Mark channels as favorites to keep them at the top of your guide

YouTube TV lets you pin your most-watched channels to the top of your channel list so you do not have to scroll to find them. When you mark a channel as a favorite, it moves to a "Favorites" section that appears first when you open the guide. You can favorite as many channels as you want, and you can remove a channel from favorites just as easily.

The process works the same way on all devices — phones, tablets, computers, and TV streaming devices — though the exact button or menu option changes slightly depending on what you are using.

Key Takeaways

  • Favorite a channel by opening your channel guide, finding the channel, and selecting the star or heart icon next to its name.
  • Favorited channels appear in a separate "Favorites" section at the top of your guide for faster access.
  • You can unfavorite a channel by clicking the same icon again, which removes it from the favorites section but keeps it in your full channel list.
  • Your favorite channels sync across all devices logged into your YouTube TV account, so changes on one device show up everywhere.

How to favorite a channel on a phone or tablet

Open the YouTube TV app and tap the Guide icon at the bottom of the screen. Scroll through the list of channels until you find one you want to favorite. On Android phones, press and hold the channel name, then tap the star icon. On iPhones and iPads, swipe left on the channel name and tap the star icon that appears.

The channel moves to the top of your guide under a "Favorites" heading. If you change your mind, use the same method — press and hold (Android) or swipe left (iPhone/iPad) and tap the star again to remove it from favorites.

How to favorite a channel on a computer

Go to youtube.tv in your web browser and click Guide on the left side of the screen. Find the channel you want to favorite and hover your mouse over it. A star icon appears to the right of the channel name. Click the star to add it to your favorites.

The channel jumps to the top of the guide under "Favorites." To unfavorite it, click the star again and it moves back to the regular channel list.

How to favorite a channel on a TV streaming device

On devices like Roku, Apple TV, Google TV, or Fire TV, open YouTube TV and navigate to the Guide. Use your remote to highlight a channel. Press the button your remote uses for options or details — usually labeled "Options," "Menu," or a three-dot icon. Select "Add to Favorites" or "Add to My Channels" from the menu that appears.

The channel moves to the top of your guide. To remove it, highlight the channel again, open the menu, and select "Remove from Favorites."

Your favorites sync across all your devices

When you favorite a channel on your phone, that same channel appears in your favorites section on your computer, tablet, and TV devices — as long as you are signed into the same YouTube TV account on all of them. Changes take effect within a few minutes.

If you have multiple people watching on the same YouTube TV account, each person can set up their own favorites. YouTube TV stores separate guide preferences for each profile on the account, so your spouse's favorite channels do not overwrite yours.

Organize your favorites by dragging and reordering

After you add channels to favorites, you can change the order they appear in. On a phone or tablet, press and hold a favorited channel and drag it up or down to a new position. On a computer, click and drag a channel to reorder it. On TV devices, highlight a channel, open the menu, and look for a "Move Up" or "Move Down" option.

The order you set on one device does not always match the order on another device — each device can have its own arrangement. If you want the same order everywhere, you will need to set it manually on each one.

Remove channels from your favorites

You can unfavorite a channel at any time using the same method you used to favorite it. On a phone, press and hold the channel and tap the star. On a computer, click the star next to the channel name. On a TV device, highlight the channel, open the menu, and select "Remove from Favorites." The channel stays in your full channel list but moves out of the "Favorites" section.

If you want to hide a channel from your guide entirely — not just remove it from favorites — you can do that too. Look for a "Hide Channel" option in the same menu where you found "Add to Favorites." Hidden channels do not appear anywhere in your guide unless you unhide them later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different favorite channels on different profiles?

Yes. If your YouTube TV account has multiple profiles, each person can set their own favorites. When someone switches to their profile, they see their own favorite channels at the top of the guide. This keeps everyone's preferences separate even though you share the same account.

What happens to my favorites if I cancel YouTube TV?

Your favorites are stored in your account. If you cancel and rejoin later, your favorites are still there. If you delete your YouTube account entirely, your favorites are deleted along with it.

Can I favorite channels that are not in my package?

No. You can only favorite channels that are included in your YouTube TV plan. If a channel is not available in your region or package, it will not appear in the guide and you cannot favorite it.

How many channels can I favorite?

YouTube TV does not set a limit on the number of channels you can favorite. You can favorite as many as you want, though having too many makes the "Favorites" section long and defeats the purpose of quick access.

Do my favorites show up in the same order on all devices?

No. The order you set on your phone does not automatically match the order on your TV or computer. Each device stores its own arrangement, so you may need to reorder your favorites on each device if you want them in the same sequence everywhere.