Access Your Account Settings From Any Device
You manage your YouTube TV account through the settings menu in the app or on the website. On your phone, tablet, or computer, open YouTube TV, then tap or click your profile picture in the top right corner. A dropdown menu appears with options including "Settings" — this is where you control everything from your billing method to which family members can watch.
The settings page is the same whether you're on mobile, a smart TV, or a web browser, though the steps to reach it differ slightly by device. On a smart TV, use your remote to navigate to the profile icon, then select Settings from the menu. On a computer, the profile picture sits in the top right corner of the screen. Once you're in Settings, you'll see sections for Account, Membership, Devices, and Family Sharing — each one controls a different part of how your service works.
Key Takeaways
- Your profile picture in the top right corner of YouTube TV opens a menu where you can reach Settings on any device.
- The Membership section shows your billing date, payment method, and lets you pause or cancel your subscription at any time.
- Family Sharing lets you add up to five other household members, and you can remove anyone or change their access from the Family Sharing tab.
- The Devices section lists every phone, tablet, TV, and computer signed into your account, and you can sign out of any device remotely.
- You can create up to six user profiles within one YouTube TV account, each with separate watch history and recommendations.
Update Your Billing Information and Payment Method
Your payment method and billing details live in the Membership section of Settings. Tap or click Membership, then look for "Billing and payments" or "Payment method." From here you can add a new credit card, debit card, or update an existing one. YouTube TV charges on the same date each month — you'll see that date listed on the Membership page.
If you need to change your billing address, you can do that in the same section. Some payment methods (like PayPal or Google Play) may require you to update the address through that service instead of directly in YouTube TV. If your card is declined, YouTube TV will send you an email with instructions to fix it — you usually have a few days to update your payment method before your service pauses.
Manage Family Members and Household Access
YouTube TV lets you add up to five other people to your account through Family Sharing. Go to Settings, then select "Family Sharing." You'll see a list of anyone already on the account. To add someone new, tap or click "Add family member," then enter their email address. They'll get an invitation and can accept it on their own device.
Each family member gets their own profile with separate watch history, recommendations, and DVR recordings. You can remove anyone from Family Sharing at any time by going back to that same section and selecting the remove option next to their name. When you remove someone, they lose access to YouTube TV when ready — they won't be able to watch on any of their devices. If someone in your household is no longer using the service, removing them frees up a slot for someone else.
Control Which Devices Can Access Your Account
The Devices section shows every phone, tablet, smart TV, and computer currently signed into your YouTube TV account. YouTube TV allows streaming on up to three devices at the same time, so if you're hitting that limit, you may need to sign out of a device you're not using. Tap or click on any device in the list to see when it last accessed YouTube TV.
You can sign out of a device remotely without needing the physical device in front of you. This is useful if you've sold an old phone, moved to a new apartment, or want to remove access from someone who no longer lives with you. straightforward find the device in the list and select "Sign out." The next time someone tries to use YouTube TV on that device, they'll need to sign in again with a username and password.
Create and Switch Between User Profiles
You can create up to six separate profiles within your YouTube TV account. Each profile has its own watch history, recommendations, and saved shows. This is different from Family Sharing — profiles are useful when multiple people in the same household want to keep their viewing separate without needing separate YouTube TV subscriptions.
To create a new profile, go to Settings and select "Profiles." Tap or click "Create profile," give it a name, and choose an icon. Once it's created, anyone on your account can switch to that profile by tapping the profile icon at the top of the YouTube TV home screen. The profile will remember what that person was watching and show recommendations based on their viewing history, not anyone else's.
Pause or Cancel Your Subscription
If you need to step away from YouTube TV temporarily, you can pause your subscription for up to three months without losing your account or settings. Go to Membership in Settings, then look for "Pause membership." You won't be charged while it's paused, and when you're ready to come back, you can resume from the same page.
To cancel your subscription entirely, go to Membership and select "Cancel membership." YouTube TV will ask you to confirm and may offer you a discount to stay — you can accept or decline. Once you cancel, you lose access when ready, but you can rejoin at any time. Your watch history and saved shows will be gone if you wait more than a few months before coming back, so if you think you might return soon, pausing is usually the better option.
Adjust Playback Settings and Parental Controls
YouTube TV's playback settings let you control video quality, subtitles, and autoplay. In Settings, look for "Playback" or "Video quality." You can set a default quality for all your devices or let YouTube TV adjust automatically based on your internet speed. If you have a slower connection, lowering the quality can prevent buffering.
Parental controls are available if you want to restrict access to certain content on specific profiles. Go to Settings, then "Parental controls," and select the profile you want to restrict. You can set a PIN that's required to watch shows rated TV-14, TV-MA, or other ratings. This PIN will also be needed to change the parental control settings themselves, so choose something you'll remember but others won't guess.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch YouTube TV on multiple devices at the same time?
Yes, you can stream on up to three devices simultaneously. If someone tries to start watching on a fourth device, they'll get a message that the limit has been reached. You can either stop watching on another device or sign out of a device you're not using from the Devices section in Settings.
What happens to my DVR recordings if I cancel my subscription?
Your DVR recordings are deleted when you cancel. If you pause your subscription instead of canceling, your recordings stay saved and you can watch them when you resume. This is one reason pausing is better than canceling if you think you might come back.
How do I change my YouTube TV username or email address?
Your YouTube TV account is tied to your Google account, so you change your email or username through Google Account settings, not through YouTube TV itself. Go to myaccount.google.com, select "Personal info," and update your name or email from there. The change will show up in YouTube TV within a few hours.
Can I share my YouTube TV password with someone outside my household?
YouTube TV's terms of service say the account should only be used by people in your household. If someone outside your home needs access, the proper way is to add them as a family member through Family Sharing, though they do need to be in your household to do so. Sharing your password with people in other locations violates the terms and could result in your account being suspended.
Why is my YouTube TV asking me to sign in again?
YouTube TV periodically requires you to sign in again for security reasons, especially if you haven't used the app in a while or if you're on a new device. This is normal. Just enter your Google account email and password. If you keep getting asked to sign in when ready after signing in, try uninstalling and reinstalling the YouTube TV app.