Add a family member or household member to your YouTube TV account

YouTube TV lets you add up to five other people to your account through a feature called Family Library. When you add someone, they get their own profile, their own watch history, and their own recommendations—they don't see what you watch, and you don't see what they watch. Each person can use the account on their own devices at the same time, up to the number of simultaneous streams your plan allows.

The person you add needs a Google Account. If they don't have one, they can create one for free at google.com. You'll need to be signed into your YouTube TV account and have access to the email address of the person you're adding.

Key Takeaways

  • You can add up to five people to your YouTube TV account through Family Library, and each person gets their own profile and watch history.
  • The person you add must have a Google Account, which they can create for free if they don't already have one.
  • You start the process from the YouTube TV settings menu by selecting "Family Library" and then "Add Member."
  • The person you invite will receive an email invitation and must accept it to join your family group.
  • Family members can watch on separate devices at the same time, but the total number of streams is limited by your plan.

Steps to add someone through Family Library

Open YouTube TV on a web browser or the YouTube TV app and sign in with your account. Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right corner). Select Family Library from the menu on the left side.

Click or tap Add Member. Enter the email address of the Google Account belonging to the person you want to add. YouTube TV will send them an invitation email. They need to open that email and click the link to accept the invitation and join your family group. Once they accept, they'll appear in your Family Library list.

The new member can then sign into YouTube TV using their own Google Account on any device—phone, tablet, computer, or TV. They'll see their own profile with their own recommendations and watch history separate from yours.

What happens when someone joins your family group

Each family member gets a separate profile within the same YouTube TV account. This means their watch history, recommendations, and saved shows don't mix with anyone else's. If one person is watching a show, another family member can watch something different on a different device at the same time—as long as your plan allows multiple streams.

YouTube TV plans typically allow 3 simultaneous streams. If a fourth person tries to watch while three others are already watching, they'll see a message that the limit has been reached and will need to wait for someone else to stop watching.

Managing family members and removing someone

You can see all the people in your family group by going to Settings and selecting Family Library. From there, you can see each member's email address and when they joined.

To remove someone, go to Family Library, find their name in the list, and select the three-dot menu next to their name. Choose Remove Member. They will no longer have access to your YouTube TV account. If you remove someone by mistake, you can add them back by sending a new invitation.

What to do if someone doesn't receive their invitation

The invitation email comes from noreply@google.com with the subject line "You're invited to join a family group." Ask the person to check their spam or promotions folder—the email sometimes lands there instead of the inbox. They should also check the email address they gave you to make sure it's spelled correctly.

If they still don't see the invitation after checking spam, you can remove them from Family Library and add them again with the correct email address. There's no limit to how many times you can send invitations.

Switching between family member profiles

When you open YouTube TV, you'll see a profile icon in the top right corner. Click or tap it to see a dropdown menu showing all the profiles in your family group. Select the profile you want to use. Each profile has its own watch history and recommendations, so switching profiles is like switching between different viewers.

On TV devices like Roku, Apple TV, or Google TV, you may see a profile selection screen when you first open the app. Select the profile you want to watch as, and the app will show recommendations and continue playback for that person.

Troubleshooting common issues

If someone can't sign in with their Google Account, make sure they're using the exact email address they were invited with. If they've changed their Google Account password recently, they may need to sign out and sign back in to YouTube TV.

If you see an error message saying "Family Library is not available," your account may not have Family Library enabled yet. This is rare, but you can contact YouTube TV support through the Settings menu to confirm your account is set up correctly. If multiple people are trying to watch and you're hitting the simultaneous stream limit, only one person needs to stop watching for another to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

YouTube TV's terms of service state that family members should be in the same household. YouTube TV may ask you to verify this, and they can remove members if they determine the account is being shared outside a household. For people outside your home, they would need their own separate YouTube TV account.

What if the person I'm adding doesn't have a Google Account?

They can create one for free at google.com. It takes about two minutes. They'll need an email address (they can use Gmail or any other email provider) and a password. Once they have a Google Account, you can add them to your family group using that email address.

Can I add more than five people?

No, YouTube TV allows a maximum of six people per account: you plus five others. If you need to add someone and you're at the limit, you'll need to remove someone first.

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

No. When you add someone to your family group, they use your YouTube TV subscription at no extra cost. They just need their own Google Account to create their own profile.

Can I see what other family members are watching?

No. Each family member's watch history and recommendations are private to their own profile. You cannot see what shows or movies they've watched or what they've saved.