How to Find Comments You Made on YouTube: A Deep Dive

So, you’ve unleashed your wit, wisdom, or maybe just a slightly spicy take on a YouTube video and now you’re dying to revisit it. Maybe you want to see if anyone replied, or perhaps you simply want to bask in the glory of your past pronouncements. The burning question is: How do you actually find those comments you’ve made in the vast YouTube ocean? The answer lies in navigating your Google Activity, which meticulously logs your online interactions across various Google services, including YouTube.

Digging into Your Google Activity

The most reliable method to unearth your past YouTube comments is to use your Google Activity. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Access Your Google Account: First and foremost, make sure you’re logged into the Google account you used to post the comments. This is crucial; if you used a different account, you won’t find the comments. Head over to myaccount.google.com.

2. Navigate to “Data & Privacy”: On the left-hand navigation menu (or accessible via the top navigation on mobile), click on “Data & Privacy.” This section houses all the settings related to your Google activity tracking.

3. Find “History Settings”: Scroll down until you find the “History settings” section. Here, you’ll see options like “Web & App Activity,” “YouTube History,” and “Location History.” We’re interested in “YouTube History.”

4. Manage Your YouTube History: Click on “YouTube History.” You’ll be presented with an option to “Manage activity.” Click that. This takes you to your YouTube activity page.

5. Filter by Comments: On the YouTube Activity page, you should see a search bar at the top. Directly below the search bar, look for a filter icon (often represented by three horizontal lines with sliders or dots). Click on this filter icon. A menu will pop up, choose the “Comments” option.

   • Alternatively, if you can’t find the filter icon, search in the search bar for “comments” or “Commented on”. It is important to note that results depend on how google named the activity logs.

6. Scroll and Search: Now you’ll see a chronological list of all your YouTube comments. This might be a long list, depending on how active you are! Use the scroll bar and the date filters on the side (if available) to narrow down your search. You can search for specific keywords you might have used in your comments using the search bar.

7. Locate and Review: Once you’ve found the comment you were looking for, click on the associated video title. This will take you directly to the video on YouTube, and your comment should be highlighted.

Other (Less Reliable) Methods

While using your Google Activity is the most reliable method, there are a few other avenues you could try, though their effectiveness can be spotty:

• YouTube History: Within your YouTube History, you can filter by “Community.” This sometimes shows comments, but it’s not guaranteed. It’s also mixed in with other community-related activities.
• Checking Notifications (if you have them on): If you have notifications enabled for replies to your comments, you might be able to find the original comment through those notifications. However, this only works if you received replies.
• Directly On the Video (if you remember the video): If you remember which video you commented on, you can try scrolling through the comments section. Good luck with that unless it was a very small video!

Why Can’t I Find My Comments? Potential Issues

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you might not be able to find your comments. Here are a few possible reasons:

• Incorrect Google Account: The most common culprit. Double-check that you’re logged into the Google account you used to post the comment.
• Comment Deletion: The comment may have been deleted, either by you, the video uploader, or YouTube’s moderation system.
• Privacy Settings: It’s highly unlikely, but there could be some obscure privacy setting interfering. Double-check your YouTube and Google account privacy settings.
• Technical Glitch: Rarely, there might be a temporary technical issue with Google’s servers preventing you from accessing your activity. Try again later.
• YouTube History Paused: Check that your YouTube History hasn’t been paused. If it has, Google won’t have been tracking your activity, and therefore, won’t have logged your comments.

FAQs: Your YouTube Comment Conundrums, Solved

Here are 12 frequently asked questions to further clarify the mysteries surrounding your YouTube comments:

1. Can I see all my YouTube comments in one place?

Yes, the Google Activity method, specifically filtering your YouTube History by “Comments,” provides a chronological list of all the comments associated with the selected Google account.

2. How far back can I see my YouTube comments?

You can see your comments as far back as your YouTube History has been actively tracking your data. If you recently created your Google Account, then your YouTube history will not go far back. If you had YouTube History paused at any point, any activity during that time will not be recorded.

3. Is there a way to search for comments on a specific YouTube channel?

No, YouTube itself doesn’t offer a built-in feature to directly search your comments only within a particular channel. You can filter comments on YouTube History to make the searching more narrow.

4. Can other people see my YouTube comments?

Yes, unless the video uploader has specifically hidden or deleted your comment. By default, YouTube comments are public.

5. How do I delete a YouTube comment I made?

Navigate to the comment on the YouTube video. Click the three vertical dots next to your comment, and select “Delete.”

6. What if I can’t remember the video I commented on?

That’s where Google Activity comes in handy. Even if you don’t remember the video, your Google Activity will show the video title associated with your comment.

7. Does deleting a video also delete the comments on it?

Yes, if a video is deleted by the uploader or removed by YouTube, all associated comments are also permanently deleted.

8. Can I edit a YouTube comment after posting it?

Yes, you can edit your comments. Navigate to the comment, click the three vertical dots, and select “Edit.”

9. Why can’t I see my friend’s comments on YouTube?

Your friend’s comments might not be visible to you because the video uploader has moderated or hidden their comment. Also, make sure you are logged in to the right Google account.

10. Is it possible to recover a deleted YouTube comment?

Unfortunately, once a comment is deleted, it is permanently gone. There is no way to recover it.

11. Can I export my YouTube comments history?

While you can download your entire Google Account data, which includes YouTube History, it’s not easily exportable in a readily readable format specifically for comments. The data is often in JSON format, requiring some technical know-how to parse.

12. Are YouTube comments affected by YouTube Premium?

YouTube Premium does not affect your ability to find or manage your comments. Premium primarily focuses on ad-free viewing and background playback.

Final Thoughts

Finding your past YouTube comments can feel like a digital scavenger hunt, but leveraging your Google Activity is the most reliable compass. While other methods exist, they lack the precision and comprehensiveness of digging into your data history. So, go forth, rediscover your witty (or not-so-witty) contributions to the YouTube universe, and remember to always comment responsibly!