YouTube TV Family Sharing lets multiple people in your household watch on separate devices at the same time using one subscription

Family Sharing on YouTube TV works by linking up to six people to a single account. Each person gets their own profile, their own recommendations, and their own watch history. Up to three of those people can stream at the same time on different devices — so two people can watch different shows while a third person is watching something else, all from one YouTube TV subscription.

To set this up, you need a Google Account (the main account that pays for YouTube TV), and each family member needs their own Google Account. You do not need separate YouTube TV subscriptions. The person who pays for YouTube TV becomes the family manager and controls who is in the family group and what content restrictions explore.

Key Takeaways

  • The YouTube TV account holder creates a family group in Google Account settings and invites up to five other people by their email addresses.
  • Each family member must have their own Google Account, but they do not need to pay for YouTube TV — one subscription covers everyone.
  • Up to three family members can stream at the same time, but only if they are on different devices.
  • The account holder can set parental controls for each family member and remove people from the group at any time.
  • Family members can sign in on phones, tablets, computers, and TV devices, and their watch history and recommendations stay separate.

How to Create a Family Group and Add Members

Start by going to myaccount.google.com on a computer or phone. Sign in with the Google Account that pays for YouTube TV. On the left side, click Personal info, then scroll down and click Family.

Click the button to create a family group. Google will ask you to confirm your date of birth and country. Then you will see a screen that says "Invite family members." Click Invite and enter the email address of the first person you want to add. You can add up to five more people this way. Send each invitation one at a time.

Each person you invite will receive an email asking them to join the family group. They need to click the link in that email and accept the invitation using their own Google Account. They do not need to do anything else — they will automatically have access to YouTube TV once they accept.

Setting Up Profiles and Parental Controls

Once family members have joined, each person can create their own profile in YouTube TV. Open YouTube TV, click the profile icon in the top right corner, and select Create a profile. Give it a name and choose an avatar. This profile is where that person's watch history, recommendations, and saved shows will live.

If you need to restrict content for children, go back to myaccount.google.com, click Family, and select the family member's name. Click Parental controls and choose a content rating level. You can set it to allow only content rated G, PG, PG-13, or TV-14. Anyone watching on that profile will only see shows and movies that match that rating.

Parental controls do not require a password — they are just content filters. If you want to prevent someone from changing the rating level, you will need to set a Family Link account for that person, which is a separate Google tool for managing children's accounts.

Signing In on Different Devices

Each family member can sign in to YouTube TV on their own devices. On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube TV app, tap the profile icon, and select Sign in. Enter the email address and password for that person's Google Account. On a TV, open YouTube TV, select Sign in, and follow the on-screen instructions — most TVs will give you a code to enter on your phone to speed up the process.

Once someone is signed in on a device, that device is linked to their profile. Their watch history, recommendations, and saved shows will appear when they open YouTube TV on that device. If someone signs in on a shared device like a living room TV, make sure they select their profile when they open the app, or their watch history will get mixed up with whoever used it last.

You can sign in on as many devices as you want, but remember that only three family members can stream at the same time across all devices. If a fourth person tries to start watching while three others are already streaming, YouTube TV will ask one of the other streams to stop.

Managing Your Family Group

The account holder (the person who pays for YouTube TV) can see all family members and manage the group from myaccount.google.com under Family. From there, you can remove someone by clicking their name and selecting Remove from family. When you remove someone, they lose access to YouTube TV when ready, but their profile and watch history stay in the system for 21 days in case you want to add them back.

You can also change who is the family manager. Click the family member's name, then click Make manager. A manager can add and remove people, change parental controls, and manage billing. You can have more than one manager in a family group.

If someone's Google Account gets hacked or they leave your household, remove them right away. Removing them does not delete their profile — it just cuts off their access to YouTube TV. If you want to permanently delete a profile, you can do that from the YouTube TV settings menu, but only the account holder can do this.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If someone is not showing up in the family group after accepting the invitation, ask them to sign out of YouTube TV completely and sign back in. Sometimes the app does not refresh right away. On a phone, go to Settings > Apps > YouTube TV > Storage > Clear Cache, then open the app again.

If you are getting a message that says "You have reached the maximum number of streams," it means three people are already watching. Wait for one of them to stop, or ask them to pause their show. This limit resets as soon as someone stops streaming.

If a family member cannot see YouTube TV after joining the group, make sure they are signed in with the correct Google Account. YouTube TV only works with the account that was invited to the family group. If they are using a different Google Account, they will not see YouTube TV even if they are in the family group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Family Sharing if I live alone?

Yes. You can create a family group with just yourself, or add people who do not live with you. However, YouTube TV's terms of service say that family members should be in the same household. If you add people from different addresses, YouTube TV may ask you to verify that you live together.

What happens if four people try to watch at the same time?

YouTube TV will stop one of the streams and show a message saying the limit has been reached. The person who was watching most recently will be kicked off. They can start watching again once someone else stops.

Can I change my parental control settings after I set them?

Yes. Go to myaccount.google.com, click Family, select the person's name, and click Parental controls. You can change the rating level at any time. The change takes effect when ready.

Do family members need their own YouTube TV account?

No. One YouTube TV subscription covers everyone in the family group. Each person needs their own Google Account, but they do not need to pay for YouTube TV separately.

Can I remove someone from the family group without them knowing?

Yes. When you remove someone, they lose access to YouTube TV right away, but they do not get a notification. They will find out when they try to open the app and see that they no longer have access.