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Quick answers
01How do I get verified on YouTube?
YouTube has two kinds of verification. Phone verification is open to every channel: confirm a code sent by text or voice call in YouTube Studio, and it unlocks longer videos, custom thumbnails and live streaming. The verification badge (the checkmark) needs 100,000 subscribers, 2-step verification on your Google account and a complete profile; you apply in YouTube Studio under Settings → Channel → Verified badge.
02How many subscribers do you need for the YouTube verification badge?
You need 100,000 subscribers to apply for the verification badge. Your Google account also needs 2-step verification, and the channel needs a banner, profile picture, description and at least one public video. Below 100,000, YouTube may verify channels that are well known outside YouTube on its own, but you cannot apply.
03What features does YouTube phone verification unlock?
Phone verification unlocks intermediate features: videos longer than 15 minutes, live streaming on a computer, custom thumbnails and podcasts. Advanced features, such as clickable links in descriptions, pinned comments, chapters and Content ID appeals, need channel history or an ID or video check on top.
04Is the YouTube verification badge the same as account verification?
No. Phone (account) verification unlocks features and shows no badge. The verification badge is the checkmark next to your channel name that marks it as the official channel. The badge unlocks no extra features.
05How do I unlock advanced features on YouTube?
Verify your phone first. Then YouTube grants advanced features once your channel has enough history (uploads, activity and account age), or sooner if you complete ID or video verification where YouTube offers it. There is no fixed waiting period.
YouTube has two kinds of verification, and most creators mix them up. Phone verification is open to every channel, takes a couple of minutes and unlocks features like custom thumbnails and longer videos. The verification badge is the checkmark next to your channel name, and it needs 100,000 subscribers. This guide covers both, step by step, from YouTube’s own help pages.
| You want | What you need | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Custom thumbnails, videos over 15 minutes, live streaming | Phone verification (anyone) | YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Feature eligibility |
| Clickable links, pinned comments, chapters, Content ID appeals | Advanced features: channel history, or ID or video verification | Same panel, after phone verification |
| The checkmark badge | 100,000 subscribers, 2-step verification, complete profile | YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Verified badge |
Jump to phone verification, advanced features or the badge.
Two Types of YouTube Verification
Before you start, know which verification you need. They solve different problems.
Account Verification vs. Channel Verification
📱
Account Verification
✓
Available to every channel
✓
Confirm a code by text or voice call
✓
Unlocks features: longer videos, custom thumbnails, live streaming
✗
No visible badge on your channel
✓
Channel Verification (Badge)
✓
Requires 100,000 subscribers
✓
YouTube reviews that the channel is authentic
✓
Visible checkmark next to your channel name
✗
Does not unlock extra features
Start with phone verification. It takes a couple of minutes and unlocks the features you need to publish properly. The badge is a milestone to work toward as you grow.
How to Verify Your YouTube Account
Phone verification is free, takes a couple of minutes, and is worth doing on day one. YouTube’s phone verification guide covers the details.
01
Step 01
Open the features panel
In YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Feature eligibility, find Intermediate features and click Verify phone number.
02
Step 02
Use the right account
Verify as the channel owner. For a Brand Account, the owner or a manager can verify.
03
Step 03
Choose text or voice call
Pick your country and how you want the code: text message or voice call.
04
Step 04
Enter the code
Type the code YouTube sends you and submit it. Intermediate features unlock straight away; check the panel to confirm.
Features You Unlock
YouTube groups features into three tiers (official list). Your own access is shown under Feature eligibility in Studio.
Features Unlocked by Verification
🎬
Videos over 15 minutes
For tutorials, vlogs and other long-form videos.
Intermediate
🖼️
Custom thumbnails
Upload your own thumbnail instead of a frame YouTube picks.
Intermediate
📡
Live streaming
Go live from a computer. Mobile live has its own rules.
Intermediate
🔗
Clickable links in descriptions
Link to your website, store or media kit from long-form videos.
Advanced
📌
Pin comments & chapters
Pin your own comment and add chapters, plus higher daily upload limits.
Advanced
🛡️
Content ID appeals
Appeal Content ID claims on your videos.
Advanced
How to Check Advanced Feature Access
Advanced features need phone verification first. Then YouTube grants them in one of three ways (official guide):
- Channel history. Enough activity (uploads, live streams, audience engagement) and account history. There is no fixed waiting period.
- ID verification, where offered: upload a valid ID whose birthdate matches your Google account. Review usually takes about 24 hours.
- Video verification, where offered: a short selfie video following on-screen prompts.
Only the primary channel owner can verify identity. Community Guidelines strikes can delay or restrict access, so check the panel before you promise a sponsor a pinned comment or a link in the description.
How to Get the Verification Badge
The verification badge is the checkmark next to your channel name. It tells viewers this is the official channel of the creator or brand. Requirements come from YouTube’s badge guide.
Eligibility requirements
📈Subscriber count
100,000 subscribers
You can’t apply below it. YouTube may verify smaller channels that are well known outside YouTube on its own, but you can’t request that.
🔐Account security
2-step verification on
Your Google account must have 2-step verification turned on before the Apply button appears.
🪪Complete profile
Banner, picture, description, a public video
The channel must be public, active and have content.
✅Authenticity
The real creator, brand or entity
YouTube reviews the channel after you apply and may look at things like channel age or ask for documents.
How to apply
Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer and go to Settings → Channel → Verified badge → Apply. If the Verified badge tab is missing, the channel hasn’t reached 100,000 subscribers yet. If you’ve only just crossed it, give it a few days to update. If 2-step verification or your profile is incomplete, Studio shows you what to fix before Apply appears.
What the Badge Gets You vs. What It Doesn’t
✕
What the badge doesn't give you
More views or subscribers — the badge doesn't change how YouTube recommends your videos
Extra features — thumbnails, live streaming and links come from phone and advanced verification, not the badge
Monetization — the YouTube Partner Program has its own requirements, separate from the badge
Brand deals on their own — sponsors still look at your views, audience and past work
Protection from strikes — verified channels follow the same Community Guidelines as everyone else
✓
What the badge gives you
Official identity — viewers can tell your channel apart from copies and fan accounts with similar names
A clear signal to brands — it shows a sponsor they are talking to the real channel
Grow Toward Verification
The road to 100,000 subscribers is a content problem, not a verification problem: consistent uploads, strong thumbnails and videos people watch to the end. To see which of your own uploads already do that, connect YouTube to ChatGPT and ask which videos beat your channel average and what their titles did differently.
A media kit shows brands your real numbers long before the badge. For the full growth playbook, see how to grow on YouTube. To land sponsors at any size, read how to find YouTube sponsors.
Explore more YouTube growth strategies in the Social Media Growth & Algorithms hub.
Your social memory, connected
Track your path to verification
Build a media kit from your connected channel with your subscribers, views and audience, so you're ready for sponsors at every milestone.
Free to start. One channel is enough to begin.
Mysocial connects YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Threads to one Content Memory that Claude and ChatGPT can use.
Social Media Growth & Algorithms
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