What Is YouTube TV and What You Get

YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service from Google that replaces traditional cable or satellite TV. For a single monthly fee, you get access to more than 100 channels — including major broadcast networks, news, sports, and entertainment — all streamed over your internet connection with no set-top box contract required.

Key features included with every YouTube TV subscription:

• 100+ channels — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, HGTV, Food Network, Disney Channel, TNT, TBS, Bravo, and more depending on your region
• Unlimited DVR storage — record as many shows and movies as you want; recordings are saved for 9 months and you can fast-forward through commercials
• 6 profiles per household — each family member gets their own personalized Library, watch history, and recommendations at no extra cost
• 3 simultaneous streams — watch on three devices at the same time from any location; unlimited streams when all devices are on your home Wi-Fi
• Local channels — live local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox affiliates are included in most markets across the United States

The base plan is $72.99 per month. Optional paid add-ons include 4K Plus (enables 4K streaming and removes the out-of-home stream limit), Sports Plus (extra sports channels like NFL RedZone, BeIn Sports, and NBA TV), and Spanish Plus for Spanish-language programming.

How to Sign Up for YouTube TV

Signing up takes about five minutes. You need a Google account and a credit card, debit card, or Google Pay method.

1. Open a web browser and go to tv.youtube.com. The sign-up process works best on a computer or phone browser before you install the TV app.
2. Click "Try It Free" or "Get Started." If a free trial is currently available for new accounts, it appears on this screen.
3. Sign in with your Google account. If you do not have one, create a free account at accounts.google.com first. Your Google account is what you will use to log in on every device.
4. Enter your home zip code. YouTube TV verifies which local channels are available in your area and confirms that the service is offered at your location. Most US cities are supported.
5. Review the channel lineup shown for your zip code. Confirm that the channels you care about are included before proceeding.
6. Add optional paid add-ons if you want them — 4K Plus, Sports Plus, etc. You can skip all of these now and add them later from your account settings at any time.
7. Enter your payment information and click Buy. If a trial is active, your card is not charged until the trial period ends. You can cancel before the trial expires to pay nothing.

After completing sign-up, your subscription is active immediately. You can start watching right in your browser or install the app on your TV and other devices using the steps in the next section.

How to Install YouTube TV on Your TV or Streaming Device

YouTube TV is available on virtually every major streaming platform. Follow the steps for your specific device:

Roku

1. Press the Home button on your Roku remote to return to the main menu.
2. Scroll to Streaming Channels or the Roku Channel Store.
3. Use the search function to find YouTube TV.
4. Select Add Channel, wait for it to install, then select Go to Channel.
5. Sign in with the Google account linked to your YouTube TV subscription.

Amazon Fire TV (Fire Stick or Fire Cube)

1. From the Fire TV home screen, select the search icon at the top or press the microphone button on your remote and say "YouTube TV."
2. Select the YouTube TV app from the search results.
3. Click Get or Download to install it.
4. Open the app and sign in with your Google account.

Apple TV (4th generation or later)

1. On your Apple TV, open the App Store.
2. Search for YouTube TV and install it.
3. Open the app. It will display a short code on screen.
4. On your phone or computer, go to tv.youtube.com/start and enter the code to link your account.

Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony Smart TVs

1. Open your TV's built-in app store (Smart Hub on Samsung, Content Store on LG, etc.).
2. Search for YouTube TV.
3. Install the app, open it, and sign in with your Google account.

Chromecast and Google TV

On a Chromecast with Google TV, open the Google Play Store on the device and search for YouTube TV. On an older Chromecast (round puck, no Google TV interface), open the YouTube TV app on your phone or browser and tap the Cast icon to send the stream to your TV.

How to Watch YouTube TV on Your Phone or Computer

YouTube TV works on mobile devices and web browsers — no separate hardware required beyond the device you already own.

iPhone or iPad

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Search for YouTube TV and tap Get to install it.
3. Open the app and sign in with the Google account linked to your subscription.
4. Tap any channel in the Live tab to start streaming.

Android Phone or Tablet

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Search for YouTube TV and tap Install.
3. Open the app and sign in with your Google account.

Web Browser on PC or Mac

1. Open Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge.
2. Navigate to tv.youtube.com.
3. Sign in with your Google account.
4. Click any channel tile or use the Guide view to browse by time.

