If you’ve ever accessed a public YouTube playlist or created one of your own, chances are you’ve seen a message alerting you of hidden or unavailable videos. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re trying to view specific content. However, there are methods to help you identify which videos are hidden or unavailable, and even potentially fix the issue.
Method 1: Using YouTube Playlist Settings
If you notice the unavailable video notice at the top of a playlist, you can scroll through the list to determine which videos are missing. Videos that are unlisted, set to private, or deleted will appear with a gray thumbnail and white text. However, if you’re not seeing any deleted or private video thumbnails, it’s possible that your playlist settings are configured to hide unavailable videos. Here’s how you can change this setting:
- Navigate to the main playlist page.
- Click the three stacked dots on the left to open the submenu.
- Select “Show Unavailable Videos”.
By enabling this setting, you should now be able to see which videos were deleted or made private. You might also come across video titles that are still visible in the playlist. If this is the case, you can use the title to search for the video elsewhere on YouTube or via a Google search. There may be instances where another user uploaded the same video or a re-upload was created by the same channel.
Method 2: Use The Wayback Machine
If you don’t have access to the titles of the unavailable videos, you can use a tool like the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to see the thumbnails of the currently unavailable content. Here’s how you can do it:
- Copy the URL of the YouTube playlist.
- Visit the Wayback Machine website.
- Paste the playlist URL into the search bar.
- Browse the available snapshots.
If there is a snapshot available from when the video was accessible, you will be able to see the title or thumbnail. However, it’s important to note that this method will only help you find the titles of unlisted or private videos. Unless you have the video link or are the owner, you will not be able to actually view the video unless it was archived.
Using the information obtained through the Wayback Machine, you can search YouTube to find similar content or re-uploads by the same creator. This can be helpful if you’re trying to find alternative sources for the unavailable videos.
In conclusion, while it may not be possible to directly access hidden or unavailable YouTube videos, you can still utilize these methods to identify which videos are missing from a playlist or discover the titles of unlisted or private videos. By doing so, you can either remove the hidden videos from your playlist or search for alternative sources of the content.
