Family Share lets up to 6 people watch YouTube TV on separate devices under one subscription

Family Share is YouTube TV's built-in feature that lets you add up to five other household members to your account. Each person gets their own login, their own recommendations, and their own DVR library. Everyone can watch different channels at the same time on different devices — so one person can watch sports while another watches news, and a third watches a show they recorded last week.

The person who pays for YouTube TV (the account owner) sets up Family Share and controls who has access. Family members don't need their own YouTube TV subscription or their own payment method. They just need a Google account and to be added to your household.

Key Takeaways

  • Family Share lets up to 6 people total (you plus 5 others) watch on one YouTube TV subscription from different devices at the same time.
  • Each family member gets their own login, their own watch history, and their own DVR recordings — what one person records doesn't show up in another person's library.
  • The account owner controls who is in the family group and can remove members at any time through account settings.
  • Family members must be in your household and have a Google account; YouTube TV verifies location periodically to confirm everyone is still in the same home.
  • If a family member moves out, you remove them from Family Share, and they can no longer watch YouTube TV unless they get their own subscription.

How to set up Family Share on your account

Start by opening YouTube TV on any device and signing in with the account that pays for the subscription. Go to your account settings — this is usually a gear icon or your profile picture in the top right corner. Look for a section called "Family" or "Family Share" (the exact name varies slightly by device).

Select "Add family member" or "Invite" and enter the Google account email address of the person you want to add. YouTube TV will send them an invitation. They accept it on their device, and they're added to your household. Repeat this for each person you want to include, up to five additional members.

Each family member should sign in to YouTube TV with their own Google account on their own device. Once they're signed in, they'll see their own home screen, their own recommendations based on what they watch, and their own DVR library.

What each family member can and cannot do

Family members can watch live TV, pause and rewind programs, record shows to their personal DVR, and create their own watchlist. They can change their own account preferences like subtitles and video quality. They cannot change the main subscription (like upgrading or downgrading the plan), add or remove other family members, or see what other family members have recorded.

If you have parental controls turned on, the account owner can restrict what certain family members can watch based on content ratings. A child's profile can be set to block mature content, for example. The account owner can also set a PIN that's required to watch restricted content.

YouTube TV's household location requirement

YouTube TV requires that all family members in your Family Share group live in the same household. This is to prevent account sharing outside your home, which would violate YouTube TV's terms of service.

YouTube TV checks location periodically — usually when someone signs in from a new device or after a period of time. If a family member is consistently signing in from a different address, YouTube TV may ask you to verify that they still live with you. If they don't, you'll need to remove them from Family Share.

This doesn't mean family members can't travel. They can watch YouTube TV while on vacation or a business trip. But if someone moves to a different permanent address, they should be removed from your Family Share group.

How to remove a family member

Open YouTube TV settings on the account that pays for the subscription. Find the Family Share section and look for the list of current members. Next to the person you want to remove, there should be an option to delete, remove, or manage that member. Select it and confirm the removal.

Once removed, that person can no longer watch YouTube TV through your subscription. If they want to keep watching, they'll need to purchase their own YouTube TV subscription. Any shows they recorded will no longer be available to them.

Switching devices and signing out

Each family member can watch on up to four devices at the same time under one YouTube TV account. You can watch on your phone, tablet, computer, and TV simultaneously — but only four screens total across the whole family group can be active at once.

If a fifth person tries to start watching while four streams are already playing, YouTube TV will ask one of the active streams to stop. This is a protection against account sharing outside the household.

To sign out of YouTube TV on a device, go to account settings and select "Sign out" or "Log out." This frees up one of your four simultaneous streams. If you sell or give away a device, sign out of YouTube TV on it before you hand it over.

What happens if someone moves out

If a family member moves to a different address, they should no longer be part of your Family Share group. Remove them from your account settings. They can then purchase their own YouTube TV subscription if they want to keep watching.

If you don't remove them and they continue to sign in from their new address, YouTube TV's location verification may flag the account. YouTube TV may ask you to confirm the household, and if you can't verify that the person still lives with you, the account owner may lose access temporarily until the issue is resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can family members watch YouTube TV at the same time?

Yes. Up to four people can watch simultaneously across all devices on one YouTube TV subscription. Each person can be on a different device watching different channels or shows.

What if I want to remove someone from Family Share but stay friends with them?

You can remove them from your Family Share group without affecting your friendship or your Google account connection. They'll straightforward lose access to YouTube TV through your subscription. You can add them back later if they move back in.

Do family members need their own Google account?

Yes. Each person in your Family Share group needs a Google account. They don't need a YouTube TV subscription — they just use their Google login to access the one subscription you pay for.

Can I see what shows other family members are watching?

No. Each family member's watch history and DVR library are private to their own account. You can only see your own viewing history and recordings.

What if someone in my family group moves out temporarily?

Short trips are fine — family members can watch YouTube TV while traveling. But if someone moves out permanently, remove them from Family Share. YouTube TV's location checks are designed to catch permanent moves, not vacations.