Cancel a Recording Before It Starts
To cancel a recording on YouTube TV before it airs, open the YouTube TV app or website and find the show in your library or search results. Look for the red recording icon next to the title — it looks like a filled circle. Tap or click that icon once, and the recording will be removed from your queue. The show will no longer record when it airs.
If you set up a series recording by mistake, cancelling one episode will not stop future episodes from recording. You need to cancel the series itself. Find the show title, select it, and look for an option that says "Stop recording series" or "Remove series recording." Tap that instead of the single-episode cancel button.
Key Takeaways
- Tap the red recording icon next to any show title to cancel that single recording before it airs.
- Series recordings require you to select "Stop recording series" rather than cancelling one episode, or future episodes will still record.
- Recordings that have already finished cannot be cancelled — you can only delete them from your library after they finish.
- You can manage all your scheduled recordings from the "Library" tab under "Upcoming" or "Scheduled" depending on your device.
- YouTube TV does not charge extra for recordings, so cancelling frees up storage space but does not reduce your bill.
Delete a Recording That Already Finished
Once a show has finished recording, you cannot cancel it — you can only delete it from your library. Open the YouTube TV app, go to your Library, and find the recorded show. Press and hold the title (or right-click on a computer), then select "Remove from library" or "Delete." The recording will be removed when ready.
Deleting a recording does not affect future episodes if it is part of a series. If you want to stop recording future episodes of that series, you must go back and cancel the series recording separately using the "Stop recording series" option.
Manage Series Recordings
Series recordings are the most common reason people need to cancel. When you record a show, YouTube TV asks whether you want to record just that episode or the entire series. If you chose the series option and now want to stop, find the show in your Library, select it, and look for "Manage series recording" or "Series settings."
From that menu, you can choose "Stop recording series" to cancel all future episodes. You can also set rules like "record new episodes only" or "record all episodes including reruns" if you want to keep the series but change how it records. These settings vary slightly depending on whether you are using the app on a phone, tablet, or computer.
Where to Find Your Scheduled Recordings
YouTube TV shows your upcoming recordings in the Library section under "Upcoming" or "Scheduled" — the exact label depends on your device. Open the YouTube TV app or website, tap Library, and look for the section that lists shows set to record soon. This is where you can see at a glance what is queued up and cancel anything before it starts.
On a computer, you can also search for a show directly and see the recording status next to the title. If a red circle appears, it is scheduled to record. Click that icon to cancel. On phones and tablets, the process is the same but the icon may be slightly smaller.
Why You Might Want to Cancel a Recording
YouTube TV gives you unlimited storage for recordings, so you never run out of space. However, you might cancel a recording because you changed your mind about watching it, you found out the episode is a rerun, or you accidentally set up a series recording when you only wanted one episode.
Cancelling a recording does not affect your YouTube TV bill — recordings are included with your subscription at no extra cost. Deleting old recordings from your library also does not change what you pay. The main reason to cancel or delete is to keep your library organized and straightforward to browse.
Troubleshooting: Recording Still Shows as Scheduled
If you cancelled a recording but it still appears in your Upcoming list, refresh the app or website. Close YouTube TV completely and reopen it, or refresh the page on a computer. Sometimes the interface takes a moment to update after you cancel.
If the recording still appears after refreshing, check whether you cancelled a single episode or the series. If it is a series recording, cancelling one episode will not remove the others from the schedule. Go back and select "Stop recording series" instead. If you are still seeing the recording after that, sign out of YouTube TV and sign back in — this forces a full sync with YouTube's servers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel a recording that is currently recording right now?
No. Once a show starts recording, you cannot stop it mid-broadcast. You can only delete it from your library after it finishes. If you want to prevent future episodes from recording, cancel the series recording instead.
If I cancel a series recording, will the episodes I already recorded stay in my library?
Yes. Cancelling the series only stops future episodes from recording. Any episodes you have already recorded will remain in your library until you delete them manually.
What happens if I cancel a recording but the show airs on multiple channels?
YouTube TV records from one channel only. If you cancel that recording, the show will not record from any channel. If you want to record it from a different channel instead, you will need to set up a new recording for that channel.
Can I set up a recording to cancel automatically after a certain date?
YouTube TV does not have an automatic expiration feature for recordings. You must delete them manually from your library. However, you can set series recordings to stop after a certain number of episodes if you want to limit how many are stored.
Does cancelling a recording free up storage space?
Cancelling a recording that has not started yet does not free up space because it was never recorded. Deleting a recording that has already finished does free up storage, but YouTube TV offers unlimited recording space, so storage is not a practical concern for most users.