How to make a playlist on YouTube and share it (phone and computer)
Published: · 10 min read
To make a playlist on YouTube, open a video you want in it, tap or click More under the player, choose Save, then pick New playlist (on a computer: Create new playlist). Give the list a name, choose its privacy setting and confirm with Create. To share it, open the playlist and use Share, or copy the playlist page's address on a computer, and make sure the link contains the word playlist.
The steps below cover the YouTube app on iPhone and Android and youtube.com on a computer, followed by how to choose between public, unlisted and private, how to let friends add videos, and how to share the whole list rather than a single video from it. Menu names are taken from YouTube Help as of November 2026; the app's layout changes from time to time, so a button may sit in a slightly different place on your phone.
Quick reference
| Task | YouTube app (iPhone, Android) | Computer (youtube.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Create from a video | More under the video, Save, Change, New playlist, Create | More, Save, Create new playlist, Create |
| Create from a Short | More, Save to playlist, New playlist, Done | More, Save, Create new playlist, Create |
| Create from your history | Profile picture, New playlist in the Playlists section, pick videos, NEXT, CREATE | Not covered by YouTube Help for computers |
| Add a video | More, Save, pick the playlist | More, Save, tick the playlist |
| Share | Share on the playlist, or More next to it, Share | Copy the playlist page's URL |
How to make a playlist on a computer
- Go to the watch page of a video or Short you want in the playlist.
- Click More (the three dots) under the video, then Save. In some layouts Save is shown directly under the video; click it there.
- Click Create new playlist and type a name.
- Use the privacy box to choose Public, Unlisted or Private.
- Click Create.
To add more videos, open each one, click More and Save again, and tick the playlist. A message at the bottom of the screen confirms which list the video went into. The same menu lists Watch later, which is YouTube's built-in private list for videos you want to see later.
These steps follow YouTube's help article on creating and managing playlists.
How to make a playlist on iPhone or Android
The YouTube app gives you three ways in.
From a video
- Open the video in the YouTube app.
- Below the video, tap More, then Save. The app saves the video straight away to the playlist you used last, or to Watch later.
- On the pop-up that appears, tap Change to pick a different list.
- Tap New playlist and enter a name.
- Choose the privacy setting in the box.
- Tap Create.
From a Short
- Open the Short.
- Tap More, then Save to playlist, then New playlist.
- Enter a name and choose the privacy setting.
- Tap Done.
From your watch history
- Tap your profile picture to open the You page.
- In the Playlists section, tap New playlist.
- Select one or more videos from your watch history.
- Tap NEXT, give the playlist a title and set its privacy.
- Tap CREATE.
The steps are the same on iPhone, iPad and Android phones. Videos and channels marked as made for kids cannot be added to a playlist from the homepage, but YouTube Help says you can add them from search results.
Public, unlisted or private: which to choose
The privacy setting decides who can open your playlist and whether you can share it at all. This is YouTube's own comparison, from its help page on changing playlist privacy:
| Public | Unlisted | Private | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Link can be shared | Yes | Yes | No |
| Can be added to a channel section | Yes | Yes | No |
| Shows in search, related videos and recommendations | Yes | No | No |
| Posted on your channel | Yes | No | No |
| Shows in subscribers' feed | Yes | No | No |
| Ranked voting | Yes | Yes | No |
In practice:
- Public suits a series you want people to find, such as a tutorial course or every episode of a show. It appears on your channel and in search.
- Unlisted suits a list you send to specific people: a class, a team, a family trip. Anyone with the link can watch it, but it does not show up in search or on your channel.
- Private is for yourself. Only you can view it, and its link does not work for anyone else, so switch it to unlisted or public before you share.
The playlist's privacy is separate from the privacy of the videos in it. If the list contains a private video, the people you share it with only see that video if its owner has invited them. Also note that YouTube puts a daily limit on how many public playlists a channel can create, across the YouTube app, YouTube Music and the YouTube API. Help does not publish the number, and channels with advanced features get a higher limit.
Edit, reorder or delete a playlist
Change the privacy later. On a computer, go to the You tab, open Playlists, choose View full playlist under the list, and pick a new setting from the drop-down below its title. Creators can do the same in YouTube Studio: Content, then Playlists, the Details icon next to the list, Visibility, then Save. In the app, open the playlist, tap Edit, change the privacy setting and tap Save.
