Add a new user through account settings

YouTube TV lets you add up to five additional users to your account beyond the primary account holder. Each person gets their own profile, watch history, and recommendations. To add someone, sign into YouTube TV on any device, go to your account menu in the top right corner, and select Settings.

From Settings, choose Users and family on the left side. You'll see your current account listed. Click the plus icon or Add user button to create a new profile. Enter the person's name and choose whether they're a child or adult. If you're adding a child under 13, YouTube TV will set up parental controls automatically.

The new user doesn't need their own Google account to watch. They can start using YouTube TV when ready on any device where you're signed in. If they want to use YouTube TV on their own phone or tablet, they'll need to sign in with the email address associated with your YouTube TV account and use the same password.

Key Takeaways

  • You can add up to five users to one YouTube TV account, and each person gets their own profile and watch history.
  • New users don't need their own Google account—they sign in with your account email and password on their device.
  • Child profiles automatically include parental controls that let you restrict content by rating.
  • You can remove a user at any time from Settings, which removes their profile but doesn't cancel your subscription.
  • YouTube TV streams to four devices at once, so multiple users can watch different shows simultaneously if your plan allows it.

Set up a child profile with parental controls

When you add a user and mark them as a child, YouTube TV restricts content based on TV ratings. The child profile will only show programs rated TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-G, TV-PG, and TV-14. Content rated TV-MA and unrated shows won't appear in their recommendations or search results.

You can adjust these restrictions anytime by going back to Users and family in Settings, selecting the child's profile, and choosing Parental controls. From there, you can change the rating limit or require a PIN to watch higher-rated content. The PIN is separate from your account password and only applies to that child's profile.

Child profiles also have a simpler interface with larger text and fewer menu options. This makes it harder for younger viewers to accidentally stumble into adult content or change settings.

Invite someone with their own Google account

If the person you're adding has their own Google account and their own device, you can invite them as a family member instead of creating a new profile. This method works best when you want to share your YouTube TV subscription with someone who lives in a different household or wants to manage their own settings.

Go to Settings, select Users and family, and choose Invite family member. Enter their email address and select whether they're an adult or child. YouTube TV will send them an invitation email. They click the link, sign in with their Google account, and their profile appears on your account.

Family members can watch on their own devices without needing your password. They see their own recommendations and watch history. However, they still count toward your four-simultaneous-streams limit, so if five people are watching at once, the oldest stream will stop.

Manage simultaneous streams and device limits

YouTube TV allows four people to watch at the same time on different devices. This applies whether you're using multiple profiles on your account or have invited family members. If a fifth person tries to start watching, the oldest active stream automatically stops.

You can see which devices are currently streaming by going to Settings and selecting Devices. This page shows every device that has signed into your account, including phones, tablets, computers, and streaming devices. You can remove any device from this list, which signs it out when ready.

If someone is watching on a device you don't recognize, you can remove it from the Devices list. They'll need to sign in again if they want to continue watching. This is useful if you've shared your password with someone who no longer lives with you or if you've changed your password and want to force an old device to sign out.

Remove a user from your account

To delete a profile, go to Settings, select Users and family, and find the user you want to remove. Click the three-dot menu next to their name and choose Delete user. Confirm the deletion. Their watch history, saved shows, and recommendations disappear when ready.

Removing a user does not cancel your YouTube TV subscription or affect other profiles. The person can still watch YouTube TV if they have their own account and subscription, but they won't have access to yours anymore. If they try to sign in on a device, they'll see an error message.

If you're removing a family member who was invited with their own Google account, the process is the same. They'll lose access to your subscription but keep their own Google account and any other services tied to it.

Troubleshoot sign-in problems for new users

If a new user can't sign in on their device, first check that they're using the correct email and password. The email must be the one associated with your YouTube TV account, not their personal email. The password is the same one you use to sign into YouTube TV.

If they're signing in on a phone or tablet, make sure they have the YouTube TV app installed from the Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone). Signing in through a web browser sometimes works differently and may not give them full access to all features.

If the account is brand new and was just added, wait a few minutes before trying to sign in on another device. YouTube TV sometimes takes a moment to sync the new profile across all devices. If the problem continues after 15 minutes, try signing out completely on the device where they're trying to sign in, then sign back in.

Understand what each user can and cannot change

Each user on your account has their own watch history, recommendations, and saved shows. They cannot see other users' watch histories or recommendations. However, all users share the same live TV channels and on-demand library—you can't restrict which shows one user can watch unless they're a child profile with parental controls.

Users cannot change the YouTube TV plan, add or remove payment methods, or modify billing information. Only the primary account holder can make those changes. Users also cannot add or remove other users from the account. If someone needs to be added or removed, the primary account holder must do it through Settings.

Each user can change their own password, profile picture, and notification settings. They can also manage their own devices by signing out of specific devices from their profile settings. This gives them some control over their experience without letting them affect the main account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a user without giving them my password?

Yes. If you invite them as a family member using their own Google account, they sign in with their own email and password instead of yours. If you want to create a profile for them on your account, you can sign them in on a shared device (like a TV) and they can use that profile without knowing your password. However, if they want to use YouTube TV on their own phone, they'll need your account email and password to sign in.

What happens if I remove a user—do they lose their watch history?

Yes. When you delete a user profile, their watch history, saved shows, and recommendations are permanently deleted. If you think you might want to restore their profile later, consider signing them out of all devices instead of deleting them. You can always delete them later if needed.

Can two users watch different channels at the same time?

Yes, as long as you have two available streams. YouTube TV allows four simultaneous streams, so two users can watch different live channels or on-demand shows at the same time. If a third person starts watching, one of the first two streams will stop.

Do I need a separate YouTube TV subscription for each user?

No. One YouTube TV subscription covers all users on your account. You pay one monthly fee, and everyone you add can watch using that same subscription. However, all users combined can only stream to four devices at once.

Can a child user change their own parental control PIN?

No. Only the primary account holder can set or change the parental control PIN. This prevents a child from bypassing the restrictions on their own. If a child forgets the PIN or you want to change it, go to the child's profile in Settings and update it from there.