Is your YouTube account hacked? Google now has a new recovery tool for that

Ever had your Facebook, YouTube, or another online account hacked? You’re definitely not alone, as this is an increasingly common occurrence with hackers’ tools and methods becoming more sophisticated in recent years. Now, Google is fighting back with the introduction of a new tool designed to help you recover a hacked YouTube account, as noted in an official post on the Youtube support site (via Android Police.)

If you believe your account has been hacked, you’ll be able to access the new troubleshooting tool through the YouTube Help Center. The tool utilizes AI to guide you through the recovery process without the need to contact Google support directly. This includes asking you a series of questions about your channel, such as any recent unauthorized changes to the account.

If Google’s tool confirms that the YouTube account has been hacked, it will allow users to regain control faster than older methods. Previously recovery required you to talk to Google support and potentially wait for long periods while the company verified everything.

As you’d imagine, there are some caveats. First, Google says it is only making this feature available to certain creators at this time. There’s no clarity on who these people are, though it’s likely more established and proven accounts. The good news is that Google says it will make the feature accessible to all creators in the future, likely once they’ve ensured it works as intended. The tool is also only available in English, at least for now.

It’s also important to note that even if your account has been hacked, there’s no guarantee the tool will be able to verify your information. If you run into issues, Google says you can contact @TeamYouTube on X (formerly Twitter) for further help.

While some might see this new tool as a way to divert resources away from customer service in order to cut costs, AI tools like this can be much faster and less of a hassle than trying to get in touch with a real person. It all comes down to the tool’s accuracy and whether it is actually better at verifying hacked accounts than a human representative. Here’s hoping the new tool feels like an upgrade and works more often than not; otherwise, it may end up feeling like just another unnecessary step in an already drawn-out recovery process.