hacked YouTube channel): recover the…
- Turn on 2-Step Verification, preferably with a passkey or security key, add a recovery phone and email, and keep your…
- Hijacked channels are often terminated for what the hacker posted. YouTube Creators' recovery video adds that once the…
Related
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Content IDContent ID is YouTube's automatic copyright system, which scans every upload against reference files from rights holders and places a claim on a match that blocks, monetizes or tracks the video. A claim is not a strike, and only owners of exclusive rights to a large body of often-uploaded material qualify to use it.
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Copyright StrikesA YouTube copyright strike comes when a video is removed after a legal takedown request. It expires after 90 days once you complete Copyright School, and three active strikes put the channel up for termination.
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Counter NotificationsA YouTube counter notification is the legal request to restore a video removed for copyright by mistake or misidentification. The claimant gets 10 US business days to show they have sued; if not, YouTube puts the video back.
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Disputing Copyright ClaimsTo dispute a Content ID claim on YouTube, open YouTube Studio > Content, hover over Claims, click See details, then Take action > Dispute. Dispute within 5 days of the claim and the video's revenue is held for whoever wins.
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Fair Use on YouTubeFair use is a US legal defense judged on four factors: purpose, the nature of the work, how much is used and the effect on its market. YouTube says it cannot decide fair use; only courts can, and no disclaimer makes a video fair use.
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Music on YouTubeThe music YouTube itself calls copyright-safe is in the Audio Library in YouTube Studio, free to use and monetize. Creator Music lets Partner Program creators share a video's revenue with a song's rights holders, and an artist's permission alone does not make a channel eligible to earn.
- Creator AwardsYouTube Creator Awards are the Play Buttons YouTube sends channels that pass a review at 100,000 subscribers (Silver), 1 million (Gold), 10 million (Diamond) and 100 million (Red Diamond). Subscribers alone are not enough: the channel must be active, original and free of recent strikes.
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Custom ThumbnailsYouTube recommends custom thumbnails of 3840 x 2160 for videos (2160 x 3840 for Shorts), at least 640 pixels wide, in JPG or PNG, up to 50 MB on a computer or 2 MB on a phone. Uploading one needs a verified account; Shorts thumbnails are set only in YouTube Studio on a computer.
See also
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Channel PermissionsYouTube channel permissions let an owner give other Google Accounts the Manager, Editor, Editor (limited), Subtitle editor, Viewer or Viewer (limited) role in YouTube Studio under Settings > Permissions, without sharing a password. Transferring a channel to a new primary owner needs a Brand Account and a 7-day wait.
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HandlesA YouTube handle is a channel's unique @name, 3 to 30 characters long. Change it in YouTube Studio under Customization > Profile > Handle, or at youtube.com/handle, up to twice in 14 days.
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2-Step VerificationYouTube requires 2-Step Verification on the Google Account of every channel in the YouTube Partner Program (to use YouTube Studio since Nov 1, 2021) and of every channel applying for the verification badge; YouTube recommends a passkey as the second step because it resists phishing best.
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Channel TerminationYouTube terminates a channel for three strikes in 90 days, repeated violations, one case of severe abuse or a channel dedicated to breaking a policy. You can appeal in YouTube Studio within a year, twice, and a pilot lets some terminated creators ask for a new channel after a year.
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YouTube Partner ProgramThe YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is how creators earn from YouTube. Ads need 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days; fan funding and Shopping open earlier, at 500 subscribers. New applicants need 8,000 hours or 20 million Shorts views from Feb 1, 2027.
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YouTube SupportOnly eligible creators, such as channels in the YouTube Partner Program, can chat with or email YouTube Creator Support, from the Chat button in YouTube Studio or the Help Center; everyone else gets the Help Center, the YouTube Help Community and @TeamYouTube on X.