How to Watch Deleted YouTube Videos with the URL: A Comprehensive Guide
It’s frustrating to encounter a deleted YouTube video, especially when you had the link saved or were looking forward to watching it again. YouTube videos can be removed for various reasons, including copyright claims, violation of YouTube’s terms of service, or at the creator’s discretion. Fortunately, even if a video is officially deleted, there are still methods you can explore to potentially access or find traces of it. This comprehensive guide will walk you through several techniques to try and watch deleted YouTube videos using the URL.
Why Videos Get Deleted from YouTube
Before diving into the methods, it’s helpful to understand why videos disappear from YouTube in the first place. Understanding the reasons can sometimes provide clues on where else to look for the content.
* **Copyright Infringement:** This is one of the most common reasons. If a video uses copyrighted material (music, video clips, etc.) without permission, the copyright holder can file a claim, leading to the video’s removal.
* **Violation of YouTube’s Terms of Service:** YouTube has strict guidelines regarding content, including hate speech, violence, nudity, and harmful activities. Videos violating these terms are often taken down.
* **Community Guidelines Strikes:** Repeated violations of YouTube’s community guidelines can result in strikes against the channel. Accumulating too many strikes can lead to channel termination and removal of all videos.
* **Creator’s Decision:** Sometimes, creators themselves choose to delete videos for personal reasons, rebranding efforts, or because the content is outdated or no longer reflects their views.
* **Privacy Concerns:** If a video contains personal information or portrays individuals in a way that raises privacy concerns, it might be removed to comply with privacy laws or upon request.
Methods to Watch Deleted YouTube Videos with the URL
Even with a deleted video, all hope isn’t lost. Here’s a detailed look at several approaches you can try:
1. The Wayback Machine (Internet Archive)
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web. It takes snapshots of websites at different points in time. There’s a chance that the Wayback Machine crawled and archived the deleted YouTube video page.
**Steps:**
1. **Copy the Deleted YouTube Video URL:** Obtain the exact URL of the deleted video. This is crucial for the Wayback Machine to search for the correct archived page.
2. **Visit the Wayback Machine Website:** Go to [https://archive.org/web/](https://archive.org/web/).
3. **Enter the URL:** In the search bar, paste the deleted YouTube video URL.
4. **Browse the Archive:** If the Wayback Machine has snapshots of the page, a calendar will appear, highlighting the dates when the page was archived. Click on a highlighted date to view the archived version of the page.
5. **Check for the Video:** On the archived page, look for the video player. If the video was successfully archived, you might be able to watch it directly on the Wayback Machine.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Not All Videos Are Archived:** The Wayback Machine doesn’t archive every single page on the internet. It’s possible that the specific YouTube video page you’re looking for was never crawled.
* **Video Quality:** Even if the page is archived, the video quality might be lower than the original.
* **Embedded Videos:** Sometimes, only the page layout is archived, but the video itself is not. This means you might see the video player, but it won’t load or play the video.
2. Google Cache
Google Cache stores snapshots of web pages that Google has crawled. If Google crawled the YouTube video page before it was deleted, you might be able to access a cached version.
**Steps:**
1. **Copy the Deleted YouTube Video URL:** Again, make sure you have the exact URL.
2. **Use the `cache:` Operator:** In the Google search bar, type `cache:` followed immediately by the URL of the deleted video (e.g., `cache:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxxxxx`).
3. **Access the Cached Version:** If Google has a cached version, it will display the cached page. Look for the video player on the cached page.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Cache Expiration:** Google’s cache is dynamic and updates regularly. If the video was deleted a long time ago, the cached version is likely to have expired.
* **Limited Functionality:** The cached version might not have full functionality. You might be able to see the page, but the video might not play.
* **Text-Only Version:** In some cases, Google might only have a text-only version of the cached page, which won’t include the video itself.
3. Other Video Archive Sites
Besides the Wayback Machine, other websites specialize in archiving videos. These sites might have archived the deleted YouTube video.
**Examples:**
* **WebCite:** WebCite is an archiving service primarily focused on scholarly and scientific content, but it can sometimes archive other types of web pages as well.
* **Stillio:** Stillio captures daily screenshots of websites, which could potentially include YouTube video pages.
**Steps:**
1. **Search on Video Archive Sites:** Visit these alternative archiving sites and search for the deleted YouTube video URL.
2. **Browse Archives:** If the site has archived the page, you might be able to view the archived version and potentially watch the video.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Limited Coverage:** These sites might not have as extensive coverage as the Wayback Machine.
* **Varying Archiving Policies:** Each site has its own archiving policies and criteria, so the chances of finding a specific video vary.
4. Search on Other Video Platforms
The video might have been uploaded to other video platforms besides YouTube. The creator might have cross-posted the video on different platforms.
**Examples:**
* **Vimeo:** Vimeo is a popular video-sharing platform known for its high-quality video content.
* **Dailymotion:** Dailymotion is another major video platform with a large user base.
* **Facebook Watch:** Facebook’s video platform hosts a wide variety of videos, including content that might also be on YouTube.
* **Internet Archive (Video Section):** The Internet Archive itself hosts a video section where users upload various video content. It is different from the Wayback Machine.
**Steps:**
1. **Search by Video Title and Description:** Try searching for the video using its title or a description of its content on these other platforms.
