YouTube TV lets you share your account with up to five other people, but there are rules about where they can watch

YouTube TV accounts come with a feature called Family Sharing that lets you add up to five other people to your account. They get their own login, their own recommendations, and their own DVR recordings. The catch: only three people can watch at the same time, and the account owner has to set up the sharing through their Google Account settings, not through the YouTube TV app itself.

If you want to share your password with someone who lives outside your home, YouTube TV allows that, but the company's terms say the account is meant for people in the same household. People who share a password but aren't part of Family Sharing don't get their own profile or DVR — they just watch whatever's on your account.

Key Takeaways

  • Family Sharing lets up to five people have their own login, profile, and DVR on one YouTube TV account, but only three can watch at the same time.
  • To set up Family Sharing, go to your Google Account settings (not the YouTube TV app), find Family, and invite people by email address.
  • Family members need their own Google Account to join, and they can watch on any device where they sign in with that account.
  • If you share your password without using Family Sharing, the other person watches on your profile and can't have their own DVR or recommendations.
  • YouTube TV's terms of service say accounts are for household members, but the company does not actively prevent password sharing across locations.

How to set up Family Sharing step by step

Start by going to myaccount.google.com in a web browser on any device. Sign in with the Google Account that owns your YouTube TV subscription. On the left side of the page, click Family. If you don't see it, scroll down — it's usually near the bottom of the menu.

Click Create a family group or Manage family if you already have one. You'll see a list of people already in your family (usually just you). Click the plus sign or Invite family members button. Enter the email address of the person you want to add. They'll get an email invitation and can accept it from any device. Once they accept, they can sign into YouTube TV with their own Google Account and will see their own profile.

The person you invite needs to have their own Google Account — they can't use a shared email or a child account (unless you're setting up parental controls). After they join, they can watch YouTube TV on phones, tablets, computers, and streaming devices by signing in with their Google Account.

What each family member can and cannot do

Each person in your Family Sharing group gets their own profile within YouTube TV. That means their own watch history, their own recommendations, and their own DVR folder. If one person records a show, the others can see it in the shared library, but each person's saved shows and "Watch Later" list stays private to them.

The account owner (the person who pays for YouTube TV) can remove anyone from the family group at any time. The owner can also see who is watching and when, and can set up parental controls if there are children in the group. Family members cannot change the subscription plan, add or remove other people, or cancel the account — only the owner can do those things.

All family members share the same three-stream limit. If three people are already watching, a fourth person will get a message saying the account is in use and they'll have to wait for someone to stop watching.

Sharing your password without Family Sharing

You can give your YouTube TV password to someone without adding them to Family Sharing. They just sign into the YouTube TV app or website with your email and password. This works, but they watch on your profile — they see your recommendations, your DVR, and your watch history. If they record something, it goes into your DVR folder.

Password sharing is simpler if you only have one or two people using the account and you don't mind them seeing your viewing history. It's also the only option if the other person doesn't have a Google Account or doesn't want to create one. The downside is that you can't tell who is watching what, and if they change your password or delete your recordings, you have no way to undo it.

YouTube TV's terms say accounts are for household members, but the company does not use location tracking to enforce this. People can share a password across different cities or states, and YouTube TV won't stop them. However, if the company detects unusual activity — like someone signing in from a different country or many people streaming at once from different locations — it may ask you to verify your account.

Removing someone from Family Sharing

Only the account owner can remove people. Go back to myaccount.google.com, click Family, and find the person you want to remove. Click the three dots next to their name and select Remove from family. They'll lose access to YouTube TV when ready, and their profile and DVR recordings will be deleted.

If you just want to stop someone from watching without removing them from the family group, you can't do that directly. Your only option is to change your YouTube TV password, which will sign everyone out. They'll have to sign back in with the new password.

Switching between profiles on the same device

If multiple family members use the same TV, phone, or tablet, each person can sign in with their own Google Account. On most devices, you can switch between profiles without signing out. On a Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV, look for a profile icon (usually in the top corner) and tap it to see other family members. Click the person's name to switch to their profile.

On a phone or tablet, you may need to sign out of one account and sign into another, or use the app's built-in profile switcher if it has one. The exact steps depend on your device, but YouTube TV's help center has instructions for each one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share my YouTube TV account with someone who doesn't have a Google Account?

Not through Family Sharing — they need their own Google Account to join. If you want to let them watch without creating an account, you can share your password and they can sign in with your email and password, but they'll watch on your profile instead of having their own.

What happens if four people try to watch at the same time?

The fourth person will see a message saying the account is in use and won't be able to watch. They'll have to wait for someone else to stop watching. This limit applies to everyone in the family group, not just password sharers.

Can I have different YouTube TV plans for different family members?

No. Everyone in the family group shares the same subscription plan. If you upgrade to a higher tier, all family members get access to those channels. Only the account owner can change the plan.

If I remove someone from Family Sharing, do they keep their DVR recordings?

No. When you remove someone, their profile and all their recordings are deleted. If they had shows they wanted to keep, they should watch or delete them before you remove them from the group.

Can I see what other family members are watching?

The account owner can see who is currently watching and what they're watching in real time. You can't see their full watch history, but you can see active streams. This is useful if you want to check whether someone is using the account.