The fastest way to remove YouTube depends on your TV type

The steps to remove YouTube from your TV differ based on whether you have a smart TV with YouTube built in, a streaming device like Roku or Fire Stick, or a TV connected to an external box. On most smart TVs, you uninstall the app through the settings menu the same way you would on a phone. On streaming devices, you go to the home screen, find YouTube, and select the option to remove or uninstall it. If YouTube came pre-installed on your TV and cannot be uninstalled, you can hide it from your home screen instead.

The process takes less than five minutes once you know which menu to open. You will not lose any other apps or settings on your TV — removing YouTube only affects that single app.

Key Takeaways

  • Most smart TVs let you uninstall YouTube through Settings > Apps or Applications, but some pre-installed apps can only be hidden, not removed.
  • Streaming devices like Roku, Fire Stick, and Apple TV have a dedicated remove or uninstall option when you highlight the YouTube app on the home screen.
  • If you cannot uninstall YouTube, hiding it from your home screen keeps it out of sight without affecting your TV's performance.
  • Removing YouTube does not delete your Google account or affect other Google services on your TV.

Removing YouTube from a Samsung, LG, or Sony smart TV

On Samsung TVs, press the Home button on your remote, navigate to Apps, find YouTube, press Enter, and select Delete or Remove. On some Samsung models, you may see an Uninstall button instead. If the Delete option is grayed out, the app is pre-installed and cannot be removed — you can only hide it by pressing the Options button and selecting Hide.

On LG TVs, press the Home button, go to My Apps, find YouTube, highlight it, and press the Options button (usually marked with three dots or lines). Select Delete or Remove from the menu. Like Samsung, some LG models do not allow deletion of pre-installed apps, in which case you will see a Hide option instead.

On Sony TVs, press the Home button, go to Apps, find YouTube, press Options, and select Uninstall. If Uninstall is not available, select Hide to remove it from your home screen. Sony TVs running Google TV (newer models) may also let you disable the app through Settings > Apps > YouTube > Disable, which stops it from running in the background.

Removing YouTube from Roku, Fire Stick, and Apple TV

On Roku devices, go to the home screen, highlight the YouTube app, press the Options button (marked with a star or asterisk), and select Remove Channel. The app will disappear from your home screen when ready. You can reinstall it later from the Roku Channel Store if you change your mind.

On Amazon Fire Stick, go to the home screen, highlight YouTube, press and hold the Select button, and choose Uninstall or Remove from App. Fire Stick will ask you to confirm the removal. If you see a Disable option instead of Uninstall, the app is pre-installed — select Disable to stop it from appearing on your home screen and running in the background.

On Apple TV, go to the home screen, highlight YouTube, press and hold the touchpad or select button until a menu appears, and choose Remove. The app will be deleted from your Apple TV. You can read it again from the App Store if needed.

What to do if YouTube cannot be uninstalled

Many TVs come with YouTube pre-installed by the manufacturer, and these apps often cannot be deleted. If you see a Disable, Hide, or Turn Off option instead of Uninstall or Delete, the app is locked and cannot be removed. Disabling or hiding the app achieves the same practical result — it will no longer appear on your home screen or run in the background.

Hiding an app removes it from your home screen but keeps it stored on your TV. Disabling an app stops it from running and removes it from view, though it still takes up storage space. Either option prevents you from accidentally opening YouTube and keeps it out of your daily use.

If you want to use YouTube again later, you can unhide or re-enable the app through the same menu where you hid or disabled it. The process takes the same amount of time as removing it.

Removing YouTube from a TV connected to a cable or satellite box

If your TV is connected to a cable box, satellite receiver, or other external device, YouTube may be running on that device rather than on the TV itself. In this case, you cannot remove it from your TV's settings — you need to access the box's menu instead.

Press the Menu or Settings button on your cable or satellite remote, navigate to Apps or Applications, find YouTube, and select Delete, Remove, or Uninstall. The exact steps depend on your provider and box model. If you cannot find YouTube in the apps menu, it may be built into the box's operating system and cannot be removed — you can only avoid opening it.

If you are unsure whether YouTube is running on your TV or on your external box, try removing it from your TV's settings first. If it still appears after removal, the app is on your cable or satellite box, and you will need to contact your provider for instructions on how to disable it.

Removing YouTube from Google TV and Android TV

Google TV and Android TV are operating systems built into many modern smart TVs. On these systems, YouTube is often a core app that cannot be uninstalled, but you can disable it to prevent it from running and appearing on your home screen.

Press the Home button, go to Settings, select Apps, find YouTube, and select Disable or Turn Off. On some models, you may see a Force Stop button instead — select that, then go back and choose Disable. Disabling YouTube removes it from your home screen and stops it from running background processes, though the app files remain on your TV.

If you want to use YouTube again, go back to Settings > Apps > YouTube and select Enable or Turn On. You can toggle it on and off as many times as you want without affecting other apps or your TV's performance.

Checking if YouTube is completely removed

After you remove or disable YouTube, restart your TV to make sure the change takes effect. Press the power button to turn off your TV, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Once your TV restarts, check your home screen to confirm that YouTube no longer appears.

If YouTube still shows up after a restart, it may be a pre-installed app that can only be hidden. Go back to the same menu where you tried to remove it and look for a Hide option. If you see only Disable or Turn Off, select that instead — the app will not appear on your home screen even though it is still stored on your TV.

Removing YouTube does not affect your internet connection, other apps, or your TV's ability to stream other services. Your TV will work exactly as it did before, just without YouTube available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will removing YouTube affect my Google account or other Google services on my TV?

No. Removing the YouTube app does not delete your Google account or affect Gmail, Google Play, Google Photos, or any other Google service on your TV. Your account remains active, and you can still use other Google apps normally. If you want to use YouTube again later, you can reinstall the app and sign in with the same account.

Can I remove YouTube from just one profile on my TV if multiple people use it?

Most TVs do not have per-profile app management — removing an app removes it for all users. However, some newer smart TVs with multiple user profiles may let you hide apps for specific profiles through parental controls or profile settings. Check your TV's Settings menu under Profiles or Parental Controls to see if this option is available on your model.

What if the YouTube app keeps coming back after I remove it?

If YouTube reappears after removal, your TV may have automatic app updates turned on, or the app may be pre-installed and automatically reinstalling itself. Go to Settings > Apps > YouTube and look for an Update or Auto-Update option. Turn off automatic updates, then remove the app again. If it still returns, the app is locked to your TV and can only be hidden or disabled, not permanently removed.

Does removing YouTube free up storage space on my TV?

Yes, uninstalling YouTube frees up the storage space the app was using, though the amount is usually small — typically between 50 and 200 megabytes depending on your TV model. If you only hide or disable the app without uninstalling it, the storage space remains used. If your TV is running low on storage, uninstalling unused apps can help improve performance.

Can I remove YouTube from my TV but keep it on my phone or other devices?

Yes. Removing YouTube from your TV does not affect the app on your phone, tablet, computer, or other devices. Each device has its own separate app installation, so you can remove it from your TV while keeping it on all your other devices. Your YouTube account and watch history remain the same across all devices.