YouTube Intermediate and Advanced Features: How to Unlock Them

You made a nice thumbnail, but YouTube will not let you upload it. Or your 20-minute video gets stuck, or the link in your description is not clickable. On a new channel, this is normal. These features are locked until you verify.

This guide explains the three feature levels, what each one unlocks, and the exact steps to get them.

What are YouTube's feature levels?

YouTube groups creator tools into three levels. Each level needs a different kind of check. This is based on YouTube's help page, Learn about feature access.

Some features still have daily limits even after you unlock them. YouTube's page also says advanced features need you to keep following the Community Guidelines.

How to unlock intermediate features (phone verification)

This is the quick one. It takes a few minutes.

1. On a computer, sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Click Settings at the bottom of the left menu.
3. Click Channel, then the Feature eligibility tab.
4. Open Intermediate features and click Verify phone number.
5. Enter your phone number and choose to get the code by text message or voice call.
6. Enter the code. Intermediate features should now show as enabled.

Phone verification problems and fixes

• Code not arriving: wait a few minutes, check that the number and country code are correct, then try the voice call option.
• Number not accepted: YouTube may refuse a number that has already been used to verify other channels. Use a different number that you own and can receive messages on.
• Thumbnail option still missing: refresh YouTube Studio or sign out and back in. Also check that you are in the right channel if you manage more than one.

How to unlock advanced features

Advanced features need phone verification first. Then you have three possible routes. You only need one.

Route 1: Channel history (automatic)

YouTube says most active creators get advanced features automatically once they have enough channel history. It looks at things like your activity on YouTube and whether you follow the Community Guidelines. There is no form to fill. Keep uploading and stay within the rules.

Route 2: ID verification

1. Go to Settings > Channel > Feature eligibility.
2. Open Advanced features and click Access features.
3. Choose Use your ID, then click Get email or scan the QR code with your phone.
4. On your phone, open the email, tap Start verification, and accept the terms.
5. Take a photo of your valid government ID and submit it.

The date of birth on your ID must match the date of birth on your Google Account. Fix your Google Account first if they do not match.

Route 3: Video verification

1. Go to the same Advanced features > Access features screen.
2. Choose Use video verification, click Next, then Get email or scan the QR code.
3. On your phone, tap Start verification and follow the prompts, such as following a dot or turning your head.
4. Submit the short video.

YouTube says ID and video verification reviews usually take about 24 hours. Only the primary owner of the channel can verify, and these options are not available to all creators.

How to check which features your channel has right now

Before you try to fix anything, see where your channel stands. It takes one minute.

1. Open YouTube Studio on a computer.
2. Go to Settings > Channel > Feature eligibility.
3. Look at the three boxes: Standard features, Intermediate features and Advanced features.
4. Click each box to expand it. Each one shows whether it is enabled and, if not, what you need to do.

If Standard features are not enabled, your channel may have an active Community Guidelines strike. Fix that first, because the other levels depend on it.

If you use the YouTube Studio app on your phone, you can also start phone verification there. YouTube's help centre has separate steps for Android and iPhone, so pick your device on the help page if the menus look different.

Why did I lose advanced features?

Advanced features can be taken away. YouTube says they depend on continued compliance with the Community Guidelines and a positive channel history. Common reasons include:

• A Community Guidelines strike on your channel.
• Activity that breaks YouTube's spam and deceptive practices rules, such as misleading links.

YouTube's help page says active channels that follow the guidelines can usually rebuild enough history to restore access within about two months. Note that a copyright strike is different from a Community Guidelines strike. Our guide on copyright claims vs strikes explains the difference.

Which features matter most for a new channel?

Thumbnails are the first thing to fix. If your videos are not getting views, also read our guide on why YouTube videos get no views and our tips for YouTube titles, descriptions and tags.

Do these features affect monetization?

Applying for monetization is listed as an advanced feature, but unlocking it does not mean you are eligible for the YouTube Partner Programme. Eligibility has its own requirements for subscribers and watch time or Shorts views. See our YouTube monetization eligibility guide and always check the official YouTube help page for the current numbers.

Final word

Most "missing" YouTube features are simply locked. Verify your phone today to unlock thumbnails and long videos. Then let channel history, or ID or video verification if offered, unlock the advanced tools.

Next step: open YouTube Studio, go to Settings > Channel > Feature eligibility, and check which features are already on. If you want to learn to build a channel step by step, see our courses.