YouTube Says You Are Under 18: How to Verify

You open YouTube and something has changed. Videos you used to watch are blocked behind an age wall, the ads look different, or, if you run a channel, your new uploads are being set to private and live gifts have disappeared. YouTube thinks you are under 18, and you are an adult who has never said otherwise.

The short answer: YouTube says it uses an age estimation model, and if the model decides you are under 18 it applies teen protections automatically. YouTube also says that if you believe the model is wrong, you can verify your age through your Google Account with a government ID, a credit card or a selfie. Google adds that not every option is available to every account or region.

This guide explains what the model does, what changes on a flagged account, how the verification routes work, what to do if one fails and what to avoid.

Last checked: 24 October 2026.

#Why Does YouTube Say I Am Under 18?

YouTube's age estimation page says users tell YouTube their age when they make an account, and that YouTube also uses an age estimation model "to determine if a user is over or under the age of 18." It says it does this regardless of the birthdate in the account, in order to put protections in place for more teens.

The page says that if the model decides a user is under 18, standard protections for teen users are applied automatically. It does not say which signals the model uses, so we cannot tell you what triggered the decision on your account. The page describes the result as teen protections being applied, not as a penalty.

On where it applies, the page says the model is currently used in several countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the US and countries in the European Economic Area. It says YouTube will continue expanding to more countries. Malaysia is named on that list, so a Malaysian adult can be flagged.

The page also carries a note that age estimation is not used for accessing advanced features, and it links to a separate page on getting access to intermediate and advanced features.

#What Changes on a Flagged Account?

YouTube lists changes for viewers and extra changes for creators. These are the items on its page.

The page adds one point for channel owners. Audience reports in analytics currently only show viewership by the age a user set during account creation, so they do not reflect users the model has estimated as under 18. YouTube says it is working on this.

If your problem is a single video behind an age wall rather than your whole account, that is a different issue. Our guide to an age-restricted video appeal covers it, and YouTube's pages on appealing an age restriction and age-restricting your own video cover video-level limits.

#How Do I Verify My Age?

YouTube's page says: "If you believe the age estimation model has incorrectly determined your age, you can always verify your age by submitting your government ID, credit card or selfie through a verification process in your Google Account." It points to Google's page on accessing age-restricted content and features, which sets out the steps.

Google's page says that if you try to reach age-restricted content or features and you are asked to verify your age, you select Verify and then choose a route. It warns that not all verification options are available for all accounts, devices and regions. So the screen you see may offer fewer choices than another person's.

#What Are the Steps for ID Verification?

For the ID route, Google lists these steps.

1. Select Verify when you are asked to confirm your age.
2. Select Use your ID.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to agree to ID verification.
4. Follow the instructions to take a photo of your ID and upload it.
5. Confirm your date of birth and select either This is correct or This is incorrect.
6. If it is incorrect, update your date of birth with the correct date and select Next.
7. Select Submit ID.

Step six matters. The date of birth you confirm is the one Google saves, so enter your real date of birth and never a different one to get past the screen.

#What Do the Image Tips Say?

Google gives tips for the ID image. Check these first.

• The image shows the full document with all 4 corners.
• It is clear, in colour, and has no glare.
• It is large enough to show the words clearly.
• It is an image file such as .jpg or .png. Google says not to upload a .pdf file.

On what ID you can use, Google says valid examples may include a driver's licence, passport or national ID card, and that the types you can use may vary by country. It says you may be able to submit a valid ID from your home country even if you live somewhere else. Its page has country-specific notes for some countries, and the ones we read do not cover Malaysia, so check the on-screen instructions for your own account.

#What Does Google Say Happens to My ID?

Google's page says an uploaded ID is stored securely, will not be made public and will be deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified. It says your date of birth is then saved and updated in your Google Account to support your experience across Google services. It also says that in certain cases an ID may be manually reviewed, and that Google sends an email when the review is complete. The page gives no review time, so we cannot tell you how long that takes.

For the credit card route, Google says it retains the card data as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements. The page describes how card checks work in detail, so read that section before you pick the route. For an Android device, the page says a digital ID can be used for age verification in some regions. It is not available everywhere.

YouTube's page names a selfie as a third route. The Google Account page we read does not describe the selfie steps, so we cannot add detail beyond what YouTube says. If a selfie option appears on your screen, follow the prompt inside your Google Account.

#What If Verification Fails?

• Re-check the image against the tips above, in particular glare, corners and file type.
• Check that the date of birth on the screen matches your document, and correct it if the page says it is incorrect.
• Try another route only if the screen offers one. Google says options differ by account, device and region.
• If the ID is rejected after review, check your email for the message Google sends when manual review is complete.
• Keep screenshots of each screen you see, with the date, so you can describe it later.

Google's pages we read do not state a limit on attempts, and they give no deadline. We do not know what happens after repeated failures, so avoid trying a long run of different documents.

#What Not to Do

• Do not change your date of birth to a false one. Google saves the date you confirm.
• Do not upload your ID or card details anywhere except the prompt inside your own Google Account. A page or message that asks for them elsewhere is not the route YouTube describes.
• Do not pay or send ID to anyone who says they can remove an age flag. YouTube describes only the Google Account process.
• Do not create a new account to avoid the flag. YouTube describes verification, not workarounds.

Fake helpers can target people who are locked out of something and in a hurry. Our guide to fake recovery services shows how those offers look.

#When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help

Doing this alone is a reasonable choice, and the official steps above are complete. There are still risks worth naming. The date of birth you confirm is saved to your Google Account and used across Google services, so a mistake does not stay inside YouTube. Your ID or card details go to whichever page you enter them on, and scammers target people in a rush. Google's pages also say options vary by account, device and region, and the pages we read give no limit on attempts, so repeating steps by trial and error is a gamble.

If you are unsure about any step, or if your channel matters to your income or business, handing the case to an experienced team such as AwareXone is the safer choice. We can read your screens with you, check which official route applies and keep you away from fake helpers. Start from our YouTube account help page, and use the Apply for Case Review button at the end of this guide.

#When a Case Review Makes Sense

If your channel lost uploads or live gifts, you cannot tell whether the flag came from age estimation or something else, or your verification keeps failing, a review can help you separate those cases and prepare. AwareXone is a service serving clients worldwide, independent of YouTube and Google, that helps you use official routes. We never ask for your password, ID images or login codes and we cannot change YouTube's decisions. See how we work on our trust page.

#Frequently Asked Questions