Reorder videos. Open the playlist and drag a video up or down. YouTube notes that this does not work for playlists that contain only Shorts.
Delete a playlist. In the app, tap your profile picture, open the playlist from the Playlists section, open its More menu, choose Delete playlist and confirm with DELETE. Deleting the list does not delete the videos in it, but its link stops working for everyone you shared it with.
Make a collaborative playlist
A collaborative playlist lets other people add videos to your list, for example a party queue or a group project. As of November 2026 this works on YouTube itself, not only on YouTube Music. Based on YouTube's help article on collaborating on playlists:
- Open your playlist (or create one first).
- Select Share.
- Choose Invite collaborators and pick who to invite.
- If the playlist is still private, YouTube asks you to make it shareable (unlisted or public) before the invite goes out.
What collaborators can and cannot do:
- They can add videos and remove the videos they added. You, as the owner, can remove any video.
- Collaborative playlists have voting on by default: signed-in viewers can vote videos up or down, one anonymous vote per video. You can set voting to Everyone, Collaborators only or Off in the playlist's Edit settings.
- YouTube says a playlist can have hundreds of collaborators and thousands of videos.
To end the collaboration, select the collaborators' profile photos at the top of the playlist and switch off Collaborate. That removes every collaborator at once; the videos they added stay in the list.
How to share a YouTube playlist
In the app:
- Open the playlist and tap Share, or go to the channel that owns it, tap Playlists at the top and tap More next to the list.
- Tap Share to send it to an app, or Copy link to copy the address.
On a computer: open the playlist page and copy the URL from the address bar. YouTube's advice is to look for the word playlist in the address, such as youtube.com/playlist?list=..., so you share the whole list and not one video in it. If you are watching a video from the list, click the playlist title in the box on the right to get to the playlist page first.
That check matters because a link like youtube.com/watch?v=...&list=... opens one particular video with the playlist queued next to it. It still works, but viewers start at that video instead of at the top of the list. The Share button under a video you are playing may give you a link to just that video, so check what you copied before you send it.
Two more limits from YouTube Help: the mobile website (m.youtube.com) can only share videos, not playlists, so use the app or a computer; and a private playlist cannot be shared at all. Our guide to copying any YouTube link covers the same buttons for videos, Shorts and channels.
Sharing a playlist on Instagram, TikTok or in print
A playlist link is long, and when someone taps a plain YouTube link inside Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, it usually opens in that app's built-in browser rather than in the YouTube app. A short link helps with both. Ytgo accepts playlist links, free and without an account, and the short link never expires. When it is tapped inside Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, it asks the phone to open the YouTube app at the same playlist, with a browser fallback if the app is not installed.
Every short link also comes with a QR code to download, which is useful for a printed course handout or a poster; our YouTube QR code guide explains sizes and testing. For the Instagram side (bio, Story link sticker, DMs), see how to share a YouTube video on Instagram; the same places work for a playlist.
To get a short link for your playlist, paste its address into the YouTube link shortener.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a playlist on YouTube on my phone?
Open a video in the YouTube app, tap More below it, then Save, then Change on the pop-up. Tap New playlist, type a name, choose the privacy setting and tap Create. You can also start from your profile picture: tap New playlist in the Playlists section and pick videos from your watch history.
How do I share a YouTube playlist with someone?
Make sure the playlist is public or unlisted, then open it and tap Share, or tap More next to it on the channel's Playlists tab and choose Share or Copy link. On a computer, copy the address of the playlist page; it should contain the word playlist. Private playlists cannot be shared.
What is the difference between an unlisted and a private playlist?
Anyone with the link can watch an unlisted playlist, but it does not appear in search or on your channel. A private playlist can only be viewed by you, and its link does not work for other people.
Can other people add videos to my YouTube playlist?
Yes, if you invite them as collaborators. Open the playlist, select Share, then Invite collaborators. The playlist has to be unlisted or public, and collaborators can add videos and remove the ones they added.
Why does my shared playlist link open only one video?
You probably shared a video link with the playlist attached (watch?v=...&list=...) instead of the playlist page. Open the playlist page itself and copy that address, which looks like youtube.com/playlist?list=..., or use the Share button on the playlist rather than on a video.
Does deleting a playlist delete the videos in it?
No. Deleting a playlist removes only the list, not the videos, which stay on YouTube under their owners' channels. The playlist's link stops working, so update any place where you shared it.