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Transfer ownership of your legacy YouTube channel to a different Google account: Link to a Google+ Page

Update March 2019:  consumer Google+ is shutting down April 2, 2019. This will not affect your YouTube channel.
Update 17 March 2015: now you can move your Google+-connected channel to a different Google+ Profile or Page. Learn how to move your channel here: Transfer you YouTube channel to a different Google+ Profile or Page

Until this week, most YouTube channels that were created before May 2009 - so-called "legacy" accounts - could be moved from one Google account to another. Now YouTube is providing a different option: link your YouTube channel to a Google+ Page, and transfer ownership of that Page to the new owner's account.


If you open the advanced settings (www.youtube.com/account_advanced) of your legacy YouTube channel you should still see the option to "Change which Google Account is linked to this account".

Clicking "Change Google Accounts" takes you to www.youtube.com/my_account_unlink which now prompts you to link your YouTube channel to a Google+ Page.

Want to sign in to your channel with a different Google Account? Connect your channel to a Google+ page to add more channel manager accounts or transfer ownership of your channel.

If you choose to link your YouTube channel to a Google+ Page at this step, you will see a prompt to update your channel identity like this:

There should be at least three options: Keep your YouTube username (which creates a Google+ Page titled with your YouTube username), Choose a better name (which creates a Google+ Page with a new name), or Use your Google+ profile name (which links your channel to a personal Google+ Profile). The name of your YouTube channel will be the same as the Google+ Page or Profile that it's linked to.

If you want to be able to transfer ownership of your YouTube channel to a different Google account, you must link your channel to a Google+ Page.

A Google+ Page and its associated YouTube channel can have up to 50 different managers. After two weeks 24 hours, a manager of the Page can be promoted to owner. Ownership of the YouTube channel will be transferred along with the Page.

So what's the catch?

• After 14 days the link between your YouTube channel and its Google+ Page becomes permanent.

• You will not be able to link your YouTube channel to a Google+ Profile on a different Google account.

• Also be aware that Google+ Page name changes are limited to 3 changes per calendar year. That means you need to pick a name for your Google+ Page and YouTube channel that you would be happy to stick with for a while.

If you run into trouble you can contact YouTube 1:1 support for assistance.


Additional information: 

Options for updating your YouTube channel's account to a Google+ Page.

YouTube Help: Manage channels linked to a Google+ Page

Google+ Help: Transfer ownership of your Page

Last updated: March 2019

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