Why isnt YouTube TV showing up on my TV?

Troubleshooting the most common YouTube TV issues

If YouTube TV is not working, it can be due to various problems, including internet connectivity issues, device and app issues, and even problems with the YouTube TV service itself. To get YouTube TV working again, you need to consider each of these potential issues and attempt various fixes.

These troubleshooting tips apply to all devices and platforms compatible with YouTube TV, but not every step is relevant to every platform. If any of these tips don’t apply to the device you use with YouTube TV, skip to the next one.

Why Isn’t YouTube TV Working?

Since YouTube TV is a live television streaming service that allows you to stream on-demand movies, television shows, sports, and more, many things can keep it from working properly. Poor internet connectivity, corrupt or outdated software and device issues are the most common reasons that prevent YouTube TV from working right.

If you’re trying to use YouTube TV outside the area where you originally signed up, that can also keep the service from working. The YouTube TV service, and the available local channels, are based on your physical address, so traveling or moving can keep it from working

How To Get YouTube TV Working

The two main things that can go wrong with YouTube TV are your internet connection and the YouTube TV app or web player in your web browser. The service itself can also go down, and it will stop working if too many people are using your account or you’ve been out of your home area for too long. To get YouTube TV working again, you’ll need to check the potential causes of each of these issues and attempt the necessary fixes.

1. Check to see if YouTube TV is down. YouTube TV won’t work on your device if the service itself is down. Checking to see if YouTube TV is down or not is easy and fast, so this should be the first thing you check out. Start by checking social media, as people will usually report streaming service outages on social media.

2. Make sure you aren’t streaming with too many devices. YouTube TV only allows you to stream on a limited number of devices at any one time. If three people are already streaming on three devices simultaneously, all using your YouTube TV account, then it won’t work for you.

3. Close and restart the YouTube TV app or your web browser. If you’re trying to stream through the app on your phone or another device, fully close and restart the app. If you’re streaming on your computer, fully close and restart your web browser. After the app or browser starts back up, check to see if YouTube TV works.

   • Android: How to close apps on Android.
   • iPhone: How to close apps on iPhone.
   • iPad: How to close apps on iPad.

4. Check your Internet connection. YouTube TV requires a high-speed internet connection to watch both on-demand and live television. If your connection speed is slow or erratic, you won’t be able to stream. Check your speed on the same device you use for streaming, and try checking at different times of day to see if the speed varies.

   YouTube TV recommends the following speeds:

   • 3.0 Mbps: The minimum required speed. Below this, you may experience excessive buffering.
   • 7.0 Mbps: The minimum for one high definition video stream. If other devices are using the network, YouTube TV may not work.
   • 13.0 Mbps: The minimum for streaming high definition video when other people use the same internet connection for other purposes.

5. Restart your device. Fully shut down your computer, phone, or streaming device and restart it. Depending on the device, you may need to unplug it from power to restart it fully. After it powers back up, connect to the internet and check to see if YouTube TV works.

   How to Fix It When YouTube TV Isn't Working on Fire Stick

6. Try a different device. Check to see if YouTube TV works on any other devices. If you’re streaming on your phone, check to see if it works in a web browser on your computer or in the YouTube TV app on a dedicated streaming device or game console.

7. Restart your router and modem. If you have access to your local network hardware, restart it. You'll typically need to unplug the modem and router from power, leave them unplugged for a while, then plug everything back in. If you're having network connectivity issues, restarting your hardware will usually help.

8. Try a different internet connection. If you have access to a different internet connection, switch to that and try YouTube TV. A strong cellular data connection is a good way to check this. However, using YouTube TV through your cellular data connection may result in overage charges depending on how much you watch and how your data plan is set up.

9. Try a wired internet connection. If possible, plug your streaming device directly into the modem with an ethernet cable. This takes the router out of the picture and lets you know if your internet connection can stream YouTube TV. If it works, then your router may be bad, configured incorrectly, or the Wi-Fi signal may be weak.

10. Improve your Wi-fi signal strength. If YouTube TV works when your device is connected to your modem with an ethernet cable, then the problem may be a weak wi-fi signal. Try removing obstructions between your router and streaming device to provide the highest signal possible.

11. Check your location permissions. YouTube TV requires access to your location information whether you’re watching through a web browser to the app. If you didn't allow access to your location, you need to enable access for YouTube TV to work.

    If you disabled location access because you were traveling outside your home area, YouTube TV typically works fine for short periods of time outside your home area as long as location permissions are turned on.

12. Update your device, browser, or app. If you’re using the YouTube TV app on your phone or another streaming device, check for updates. If you’re trying to stream with the web player in a web browser on your computer, update the browser.

13. Uninstall and reinstall the YouTube TV app. If the app is already up to date, you may have corrupt local data preventing it from working correctly. In that case, completely deleting the YouTube TV app from your device, downloading it, and reinstalling it may fix your problem.

14. Contact your internet service provider. If you’ve determined that YouTube TV isn’t down, and you can’t locate any problems with your home network, devices, or software, then there may be a limited connectivity problem with your internet service provider. Contact your provider, let them know about your problem, and ask if there are connectivity issues between your internet service provider and YouTube TV.

Using YouTube TV Outside Your Home Area

YouTube TV is tied to your physical location (billing address), as the local channels you receive through the services are specifically for that area. YouTube TV can stop working if you’re trying to use it outside your home area, but it usually works just fine.

However, if you want to move outside your home area, you can update your location in YouTube TV to keep from having any location-based problems.

If your away from home and YouTube TV isn’t working for you, you may need to connect to the internet in your home area to get the service working again. YouTube requires at least one login from your home area every 90 days, after which the service may stop working.

FAQ

• How do you cancel YouTube TV?

  To cancel YouTube TV from a browser, go to tv.youtube.com > Profile > Settings > Membership > Pause or cancel membership > select reason > Continue > Cancel.

• What channels are available on YouTube TV?

  While YouTube TV channels vary based on your region, YouTube TV’s list of popular channels includes AMC, Bravo, and FX, as well as HGTV, Food Network, and Discovery Channel.

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