YouTube guide
Daniel Okonkwo writes about phones and mobile apps for Appcyclopedia, working on a MacBook Pro, a Pixel 9 Pro and an iPhone 15.
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Short answer
Under a video, select More, then Save, then New playlist (or Create new playlist on a computer). Type a name, choose the privacy, and select Create. The video is added, and the playlist is ready for more.
Choose the privacy as you create it: a private playlist is visible only to you, which is the safest start for a personal list.
Below: the steps on a phone and a computer, adding videos later, and where your playlists live.
How to make a YouTube playlist, on your phone or computer
To create a playlist on YouTube, start from a video you want in it. The first group covers the phone app, the second a computer, and the last covers adding more and finding the list.
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On a phone
Open a video and tap Save
In the YouTube app, open a video you want in the playlist. Below it, tap More if needed, then Save. YouTube saves it to the last playlist you used, or to Watch later, and shows a message at the bottom of the screen.
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Tap Change, then New playlist
In that message, tap Change to pick where the video goes, then tap New playlist. For a Short, tap More, Save to playlist, then New playlist.
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Name it, set the privacy and tap Create
Enter a name. Use the privacy box to choose who can see it; private means only you. Tap Create, and the playlist exists with this video in it.
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On a computer
Select More, Save, then Create new playlist
On the video’s page, select More (three dots), then Save, then Create new playlist. Type a name, choose the privacy in the box and select Create.
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Add more and find it
Add more videos to the playlist
On any other video, select Save and tick your playlist. A message confirms the video was added. You can add from search results too.
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Find your playlists under You
Open the You tab in the app, or You in the menu on a computer, to see every playlist you have made. Open one to play it in order, shuffle it or change its details.
Learning to cook: save a knife-skills video to a new private playlist called “Cooking basics”, then add each good recipe video you find. When you cook, open the playlist from You and work through it in order.
Make the playlist from the first video you want in it: YouTube adds that video as it creates the list, so it is never empty.
More about YouTube
Google’s video platform, for watching, uploading and live streaming.
When a video will not go into your YouTube playlist
- A video cannot be added from the home page
Videos made for kids cannot be added to a playlist from the home page. Search for the video and add it from the search results instead.
- The video went to Watch later instead
Save adds to your last playlist or Watch later by default. Tap Change in the message that appears and pick the right playlist.
- You cannot create any more public playlists today
YouTube limits how many public playlists a channel can create each day. Create it as private and change it to public later.
Private or not: who sees your playlist
The privacy setting decides whether a playlist is yours alone or something you can share.
| Privacy | Who can see it | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Only you | Personal lists, things to watch later |
| Unlisted | Anyone with the link | Sharing with a few people |
| Public | Anyone, and it can appear on your channel | Lists you want others to find |
Start private and change it when you want to share: a playlist’s privacy can be changed any time from its page.
Playlist or Watch later: which to use
Watch later is a single list for anything you mean to come back to. A playlist has a name and a theme, such as a course, a recipe collection or music for a party, and keeps its order.
Use Watch later as an inbox and move videos into named playlists when they belong together.
What to do after creating your first playlist
A playlist grows one Save at a time. Keep adding as you find videos, and open it from You when you want to watch them in order.
Save a video, choose New playlist, set the privacy and create it. If you later want a playlist only you can see, the guide to making a YouTube playlist private covers changing it.
YouTube playlists, answered
- Who can see my YouTube playlist?
- It depends on the privacy you chose. A private playlist is visible only to you; other settings let people with the link, or everyone, see it.
- Do I need a channel to make a playlist?
- You need to be signed in to a Google Account. Playlists are kept with your account and appear under You.
- Can I change the order of videos?
- Yes. Open the playlist and drag videos up or down, or sort them, from the playlist page.
- What is Watch later?
- A built-in private playlist for videos you want to come back to. It works like any other playlist but cannot be deleted.
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Test log
Followed the steps? Tell us how it went on your device. Entries appear here after we check them.
- Worked Every step, start to finish · Marta Kowalczyk and Elias Brandt Team
I tested this
Steps performed and confirmed 7 days ago
When you need this
If you want to keep videos together to watch later or share, create a YouTube playlist from the Save option under a video. You choose whether it is private or visible to others.
- Describes
- YouTube app for Android and iPhone · YouTube in a browser on a computer
- Takes
- Under a minute
- Platforms
- Web · iOS · Android
- Published
- 17 October 2026
- Facts checked
- 10 October 2026
Steps repeated and verified by 
Marta Kowalczyk and 
Elias Brandt
on
- Marta Kowalczyk: the iPhone steps on an iPhone 16 Pro (iOS 27.0.1) and the Android steps on a Galaxy A55 (Android 16).
- Elias Brandt: the web steps on a ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Windows 11 Pro).
YouTube 
