Verify your YouTube account

To verify your channel, you’ll be asked to enter a phone number. We’ll send a verification code by text or voice call to that phone number.

Once you've verified your account, you can:

• Upload videos longer than 15 minutes
• Add custom thumbnails
• Live stream
• Appeal Content ID claims

You may also be asked to verify your account when you sign up.

Why does YouTube ask for my phone number?

We take spam and abuse seriously. Using phone numbers to verify identity is one way to protect our community and combat abuse.

We use the phone number to send you a verification code. We also make sure the phone number is not being used on many different accounts.

I haven't received the verification code

You should get the code immediately. If you haven't, you can request a new code. Make sure you're not running into one of these common problems:

• Some countries/regions and carriers don't support text messages from Google: Most mobile carriers support text messages from Google. If your carrier doesn't support text messages from Google, you can try the voice call option, or use a different phone number.
• There are too many accounts with the same phone number: If you get the error message, "This phone number has already created the maximum number of accounts," you'll have to use a different number. To help prevent abuse, we limit the number of accounts that can be associated with each phone number.
• Text message delivery can be delayed: Delays can happen in densely populated areas, or if your carrier's infrastructure isn't well maintained. If you've waited more than a few minutes and still haven't received our text message, try the voice call option.