How-To

How to Message Someone on YouTube (DMs Are Back, Partly)

Updated 10 min read
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You can message people on YouTube again, but not everywhere. YouTube documents video sharing and messaging only in the YouTube app on a phone or tablet, for users 18 or older who are signed in to a YouTube channel, in a listed set of countries and regions that includes the United States and the United Kingdom. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

If you’re outside those countries, under 18 or on a computer, YouTube documents no direct messaging for you. Below is how to message someone on YouTube where the feature exists, why it fails, and the official ways to reach a creator without it. Run a channel? The contact settings here sit alongside the rest of our plan for growing a YouTube channel.

Table of Contents

Can you send a direct message on YouTube?

Only in the countries and regions YouTube lists. Its help page names 40: American Samoa, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Canada, India and Australia aren’t on it, and YouTube says access is limited and subject to change. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

This is YouTube’s second go at messages. Its first messaging feature launched in 2017 and was switched off after 18 September 2019; announcing the change, TeamYouTube said YouTube would focus on public conversations such as comments and posts. Checked against YouTube Help Community (TeamYouTube): Heads Up - We're removing the ability to message directly on YouTube after September 18 (20 Aug 2019)

On 10 June 2026 the YouTube Official Blog announced it was starting to expand in-app video sharing and messaging to the U.S. and other locations for users 18 and older, through a new messaging icon in the YouTube app. The feature was already live in some other countries by then, though YouTube gives no launch date for them. Checked against YouTube Official Blog: Expanding ways to share on YouTube (10 Jun 2026)

New to the term? Here’s what DM means across apps.

How to message someone on YouTube in the app

Tap Share on a video and pick a contact, or send an invite link from Messages that the other person can Allow or Decline. YouTube publishes these steps only for the YouTube app on Android phones and tablets and on iPhone and iPad, not for a computer: Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

On any device: Share when watching (YouTube app on Android or iPhone):

  1. Open the YouTube app on your mobile device.
  2. Find the content you want to share.
  3. Tap the Share button.
  4. Tap the contact you want to message the video to, or tap Invite to message on YouTube to send an invite through another app.

On any device: Invite others:

  1. Tap Messages at the top right, then Invite to chat.
  2. Share the invite link with who you want to invite.
  3. The person who gets the message will have the option to Allow or Decline the messages.
  4. If the message invite is accepted, you can share content and messages with that person directly on YouTube.

On any device: Unsend a message:

  1. Open the YouTube app on your mobile device.
  2. Tap Messages at the top right.
  3. Tap on a conversation to view it.
  4. Long press on a message you'd like to unsend.
  5. Tap Unsend.
  6. Confirm by tapping Unsend again.

Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube.

Your conversations live under Messages at the top right of the app. You can delete a whole conversation, but the other person will still see it. By default, eligible people who open links you share can reply to you on YouTube; to share without connecting, turn off “channel visibility for shared links” in your privacy settings. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

Why can’t I message someone on YouTube?

Usually because one of YouTube’s conditions isn’t met. Work through them in order: Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

  • Age and channel. You must be 18 or older and signed in to a YouTube channel.
  • Location. Your country or region has to be on the list above.
  • Device. YouTube documents messaging only in the YouTube app on a phone or tablet.
  • The invite. The other person has to tap Allow, and invite links are valid for 7 days.
  • Spam limits. YouTube limits how many messages a sender can send “to help prevent spam” and doesn’t publish the number.
  • Brand Accounts. YouTube’s page carries this note, word for word: “This feature is currently only available for channel owners of Brand Accounts, not moderators or delegates.” Our YouTube Brand Account guide explains owner and manager roles and how to check whether your channel uses one.

YouTube explains two error messages. “Can’t access link” means you aren’t in an available country or region, aren’t 18 or older, or aren’t signed in to a YouTube channel; “This feature isn’t available” means the feature isn’t yet supported for all users. A message can also fail to send over a poor connection, when you send too many at once, when it may break the Community Guidelines, or on an out-of-date app or device. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

If someone has blocked you, YouTube doesn’t tell you; you’ll just see that you can no longer message them. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

How do I message a YouTuber privately?

Email them, if they’ve published a business address. Open the channel, click the channel description to open the About section and select View email address; YouTube gives the same steps for a computer and for Android. The address appears only if the channel owner has added one. Checked against YouTube Help: Business Inquiry Emails

YouTube’s messaging is no way to cold-message a channel: a chat only opens with someone who accepts your invite or replies to something you shared. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube The other official routes are public, so stick to the ones the creator publishes:

Running a channel yourself? Publish a contact email so people don’t have to guess:

On a computer:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left menu, select Customization, then Profile.
  3. Under Contact info, enter your email.
  4. Click PUBLISH.

Checked against YouTube Help: Manage your channel's basic info.

How do you block or report messages on YouTube?

Block someone from the conversation’s menu, and report a message by tapping and holding it.

On any device: Block from your inbox:

  1. Open the YouTube app on your mobile device.
  2. At the top right, tap Messages.
  3. Tap the conversation with the person you want to block.
  4. In the top right corner, tap the Menu, then Block messages.

On any device: Report a message:

  1. Open the YouTube app.
  2. Go to the message that you want to report.
  3. Tap and hold the message, then Report.
  4. Select the reason why you want to report the conversation.
  5. Tap Report.

Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube.

The person you block isn’t notified. To unblock them, go to myaccount.google.com/blocklist, or to Settings > Privacy > Blocked contacts. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

Know what you’re sharing. YouTube says messages may be reviewed against its Community Guidelines and for safety, are encrypted as they’re sent and stored, and aren’t used for ads targeting. It doesn’t call that end-to-end encryption, and its systems may scan messages for content that breaks its policies. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube Anyone you connect with can see your channel name and handle, your public videos and playlists, and your public subscriptions; playlists and subscriptions are private by default. Checked against YouTube Help: Video sharing & messaging on YouTube

Can Outfeed send YouTube messages for you?

Visit Outfeed AI

YouTube messaging FAQ

Did YouTube bring back messages?

Partly. YouTube removed its first messaging feature after 18 September 2019. It now documents video sharing and messaging in the YouTube app for users 18 or older in listed countries and regions, and on 10 June 2026 it announced it was starting to expand the feature to the U.S. and other locations. Canada, India and Australia aren’t on the list.

Why can’t I message someone on YouTube?

YouTube’s messaging needs you to be 18 or older, signed in to a YouTube channel, in a listed country or region and in the YouTube app on a mobile device. The other person must also allow your invite, and invite links expire after 7 days. YouTube’s page also notes: “This feature is currently only available for channel owners of Brand Accounts, not moderators or delegates.”

Can you message on YouTube from a computer?

Not according to YouTube’s help pages. Its article on video sharing and messaging has versions for Android phones and tablets and for iPhone and iPad only, and its steps are written for the YouTube app on a mobile device. On a computer you can still comment if you have a channel, or email a channel that has published a business email.

How do I find a YouTuber’s business email?

Go to their channel, click the channel description to open the About section and select View email address. The address appears only if the channel owner has added one. Creators add it in YouTube Studio under Customization, then Profile, then Contact info.

Where is the YouTube inbox?

Where messaging is available, your conversations are under Messages at the top right of the YouTube app on a mobile device. It holds chats only with people who accepted your invite or replied to something you shared, so it isn’t an inbox for messaging any channel you choose.

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