While there's no step to import your contacts to your YouTube account, you can find your friends' channels by searching the internet. If your friend created his YouTube channel before the summer (around July to September) in 2015, there's a good chance his channel is linked to his Google+ profile. If he uses his full name on his YouTube profile, you can search for him through YouTube's built-in search feature. Some users of the YouTube mobile app can also add friends as contacts thanks to a new feature (which is still being worked on) called “Shared Videos”.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using YouTube's Search Feature
Step 1. Type your friend's name into the YouTube search field
If your friend uses their real name on their YouTube account, you can find them through the site's search feature. This step can be followed on the YouTube website or the mobile app.
- If you know your friend's YouTube username, type it in.
- To perform a search via the mobile app, touch the magnifying glass icon to display the search box.
Step 2. Click or tap the search icon (“Search”)
This icon looks like a magnifying glass. After the search is complete, a list of results will be displayed on the screen.
Step 3. Filter the search results to show only channels
On the YouTube site, your friend's main page is known as a channel or channel. If your friend has uploaded content to their channel, posted a comment, or created a playlist, they will have the channel. Click “Filter” at the top of the search results and select “Channel” in the “Type” segment.
On the YouTube mobile app, click the three horizontal lines crossed by the vertical lines in the upper-right corner of the screen, then select “Channels” from the “Content Type” drop-down menu
Step 4. Browse your friends' channels
If it has a fairly common name, there may be multiple channels with the same name in the search results. Browse each channel by clicking on the profile photo to the right of the channel name.
Step 5. Follow and subscribe to your friends' channels
Once you find it, you can follow the channel by clicking (or tapping) the red “Subscribe” button. It's at the top of the user's channel.
Method 2 of 3: Using Google+ Profile
Step 1. Visit Google+ via a web browser
While you can't import Google contacts into your YouTube account, you can usually find a friend's channel on YouTube by looking at their Google+ profile. If his YouTube account was created before the summer (around July to September) of 2015, it is possible that a link to his YouTube profile will appear on his Google+ profile.
You need to create a Google account to follow this method
Step 2. Sign in using your Google account information
Click the “Sign In” button in the upper right corner of the screen and enter your account login information.
If you're already signed in to your account, you can see your Google profile photo in the top right corner of the Google+ page
Step 3. Click the “Home” drop-down menu
This menu will be expanded afterwards.
Step 4. Select “People”
You'll see a list of suggested contacts, as well as a menu on the left side of the screen.
Step 5. Select “Gmail Contacts” on the menu on the left of the page
If you have contacts in your Gmail account, you can use them to find the Google+ profile of the contact in question. A list of Gmail contacts will appear and contain links to the respective Google+ profiles.
- If you've used Google+ actively, you can also click the “Have You in Circles” link at the top of the page. Both of these options will display a list of user profiles.
- If you're looking for a specific friend, type their name into the search field at the top of the page. It's a good idea to also add the city where he lives. The search entry will look like this: “Isyana Sarasvati, Jakarta”.
Step 6. Click a friend's name to view their profile page
The profile page has a row or large cover photo at the top, and your friend's profile photo to the left.
Step 7. Click “YouTube” on the menu bar below the cover photo
If your friend has uploaded a public video to YouTube, the video or link will appear below the cover photo. This post or link is labeled “[your friend's name]'s YouTube videos” and is next to the red YouTube symbol, just below the cover.
If you don't see the “YouTube” link under the cover photo, you won't be able to find the friend's YouTube channel with this method
Step 8. Click the “YouTube channel” link under the text “[your friend's name]'s YouTube videos”
Your friend's YouTube page will appear on the screen afterwards.
Step 9. Click “Subscribe” to follow a friend's channel
It's a red button in the top-right corner of the YouTube page.
Method 3 of 3: Using YouTube's “Shared Videos” Feature
Step 1. Open the YouTube app on the mobile device
YouTube has a new feature called “Shared Videos” which allows mobile app users to share videos and chat with YouTube contacts. Android Police reports that this feature is not yet available to all users, but it could appear "suddenly" in your app.
Step 2. Touch the share bubble icon (“Share”)
If you see an icon that looks like a speech bubble with an arrow pointing to the right, you can follow this method.
Step 3. Touch “Contacts”
You'll need to add a friend as a YouTube contact before you can chat (and send videos) to them on YouTube.
Step 4. Browse to the “You May Know” segment
This segment displays a list of YouTube users based on your Google contacts and other people you communicate with on the internet.
Step 5. Touch “Invite” icon to invite friends
The plus sign icon next to this human head silhouette is at the bottom of the contact's name.
- The user must accept your contact request before they can share content. He can only accept invitations if he has the YouTube app on his device.
- Invitation validity expires after 72 hours.
Step 6. Touch “+Add more contacts” to search for other friends
If the user you want to share with doesn't appear in your “You May Know” list, create an invite that can be shared with anyone. Once the URL is displayed, click the “Send Invitation” button, then select the app you want to use to share the link.
Step 7. View your contact's YouTube channel
After adding a contact (and the invitation is accepted), you can view their YouTube channel by going to the “Shared” tab and selecting “Contacts”.
To share a video with a contact, tap the “Share” link below the desired YouTube video, then select a YouTube contact
Tips
- To manage subscriptions to a YouTube channel, click the “Subscriptions” link on the Youtube main page or the “Subscriptions” icon (folder icon with a play symbol) on the mobile app.
- If you are being bullied by other YouTube users, you can block them. Open the channel through a web browser and click “About”. After that, click the flag icon in the top right corner of the channel description and select “Block User”.
