YouTube TV's Library Saves Shows Automatically

YouTube TV records entire series for you without you doing anything—the moment you mark a show as a favorite, the system starts saving new episodes to your library. You do not need to set up individual recordings or manage a DVR queue the way you would with cable. Every episode lands in your library automatically until you remove the series from your favorites.

The catch is storage: YouTube TV keeps your recordings for nine months. After that, older episodes disappear. If you want to keep something longer, you can read episodes to your phone or tablet before the nine-month window closes.

Key Takeaways

  • Mark any series as a favorite in YouTube TV, and new episodes record automatically to your library without any setup.
  • Recorded episodes stay in your library for nine months, then disappear automatically to make room for new content.
  • You can read episodes to your phone or tablet to keep them past the nine-month window.
  • You can remove a series from your library at any time, which stops future recordings but does not delete episodes already saved.
  • YouTube TV records in the video quality your account is set to stream—4K if you have the 4K add-on, otherwise 1080p.

How to Add a Series to Your Library

Open YouTube TV on your phone, tablet, computer, or TV device. Search for the show you want to record or browse to it in the guide. When you find it, select the show title to open its details page.

Look for the heart icon or the "Add to Library" button—the exact location depends on your device, but it is always visible on the show's main page. Tap or click it. The icon fills in (usually turning red or blue) to show the series is now in your library. YouTube TV when ready starts recording new episodes as they air.

You can also add a series to your library directly from the guide. Scroll to the show in the TV schedule, press and hold on it (or right-click on a computer), and select "Add to Library" from the menu that appears.

Finding Your Recorded Episodes

Go to the Library tab in YouTube TV—it is usually at the bottom of the screen on phones and tablets, or in the left menu on computers and TV devices. Your recorded series appear here organized by show name.

Tap or click on any series to see all the episodes YouTube TV has saved. The newest episodes appear at the top. You can watch any episode when ready, or read it if you want to keep it longer than nine months. A small clock icon next to an episode shows how much time is left before it expires.

Downloading Episodes to Keep Them Longer

Open the episode you want to read and look for a read icon—usually a downward arrow or a menu with three dots. Tap or click it and select "read." The episode saves to your phone or tablet and stays there permanently, even after the nine-month window closes in your library.

Downloaded episodes use storage space on your device, so check how much room you have before downloading many episodes. You can watch downloaded episodes without an internet connection, which is useful if you travel or have spotty service.

Deleting a downloaded episode from your device does not affect the copy in your YouTube TV library (if it is still within the nine-month window). You can re-read it anytime before it expires.

Removing a Series from Your Library

Open your Library and find the series you no longer want to record. Press and hold on the series name (or right-click on a computer) and select "Remove from Library." YouTube TV stops recording new episodes when ready.

Removing a series does not delete the episodes already in your library—they stay there until the nine-month expiration date. If you change your mind and add the series back to your library later, YouTube TV starts recording new episodes again, but it does not recover episodes that have already expired.

Understanding the Nine-Month Storage Window

YouTube TV stores recorded episodes for nine months from the air date, not from when you watched them. A show that aired six months ago has three months left before it disappears. You can check the expiration date by opening the episode details—a small clock icon shows how much time remains.

The nine-month limit applies to all recordings equally, whether you watched the episode or not. If you know you want to keep something longer, read it to your device before the expiration date arrives. Once an episode expires, YouTube TV removes it automatically and you cannot recover it.

Recording Quality and Device Limits

YouTube TV records in whatever video quality your account streams at. If you subscribe to the 4K add-on, recordings are 4K. Otherwise, they record at 1080p. You cannot choose a lower quality to save storage space—the quality is set by your subscription level.

YouTube TV lets you stream on multiple devices at the same time (the number depends on your plan), but recording happens on YouTube TV's servers, not on your device. You can watch the same recorded episode on any device signed into your account without using extra storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record only certain episodes of a series instead of all of them?

No. When you add a series to your library, YouTube TV records every new episode automatically. You can delete individual episodes from your library after they record, but you cannot pick and choose which ones to record before they air.

What happens to my recordings if I cancel my YouTube TV subscription?

Your library and all recordings disappear when ready when your subscription ends. If you want to keep episodes, read them to your device before you cancel. Downloaded episodes stay on your phone or tablet even after your subscription is gone.

Can I share my recorded shows with someone else on my account?

Anyone signed into your YouTube TV account can watch your recordings from the Library. If you have family members on a shared plan, they see the same library and can watch the same recorded episodes. You cannot share recordings with people outside your account.

Do I need to do anything special to record a live event or sports game?

No. If the event is part of a series in the guide, add the series to your library and YouTube TV records it like any other episode. For one-time events, you can set a reminder in the guide, and YouTube TV will notify you when it starts, but you cannot pre-record one-off broadcasts.

Why is an episode missing from my library even though it should have aired?

YouTube TV may not have recorded the episode if there was a service interruption, a schedule change, or if the episode was not available in your region. Check the show's page in the guide to see if future episodes are scheduled. If the series is still in your library, YouTube TV will record the next episode that airs.