You can move channels by dragging them in your guide, or by hiding the ones you don't watch

YouTube TV lets you reorganize your channel list so the ones you watch most appear first. You do this directly in the guide—the grid of channels and programs you see when you open the app. The two main methods are dragging channels to new positions, or hiding channels you rarely use so they move to the bottom automatically.

The exact steps depend on whether you're using YouTube TV on a phone, tablet, computer, or TV device. Each platform has a slightly different interface, but the principle is the same: you're reordering your personal view of the channel list, not changing anything about your account or subscription.

Key Takeaways

  • On phones and tablets, press and hold a channel tile until a menu appears, then select "Move channel" or drag it to a new spot.
  • On a computer, click the three-dot menu next to a channel name and choose "Move channel," or drag the channel tile directly.
  • On TV devices, use your remote to highlight a channel, press the menu button, and select the move or reorder option.
  • Hiding a channel removes it from your main guide view and groups it at the bottom under "Hidden channels."
  • Your channel order syncs across all your devices once you save the change.

Moving channels on a phone or tablet

Open YouTube TV and look at your channel guide. Press and hold your finger on any channel tile for about two seconds until a small menu pops up. You'll see options including "Move channel" or sometimes just a move icon. Tap that option.

Once you've selected move, the channel tile will highlight or show a drag handle. Drag it left, right, up, or down to the position you want. Release your finger to drop it in place. The channels around it will shift to make room. If you change your mind before releasing, drag it back to its original spot.

On some tablets, you can also long-press and drag in one motion without tapping a separate menu—just hold and slide the channel to its new position. The method varies slightly by device and YouTube TV app version, so if one approach doesn't work, try the other.

Moving channels on a computer

Go to YouTube TV in your web browser and open the guide. Hover your mouse over any channel tile. A three-dot menu icon will appear in the corner of that tile. Click it to open a dropdown menu with options like "Move channel," "Hide channel," or "Unhide channel."

Click "Move channel." The channel tile will become draggable—your cursor will change to show a move icon. Click and drag the channel to the left, right, up, or down to place it where you want. Release the mouse button to drop it. The other channels will rearrange automatically.

Alternatively, on some browsers you can drag a channel tile directly without opening the menu first. Click and hold on the tile itself, then drag it to a new position. If this doesn't work on your setup, use the three-dot menu method instead.

Moving channels on a TV device

On Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, or another TV device, open YouTube TV and navigate to the guide using your remote. Highlight the channel you want to move by pressing the arrow buttons until it's selected.

Press the menu or options button on your remote (this is often labeled as three horizontal lines, three dots, or "Menu"). A menu will appear with options to move, hide, or unhide the channel. Select "Move channel" or "Reorder."

Use the arrow buttons on your remote to move the channel left, right, up, or down. Press the select or OK button to confirm the new position. The guide will update, and your channel will stay in its new spot. The exact button names vary by remote type, but the principle is the same across all TV devices.

Hiding channels you don't watch

If you have channels you rarely or never watch, hiding them cleans up your guide without removing them from your account. Hidden channels move to a separate section at the bottom of your guide labeled "Hidden channels," so you can still find them if you need them later.

To hide a channel on a phone or tablet, press and hold the channel tile, then tap "Hide channel." On a computer, click the three-dot menu on the channel tile and select "Hide channel." On a TV device, highlight the channel, press menu, and select "Hide channel."

Hidden channels don't count toward your guide space, so hiding several channels can make your main guide much shorter and easier to scroll through. You can unhide a channel the same way—find it in the "Hidden channels" section and select "Unhide channel" from its menu.

Your channel order syncs across devices

Once you move or hide a channel on one device, YouTube TV updates your order on all your other devices. If you rearrange channels on your phone, the same order appears on your tablet, computer, and TV device within a few seconds to a few minutes.

This sync happens automatically as long as you're signed into the same YouTube account on each device. If you're signed into different accounts, each account has its own separate channel order. You can also sign out and sign back in to force a refresh if a device seems out of sync.

Resetting your channel order to default

YouTube TV doesn't have a single "reset all channels" button, but you can restore the default order by unhiding all hidden channels and then manually moving channels back to their original positions. This is tedious if you've hidden or moved many channels.

A faster workaround is to sign out of YouTube TV on the device, wait a minute, and sign back in. This sometimes resets the guide to the default channel order for that device only—though your changes on other devices will remain. Test this on one device first before trying it on all of them.

If you want to keep your current order on most devices but reset just one, sign out on that device, sign back in, and then manually adjust it again. Your other devices won't be affected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move channels into a custom folder or group?

YouTube TV does not support custom folders or channel groups. You can only reorder channels in a single list and hide channels you don't want to see. If you want to organize by category (like sports, news, or entertainment), you'll need to manually arrange them in that order yourself.

What happens to my channel order if I cancel and restart my subscription?

Your channel order is tied to your YouTube account, not your subscription status. If you cancel YouTube TV and restart it later using the same account, your channel arrangement will be exactly as you left it. If you use a different account, you'll start with the default channel order.

Why can't I move a specific channel?

Some channels may be locked in place if they're part of a bundle or promotional package, though this is rare. More often, the move option straightforward didn't load properly. Try closing and reopening the YouTube TV app, or refreshing the page if you're on a computer. If a channel still won't move, try hiding it instead and unhiding it to reset it.

Does moving channels change what I'm subscribed to?

No. Moving or hiding channels only changes how your guide looks—it doesn't add or remove any channels from your subscription. All your subscribed channels remain active and available to watch, whether they're at the top of your guide or hidden at the bottom.

Can I move channels on the YouTube TV app for smartwatches or other devices?

YouTube TV is not available on smartwatches. It's only available on phones, tablets, computers, and TV devices like Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Fire TV. If you're using a device not listed here, YouTube TV may not be supported on it.