Useful keyboard shortcuts in the web player: press F to toggle full screen, Space to pause or resume, M to mute, and the left and right arrow keys to seek backward or forward in DVR playback. On iOS and Android, the app supports picture-in-picture mode so a stream continues playing in a small floating window while you use other apps.

How to Record and Use the DVR

YouTube TV's cloud DVR is one of its best features — it has unlimited storage, no recording conflicts, and lets you skip commercials on everything you record.

Adding a Show to Your DVR

1. Find the show, movie, or live sports event you want to record by browsing Live, Search, or the Library tab.
2. Click or tap the + button (labeled "Add to Library") next to the program title.
3. For a TV series, all future episodes will record automatically. For a movie or sports game, only that specific broadcast records.

Finding Your Recordings

1. Open YouTube TV on any device.
2. Select the Library tab at the top of the screen.
3. Your recorded content appears here. Series are grouped under a single tile; tap or click to see individual episodes.

Fast-Forwarding Commercials

When watching a DVR recording, use your remote's fast-forward button or the on-screen controls to skip past commercials. On the web, click and drag the progress bar. This feature only works in recordings — live streams play in real time and cannot be skipped.

DVR Expiration and Limits

Each recording is kept for 9 months after it first airs, then deleted automatically. There is no limit on the number of recordings in your Library and no limit on simultaneous recordings. If you follow a show that airs daily, every episode records automatically without any setup.

Recording Live Sports

To record a live sports game, find it in the Live guide or by searching the team or league name, then tap the + button before or during the game. Once recorded, you can watch from the beginning while the game is still live, or watch the full replay afterward and skip to any point.

Setting Up Profiles and Family Sharing

One YouTube TV subscription supports up to 6 household members. Each person gets their own DVR library, watch history, and personalized recommendations — all completely separate from each other.

Adding a Family Member

1. Go to tv.youtube.com in a web browser and sign in.
2. Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner and select Settings.
3. Navigate to Family sharing, then click Manage.
4. Enter the Google account email address of the person you want to invite.
5. That person will receive an email invitation. They must accept it and sign in to activate their access.

Switching Between Profiles on a Device

On any device, tap or click your profile picture in the top corner of the YouTube TV app or website. A dropdown shows all profiles linked to the subscription. Select a different name to switch to that person's personalized view.

Setting Up a Supervised Profile for Kids

When inviting a family member, you can choose the supervised account option for a child's Google account. This limits their YouTube TV experience to age-appropriate content. Parental controls can be adjusted from the family manager's account settings on the web.

Note: all members must be in the same household. YouTube TV's terms require that everyone sharing an account lives at the same home address. The service uses location signals periodically to enforce this.

Tips to Get the Most Out of YouTube TV

These settings and habits make a noticeable difference in day-to-day use:

• Set your home area precisely. Go to Settings → Area → Home area and confirm your home address. This controls which local channel affiliates you receive. Update it from home to avoid getting the wrong local feed when you travel.
• Install the app on every screen you own. Put YouTube TV on your TV, phone, tablet, and laptop. Because three streams run simultaneously, you will always have a screen available without sharing with someone else.
• Switch to the Guide view for channel surfing. The default tile layout shows what's currently on and trending, but the traditional grid guide is more useful for browsing. On the web, click the list icon next to the Live heading. On mobile, tap Live then look for the Guide option.
• Add everything you follow to your Library immediately. Because DVR storage is unlimited, there is no reason not to record every show you watch regularly. Once added, every new episode records automatically and you can skip commercials.
• Check add-ons before subscribing elsewhere. If you want NFL RedZone, MLB Network, or NBA TV, Sports Plus ($10.99/month) bundles several of these for less than their individual streaming costs. Compare before buying a separate streaming service for a single channel.
• Use the pause and rewind feature on live TV. Even without recording, YouTube TV lets you pause live TV and rewind it for up to several hours on most channels. This works automatically while you are watching — just press pause on your remote and resume when ready.
• Verify your home network periodically. YouTube TV requires a check-in from your home internet connection roughly once every 3 months to keep your home area and unlimited home stream access active. Simply open the app while connected to your home Wi-Fi to satisfy this requirement.