Setting up your Favorites on YouTube TV

YouTube TV lets you create a personalized list of channels you watch most often, so they appear at the top of your guide instead of buried in alphabetical order. You build this list by marking individual channels as favorites directly in the app or on the web player — it takes seconds per channel, and you can change it anytime.

The process works the same whether you're using YouTube TV on a phone, tablet, computer, or connected TV device. Once you mark a channel as a favorite, it moves to a "Favorites" section that appears first when you open the guide, letting you jump straight to the channels you care about without scrolling.

Key Takeaways

  • Mark a channel as a favorite by clicking or tapping the heart icon next to its name in the guide or search results.
  • Your favorite channels appear in a dedicated section at the top of the guide on all devices where you're signed in.
  • You can add or remove favorites at any time, and the changes sync across your phone, tablet, computer, and TV.
  • Favorites are personal to your YouTube TV account, so other household members see their own separate lists.

How to add a channel to your Favorites on the web or mobile app

Open YouTube TV and go to the "Guide" tab. Scroll through the channel list until you find a channel you want to favorite. Look for the heart icon next to the channel name — on most devices it appears on the right side of the channel row when you hover over it or tap the channel name.

Click or tap the heart icon once. It will fill in with color (usually red) to show the channel is now a favorite. The channel when ready moves to the top of your guide under the "Favorites" section. You can add as many channels as you want — there's no limit.

To remove a channel from favorites, find it in your guide and click or tap the heart icon again. It will empty out, and the channel moves back to its alphabetical position in the full channel list below your favorites.

Finding and organizing Favorites on a TV device or streaming box

On a connected TV (Roku, Apple TV, Google TV, Fire TV, or Chromecast), the process is similar but uses your remote. Open the YouTube TV app and navigate to the Guide. Use your remote's arrow buttons to highlight a channel, then look for a heart icon or a prompt that says "Add to Favorites" or "Mark as Favorite."

Press the button indicated on screen — usually the select button or a dedicated action button on your remote. The channel will be marked and appear in your Favorites section at the top of the guide. The exact button varies by device, so check your remote's layout if you're unsure.

YouTube TV does not let you manually reorder your favorite channels — they appear in the order you added them. If you want to change the order, remove a favorite and re-add it in the position you prefer.

Viewing your Favorites section

Once you've added channels to your Favorites, they appear in a dedicated section at the very top of the Guide. This section shows only the channels you've marked, making it fast to find what you want to watch without scrolling past channels you don't care about.

Your Favorites section is visible on every device you use YouTube TV on — phone, tablet, computer, or TV — as long as you're signed into the same account. If you add a favorite on your phone, it will show up on your TV the next time you open the app.

Managing Favorites across multiple household members

YouTube TV accounts can have multiple user profiles within a single household. Each profile has its own separate Favorites list. If you share a YouTube TV subscription with family members, each person can create their own list without affecting anyone else's.

To switch between profiles on a TV device, look for a profile icon or account switcher, usually in the top corner of the app. On mobile or web, you may see a profile menu in the top right. Select a different profile, and that person's Favorites list will appear instead of yours.

What to do if your Favorites aren't showing up

If you've marked channels as favorites but they're not appearing at the top of your guide, try closing and reopening the YouTube TV app. Sometimes the display doesn't update when ready, especially on TV devices.

If the problem persists, sign out of YouTube TV completely, then sign back in. This forces the app to refresh your account data, including your Favorites list. On a TV device, you may need to go into the app settings to find the sign-out option.

If you're using multiple devices and Favorites appear on some but not others, check that you're signed into the same YouTube account on all of them. YouTube TV syncs Favorites across devices, but only if they're linked to the same account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reorder my favorite channels?

YouTube TV displays favorites in the order you added them, and you cannot manually drag them to a new position. To change the order, remove a favorite by clicking the heart icon, then re-add it when you want it to appear later in the list.

Will my family members see my Favorites list?

No. Each person in your household has their own profile with a separate Favorites list. When someone switches to their profile, they see only the channels they've marked as favorites, not yours.

What happens to my Favorites if I cancel YouTube TV?

Your Favorites are stored in your YouTube TV account. If you cancel and resubscribe later, your list will still be there when you sign back in, as long as you use the same account.

Can I favorite channels I don't subscribe to?

You can only favorite channels that are part of your YouTube TV package. If a channel is not included in your subscription, it won't appear in the guide and you cannot mark it as a favorite.

Do I need to favorite channels to watch them?

No. Favorites are just a convenience feature to organize your guide. You can search for any channel by name or browse the full alphabetical list to find and watch channels that aren't in your Favorites section.