Add a family member through your account settings

To add a family member to YouTube TV, go to your account settings, select "Family," and invite them by their email address. They'll receive an invitation and can accept it on any device. The person you invite needs a Google Account, but they don't need to pay—family members share the same YouTube TV subscription and can watch on separate devices at the same time.

YouTube TV allows up to six people per household on one subscription. Each person gets their own profile, recommendations, and watch history. You can manage who has access and remove members at any time from the same Family settings page.

Key Takeaways

  • Family members must have a Google Account to join, but they share your YouTube TV subscription at no extra cost.
  • You can add up to six people total to one YouTube TV account, and each person watches on their own profile.
  • Multiple family members can watch on different devices at the same time without interrupting each other.
  • The account owner can remove any family member from the settings page whenever needed.
  • Family members can be added or removed from any device where you're signed into YouTube TV.

Step-by-step: inviting a family member

Open YouTube TV on any device and sign in with the account that pays for the subscription. Tap or click your profile icon in the top right corner, then select "Settings." Look for the "Family" option in the menu on the left side.

Click "Invite family member" or the plus icon next to the family list. Enter the email address of the person you want to add. They'll receive an invitation email from Google. They need to click the link in that email and sign in with their Google Account to accept the invitation. Once they accept, they can start watching when ready on their own profile.

The invitation stays active for 30 days. If the person doesn't accept within that time, you can send a new invitation. There's no limit to how many invitations you can send, but only six people can be active members at once.

What happens after someone joins

Once a family member accepts the invitation, they can watch YouTube TV on any device by signing in with their Google Account. They'll see their own profile with personalized recommendations based on what they watch. Their watch history, saved shows, and preferences stay separate from everyone else's on the account.

All family members can watch at the same time on different devices. If you're watching on the TV and someone else is watching on a phone, you won't interrupt each other. YouTube TV supports simultaneous streams depending on your plan—most plans allow multiple streams at once.

Managing family members and removing access

To see who's on your family, go back to Settings > Family. You'll see a list of all members with their email addresses. If you need to remove someone, click the three-dot menu next to their name and select "Remove from family." They'll lose access to YouTube TV when ready, though their profile and watch history will remain in your account settings for 21 days before deletion.

You can also change roles from this menu. The account owner (the person who pays) has full control. You can designate another family member as a manager, who can then invite or remove other members. This is useful if you want to share management duties.

Troubleshooting common problems

If someone says they didn't receive an invitation email, ask them to check their spam or promotions folder—invitations sometimes end up there. You can also resend the invitation from the Family settings page. Make sure you're using the correct email address; if they've changed their email, remove them and send a new invitation to the current one.

If a family member can't sign in after accepting the invitation, have them sign out completely from YouTube TV and sign back in with the Google Account they used to accept the invitation. Sometimes clearing the app cache (on phones) or cookies (on browsers) fixes sign-in problems. On phones, go to Settings > Apps > YouTube TV > Storage > Clear Cache.

If you've reached the six-member limit and want to add someone new, you'll need to remove an existing member first. The system won't let you invite a seventh person until one of the current six is removed.

Switching between profiles on a shared device

If multiple family members use the same TV or computer, each person can switch to their own profile without signing out. On the YouTube TV home screen, tap or click the profile icon and select the name of the person who wants to watch. Their profile loads with their recommendations and watch history.

This makes it straightforward for a household to share one device without mixing up what everyone's watching. Kids can have their own profile separate from adults, and each person's recommendations stay personalized to what they actually watch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do family members need to pay for their own YouTube TV subscription?

No. Family members share the same subscription that the account owner pays for. There's no additional cost to add them, and they get full access to all the same channels and features as the main account holder.

Can I add someone who doesn't live with me?

YouTube TV is designed for household members. While the system doesn't verify location, the terms of service state that family members should be in the same household. Adding people outside your home may violate the terms and could result in account suspension.

What if a family member moves out—do I have to remove them?

Yes. YouTube TV's terms require family members to be in the same household. If someone moves, you should remove them from the family and they can start their own subscription if they want to keep watching.

Can I see what other family members are watching?

You can see the list of family members and their email addresses in the Family settings, but you can't see their individual watch history or what they're currently watching. Each person's profile is private to them.

How many devices can one family member watch on at the same time?

One family member can watch on one device at a time. If they try to start watching on a second device, the first stream stops. However, different family members can each watch on their own device simultaneously.