2. **Search by Channel Name:** If you know the channel name of the original uploader, search for their channel on these platforms.
3. **Use Relevant Keywords:** Use keywords related to the video’s topic in your search queries.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Title and Description Accuracy:** The accuracy of your search depends on having the correct title and description of the video.
* **Copyright Issues:** If the video was deleted from YouTube due to copyright issues, it might also be removed from other platforms if the copyright holder files a claim there as well.
5. Social Media and Forums
People might have shared or discussed the video on social media platforms or online forums. Searching these platforms could lead you to a working link or a mirror of the video.
**Examples:**
* **Twitter:** Search for the video URL or relevant keywords on Twitter.
* **Reddit:** Check relevant subreddits related to the video’s topic.
* **Facebook:** Search for the video URL or keywords on Facebook.
* **Online Forums:** Search on forums related to the video’s topic or the creator’s channel.
**Steps:**
1. **Search for the URL:** Try searching for the exact URL of the deleted video on these platforms.
2. **Search for Keywords:** Use relevant keywords related to the video’s topic or the creator’s channel.
3. **Check for Discussions:** Look for discussions or posts mentioning the video.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Link Rot:** Links shared on social media and forums can become broken over time.
* **Limited Information:** Even if you find discussions about the video, it might not always lead to a working link.
6. Contact the Uploader
If you know the uploader of the video, consider contacting them directly. They might be willing to share the video with you privately or provide information about why it was deleted.
**Steps:**
1. **Find Contact Information:** Look for the uploader’s contact information on their YouTube channel (if it’s still active) or on other social media platforms.
2. **Send a Polite Message:** Send a polite message explaining that you’re looking for the deleted video and ask if they can share it with you.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Privacy:** The uploader might not be willing to share the video due to privacy concerns or other reasons.
* **Availability:** The uploader might not have the video readily available anymore.
7. YouTube Downloaders (Use with Caution)
If you had previously downloaded the video using a YouTube downloader, you might still have a copy on your computer or device. If you haven’t, you could try searching for the video using parts of the title or description on less reputable video sharing sites; be *extremely* cautious using this method, as such sites often host malware.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Legality:** Downloading videos from YouTube without permission can violate YouTube’s terms of service and copyright laws. Only download videos if you have the permission of the copyright holder.
* **Security Risks:** Downloading files from untrusted sources can expose your computer or device to malware and viruses. Only download videos from reputable sources.
* **Quality:** The quality of downloaded videos might be lower than the original.
8. Check Your Own Devices and Backups
It’s possible you, or someone you know, downloaded or recorded the video. Check your own computers, external hard drives, phones, and cloud backups.
**Steps:**
1. **Search for Video Files:** Search your devices for video files with names or descriptions related to the deleted YouTube video.
2. **Check Cloud Backups:** Check your cloud storage services (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) for backups of your files.
3. **Ask Friends and Family:** Ask friends and family members if they might have downloaded or recorded the video.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Storage Space:** You might need to have sufficient storage space on your devices or cloud backups to store the video file.
* **File Organization:** Make sure your files are organized in a way that makes it easy to find the video.
9. Consider Automated YouTube Mirror Sites (Use with extreme caution)
Some automated services claim to mirror YouTube content. These can be risky due to copyright and security concerns. These sites may claim to have archives of videos, but often host malicious content or broken links.
**Important Considerations:**
* **Copyright Issues:** Such sites rarely have permission to redistribute content.
* **Security Risks:** These sites often host malware.
* **Reliability:** The content on these sites is very often out of date or unavailable.
10. Understanding YouTube’s Removal Policies
A deep understanding of YouTube’s policies can sometimes provide insights into where else the video might be, or the chances of it resurfacing.
* **Copyright Strikes:** If a video receives three copyright strikes, the channel is terminated and all videos are removed. In this case, finding the video elsewhere becomes less likely.
* **Community Guidelines Strikes:** Similar to copyright strikes, repeated violations of community guidelines can lead to channel termination.
* **Privacy Complaints:** If a video is removed due to a privacy complaint, it’s unlikely to be available elsewhere.
Ethical Considerations
Before attempting to watch or share deleted YouTube videos, it’s important to consider the ethical implications:
* **Respect Copyright:** Only access or share videos if you have the permission of the copyright holder.
* **Respect Privacy:** Avoid accessing or sharing videos that violate someone’s privacy.
* **Be Mindful of Content:** Be aware of the content of the video and avoid sharing content that is offensive, harmful, or illegal.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
* **Wayback Machine Not Working:** If the Wayback Machine is not working, try again later or check if the site is experiencing technical issues.
* **Google Cache Not Available:** If Google Cache is not available, the cached version might have expired.
* **Video Not Playing:** If the video is not playing on an archived page, the video file might not have been archived.
* **Link is Broken:** If a link is broken, the video might have been removed from the platform or the link might be incorrect.
Conclusion
While watching deleted YouTube videos with the URL can be challenging, the methods outlined in this guide provide several avenues to explore. From leveraging the Wayback Machine and Google Cache to searching other video platforms and contacting the uploader, there’s a chance you might be able to find or access the deleted video. Remember to consider the ethical implications and use these methods responsibly. Good luck with your search!