Reordering channels on YouTube TV takes two minutes and works the same way on phones, tablets, and computers

YouTube TV lets you drag channels into any order you want in your guide. You can move your most-watched channels to the top, group sports channels together, or arrange them however makes sense for your household. The changes save automatically and show up across all your devices within a few seconds.

The process is straightforward: open your channel guide, find the channel you want to move, and drag it to a new spot. You do not need to restart the app or sign out. If you change your mind, you can rearrange again at any time.

Key Takeaways

  • Open your channel guide by pressing the Guide button or tapping the menu icon, then select Channels.
  • Long-press or click and hold on any channel name until it highlights, then drag it up or down to your preferred position.
  • Your new channel order syncs across phones, tablets, computers, and TV devices within seconds.
  • You can rearrange channels as often as you want, and the changes take effect when ready without restarting the app.

How to reorder channels on a phone or tablet

Open the YouTube TV app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. Select Channels to see your full channel list.

Find the channel you want to move. Press and hold on the channel name until it highlights or shows a drag handle (usually a small icon on the left side of the channel name). While holding, drag the channel up or down to its new position. Release your finger when the channel is where you want it.

Repeat for any other channels you want to move. Your changes save when ready, and you will see the new order the next time you open your guide.

How to reorder channels on a computer or web browser

Go to youtube.tv in your web browser and sign in. Click the Guide button on the left side of the screen, or look for the menu icon and select Channels.

Hover your mouse over the channel you want to move. A drag handle (usually shown as six dots or lines) will appear on the left side of the channel name. Click and hold on that handle, then drag the channel up or down. Release the mouse button when the channel is in the right spot.

You can rearrange as many channels as you want in one session. All changes save automatically and will appear on your TV, phone, and other devices within a few seconds.

How to reorder channels on a TV device

On a TV remote, press the Guide button or navigate to the Guide using your remote's arrow keys. Highlight the channel you want to move.

Press and hold the Select button (or the center button on your remote) until the channel is highlighted or a menu appears. Use the arrow keys to move the channel up or down, then press Select again to confirm its new position.

The exact button names vary depending on your TV device (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, or Samsung TV), but the process is the same: select a channel, hold the select button, use arrows to move it, and confirm. Check your remote's guide if you are unsure which button is Select.

What happens to your old channel order

When you rearrange channels, your old order is replaced completely. YouTube TV does not keep a backup of your previous channel list, so if you want to go back to the original order, you would need to rearrange again manually.

If you share your YouTube TV account with family members, everyone sees the same channel order. If one person rearranges channels, the new order appears for all users on all devices. There is no way to set different channel orders for different household members.

Troubleshooting: channels not staying in the new order

If your channels keep reverting to their old order, make sure you are fully signed in to your YouTube TV account. Sometimes the app will not save changes if your connection is unstable or if you are signed out.

Try closing the YouTube TV app completely and reopening it. If you are on a phone or tablet, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or use your app switcher) to close the app entirely, wait a few seconds, then open it again. On a computer, close the browser tab and reload youtube.tv.

If the problem continues, sign out of YouTube TV, clear your browser cache or app data, and sign back in. On a phone, go to Settings, find YouTube TV, and select Clear Cache (not Clear Data, which will log you out). On a computer, use your browser's settings to clear cookies and cached images for youtube.tv.

Pinning and hiding channels instead of reordering

YouTube TV also lets you pin channels to keep them at the top of your guide, separate from your main channel list. Pinned channels stay in place even if you rearrange other channels.

To pin a channel, open your Channels list, find the channel, and look for a pin icon or star. Tap or click it to pin the channel. Pinned channels appear in a separate section at the very top of your guide.

You can also hide channels you do not watch. Long-press or right-click on a channel name and select Hide. Hidden channels will not appear in your guide, but you can unhide them later by going to your channel settings and selecting Show Hidden Channels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will rearranging channels affect my recordings or saved shows?

No. Rearranging your channel list only changes the order in which channels appear in your guide. Your recordings, saved shows, and watch history remain exactly the same.

Can I set different channel orders for different family members?

No. YouTube TV uses one channel order for the entire account. All household members see the same arrangement on all devices. If you want a different order, you would need to rearrange channels again, and everyone would see the new order.

What if I accidentally moved a channel and want to undo it?

YouTube TV does not have an undo button for channel rearrangement. You will need to manually move the channel back to where it was. Open your Channels list, find the channel, and drag it to the correct position.

Do I need to rearrange channels on each device separately?

No. Once you rearrange channels on one device, the new order syncs to all your other devices (phone, tablet, computer, TV) within a few seconds. You only need to rearrange once.

Can I sort channels alphabetically or by category?

YouTube TV does not have a built-in sort-by-alphabet or sort-by-category feature. You can only arrange channels manually by dragging them. However, you can organize them however you want — by genre, by how often you watch them, or any other system that works for you.