How to remove the YouTube app from your TV
The steps to delete the YouTube app depend on what kind of TV you own. Most modern TVs — whether they run Google TV, Samsung's Tizen, LG's WebOS, or another system — let you uninstall apps the same way you would on a phone or tablet. You find the app in your apps menu, press and hold (or select and hold), and choose delete or uninstall. The exact button names and menu locations vary by brand, but the process takes less than a minute on any TV made in the last five years.
If your TV is older or doesn't support app removal, or if you straightforward want to hide YouTube without deleting it, you have other options. You can remove it from your home screen, sign out of your account, or disable the app entirely through your TV's settings.
Key Takeaways
- Most modern TVs let you delete YouTube by finding it in the apps menu, pressing and holding the app icon, and selecting delete or uninstall.
- The exact steps and menu names differ by TV brand — Google TV, Samsung Tizen, LG WebOS, and Roku each have slightly different paths.
- If your TV doesn't support app removal, you can hide YouTube from your home screen or disable it in settings instead.
- Deleting the app removes it completely; signing out just removes your account access while leaving the app installed.
Delete YouTube on Google TV
Google TV is built into many newer TVs from Sony, TCL, Hisense, and other brands. To delete YouTube, go to your home screen and scroll to the Apps row. Find YouTube in the list, press and hold the app icon with your remote, and select Uninstall from the menu that appears. Confirm the action when prompted.
If you don't see an Uninstall option, the app may be a system app that cannot be removed. In that case, you can disable it instead: go to Settings > Apps > YouTube and select Disable. This hides the app from your home screen and stops it from running in the background.
Delete YouTube on Samsung TV (Tizen)
Samsung TVs use the Tizen operating system. Press the Home button on your remote to open the home screen. Navigate to the app you want to remove, highlight YouTube, and press the Options button (usually marked with three dots or lines). Select Delete or Remove from the menu.
On some Samsung models, you may need to go to Settings > Apps > YouTube and select Uninstall instead. If neither option appears, the app is built into your TV and cannot be deleted, but you can remove it from your home screen by highlighting it and pressing Options, then choosing Remove from Home.
Delete YouTube on LG TV (WebOS)
LG TVs run WebOS. Press the Home button on your remote. Find YouTube in your app list, highlight it, and press the Options button (the button with three horizontal lines). Select Delete or Remove. Confirm when prompted.
If you cannot delete it, you can hide it from view by selecting Remove from Home instead. This keeps the app on your TV but removes it from your home screen, so you won't see it when you turn on the TV.
Delete YouTube on Roku TV
Roku TVs have their own system. Press the Home button on your remote. Scroll to YouTube in your app list, press the Options button (usually marked with a star or asterisk), and select Remove channel. Confirm the removal.
Roku calls this "removing" rather than "deleting," but the result is the same — the app is no longer on your TV. If you change your mind later, you can reinstall it from the Roku Channel Store.
Hide YouTube without deleting it
If you want YouTube off your home screen but don't want to delete it completely, most TVs let you hide apps. On Google TV, press and hold the app and select Remove from Home. On Samsung, LG, and Roku, the process is similar — find the app, press Options, and choose Remove from Home or Hide. The app stays on your TV but won't appear on your home screen.
This is useful if you share your TV with others and want to reduce clutter without losing the app entirely. You can always add it back to your home screen later by going to your full apps list and selecting it.
Sign out of YouTube instead of deleting it
If you want to keep the YouTube app but remove your account from it, you can sign out instead. Open YouTube, go to your profile icon in the top right corner, and select Sign out. This removes your account access and your watch history from that TV, but the app itself remains installed.
Signing out is faster than deleting if you think you might use YouTube again later, or if other people in your household use the app. It also leaves the app available if you decide you want it back.
What happens after you delete YouTube
Once you delete the YouTube app, it is completely removed from your TV. Your watch history, saved videos, and account information stored on that TV are erased. If you reinstall the app later and sign in with the same account, your history on YouTube's servers will still be there, but the TV itself will start fresh.
Deleting the app also frees up a small amount of storage space on your TV, though YouTube typically uses very little. If your TV is running slowly or you are running out of storage, deleting unused apps can help, but YouTube is rarely the cause of performance problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete YouTube if it came with my TV?
It depends on your TV brand. Some system apps cannot be deleted, only hidden or disabled. If you don't see an Uninstall option, try selecting Disable in your TV's settings instead. This removes the app from your home screen and stops it from running.
Will deleting YouTube affect other apps on my TV?
No. Deleting YouTube only removes that one app. Your other apps, your internet connection, and your TV's performance will not be affected. You can delete and reinstall apps as many times as you want without harming your TV.
How do I reinstall YouTube after I delete it?
Go to your TV's app store — Google Play on Google TV, Samsung App Store on Samsung, LG Content Store on LG, or Roku Channel Store on Roku. Search for YouTube and select Install. The app will read and appear on your home screen within a few minutes.
What if I can't find the delete option?
Your TV may not support app removal if it is older or if YouTube is a system app. Try going to Settings > Apps > YouTube and look for Disable or Remove. If neither appears, you can hide the app from your home screen instead so you don't see it when you turn on your TV.
Does deleting YouTube delete my account?
No. Deleting the app from your TV only removes it from that device. Your YouTube account, subscriptions, and watch history remain on YouTube's servers. If you sign in on another device or reinstall the app, everything will be there.