How to add people to your YouTube TV account
YouTube TV lets you add up to five other people to your account so they can watch on their own devices with their own recommendations and watch history. Each person gets their own profile, which means YouTube tracks what they watch separately from what you watch. You add them through the YouTube TV app or website, and they can start watching when ready once you send them an invite.
The person you're adding needs a Google account — they can create one for free if they don't have one already. They don't need to pay anything; they watch under your YouTube TV subscription. Once they accept your invite, they'll see their own home screen with shows and channels tailored to what they've watched before.
Key Takeaways
- You can add up to five other people to one YouTube TV account, and each person gets their own profile with separate watch history and recommendations.
- Each person you add needs their own Google account, but they don't need to pay — they watch under your subscription.
- You send invites through the YouTube TV app or website, and the person can start watching as soon as they accept.
- Family members can watch on different devices at the same time, but YouTube TV limits simultaneous streams depending on your plan.
- You can remove someone from your account anytime, and their profile and watch history will disappear from your account.
Adding a family member on the YouTube TV app
Open the YouTube TV app on your phone, tablet, or streaming device and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Settings, then tap Family sharing. You'll see a button that says Add member — tap it and enter the email address of the Google account belonging to the person you want to add.
YouTube TV will send an invite to that email address. The person you invited will receive an email asking them to join your family group. They click the link in the email, sign into their Google account, and confirm they want to join. Once they accept, they appear in your family members list and can open YouTube TV on any of their devices.
If the person doesn't see the invite email within a few minutes, ask them to check their spam or promotions folder. Sometimes the invite lands there by mistake. You can also resend the invite from your Settings menu if they say they never got it.
Adding a family member on the YouTube TV website
Go to tv.youtube.com and sign in with your Google account. Click your profile picture in the top right corner and select Settings. On the left side, click Family sharing, then click Add member. Type in the email address of the person's Google account and click Send invite.
The process works the same way as the app — YouTube TV sends an email to that person, and they accept the invite to join your family group. You'll see them listed under your family members once they accept. If you need to add multiple people, you repeat this step for each person, one at a time.
What happens when someone joins your family group
Once a family member accepts your invite, they can open YouTube TV on any device where they sign in with their Google account. Their profile appears on the home screen, and they see their own recommendations based on what they've watched. YouTube keeps track of their watch history separately from yours, so their viewing doesn't affect what shows up on your home screen.
Family members can watch at the same time on different devices, but there's a limit to how many people can stream simultaneously. Most YouTube TV plans allow three streams at once, though some plans allow more. If someone tries to watch while three other people are already streaming, they'll see a message saying the limit has been reached and they'll need to wait for someone else to stop watching.
Each family member can pause, rewind, and fast-forward their own shows independently. If one person is watching a show, another family member can watch something completely different on a different device at the same time.
Removing a family member from your account
Open YouTube TV and go to Settings, then Family sharing. Find the person you want to remove and click or tap the three dots next to their name. Select Remove member and confirm. That person's profile disappears from your account when ready, and they can no longer watch YouTube TV under your subscription.
When you remove someone, their watch history and saved shows are deleted from your account. They won't be able to access YouTube TV anymore unless you add them back later. If they try to open the app, they'll see a message saying they don't have permission to watch.
What you should know about family sharing and privacy
When you add someone to your family group, YouTube can see that they're part of your household. YouTube uses this information to show them ads and recommendations based on what people in your family watch. Each person's watch history stays private to their own profile — other family members can't see what you've watched unless you're looking at the same account.
Family members can't see your payment information or change your subscription plan. They also can't add or remove other family members — only the account owner can do that. If you're concerned about what someone in your family is watching, you can check the watch history on their profile from your Settings menu.
YouTube TV doesn't have parental controls built into the family sharing feature itself. If you want to restrict what younger family members can watch, you'll need to use the parental controls on their device instead, such as app restrictions on Android or Screen Time on iPhone.
Troubleshooting common problems with family members
If someone says they never received the invite email, first check that you entered their email address correctly. Have them check their spam folder and their promotions folder — Gmail sometimes sorts invites there. You can resend the invite from your Family sharing settings, and they should receive it again within a few minutes.
If a family member can sign into their Google account but YouTube TV says they don't have permission to watch, they may not have accepted the family invite yet. Ask them to look for an email from YouTube TV and click the link to accept. If they still can't find it, remove them from your family group and send a new invite.
If multiple people are trying to watch at the same time and someone gets a message about reaching the stream limit, that's working as intended — your plan only allows a certain number of simultaneous streams. Someone needs to stop watching before another person can start. You can check your plan details in Settings to see how many streams you're allowed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add someone who doesn't have a Google account?
No, they need a Google account to join your family group. They can create one for free at accounts.google.com. It takes about two minutes, and they only need an email address and a password. Once they have a Google account, you can send them a family invite.
What if someone in my family group stops paying their part of the subscription?
YouTube TV doesn't have a way to split the bill among family members. One person owns the subscription and pays for it, and everyone else watches under that subscription for free. If you want to share the cost, you'll need to arrange that outside of YouTube TV — there's no built-in payment splitting feature.
Can I add someone who lives in a different state or country?
YouTube TV requires family members to be in the same household, though the app doesn't actively verify where people are located. If someone moves away permanently, they technically shouldn't be on your family group anymore. YouTube TV's terms say family sharing is for people living together, so you may want to remove them if they move out.
How many people can watch YouTube TV at the same time?
It depends on your plan. Most YouTube TV plans allow three simultaneous streams, meaning three people can watch different shows at the same time. Some plans allow more. You can check your specific limit in Settings under your plan details. If someone tries to watch when the limit is reached, they'll see a message and need to wait.
Can I have multiple family groups, or do I have to use the same group for everyone?
You can only have one family group per YouTube TV account. All the people you add go into the same group. If you want separate groups, you would need separate YouTube TV subscriptions, which means paying for multiple accounts.