12 Ways to Fix YouTube TV Not Working on Roku

When YouTube TV is not working on Roku, it can manifest in a few different ways.

• The YouTube TV app on Roku won’t launch.
• You can’t log into your YoutTube TV account.
• YouTube TV live channels or on demand content won’t play.

These issues can appear when you first install the YouTube TV app, or appear suddenly even though the app has always worked just fine. They can also occur when you launch the app, and when you’re already logged into the app and try to play a live TV channel or on demand video.

Causes of YouTube TV Not Working on Roku

If you are unable to use YouTube TV on your Roku device, it could be due to a number of reasons:

• Internet connectivity issues
• Incorrect account or login information
• Roku needs updating (or the hardware is no longer working)

How to Fix YouTube TV Not Working on Roku

To fix it when YouTube TV isn’t working on your Roku, try each of these fixes.

1. Check to see if YouTube TV is down. If YouTube TV is down, it won’t work on your Roku. The quickest way to check this is to navigate to the Google Workspace Statuses Dashboard. This site doesn't have a specific listing for YouTube TV, but if you notice that a lot of services are experiencing issues, that may be the case with YouTube TV as well.

   You can also check social media sites like for mentions of an outage, or use a site that reports website outages.

   If YouTube TV is down, all you can do is wait for it to come back up.  
   

2. Check your internet connectivity. If your internet connection is slow, or your Roku has a weak connection to your Wi-Fi, you’ll have trouble streaming content from apps like YouTube TV. In that case, you’ll need to improve your internet speed for YouTube TV to work on your Roku.
   
   You can check this by installing a speed test app or using a speed test website. For the most accurate results, run the test using your phone in close proximity to your Roku device, and make sure it’s connected to your Wi-Fi network and not using cellular data during the test.

3. Restart your network equipment. If you notice network connectivity problems or slow download speeds, try restarting your network equipment.

   To restart your network equipment: Unplug your router and modem from power, wait at least 30 seconds, then plug the modem back in. When the modem has established a connection, you can plug the router back in.

4. Improve your Wi-Fi connection. If you notice a slow or weak internet connection in the vicinity of your Roku, but your speeds are better elsewhere in the home, you may need to reposition your network hardware, reposition your Roku device, or make other tweaks to improve your Wi-Fi connection.

   If your Roku has an ethernet port, use that to connect to your modem or router and check to see if YouTube TV works over the wired connection.

5. Try your other Roku channels. If your internet connection seems fast enough, try some of your other Roku channels. If they don’t work, then you should suspect a larger issue with the Roku, like a firmware problem.

   If your other streaming apps work, then you can focus on issues with YouTube TV itself or your YouTube TV credentials.

6. Verify your YouTube TV account credentials. Try logging into the YouTube TV app on your Roku again, being especially careful to enter your login details correctly. To verify that you have the correct login details, also try logging into the YouTube TV website.

7. Make sure your YouTube TV account isn’t expired. Navigate to the YouTube TV Membership Settings webpage, and check the entry labeled Base Plan. If your subscription is current, you’ll see a date for your next billing.

8. Clear the Roku’s cache. If the cache is full or contains corrupt data, clearing it out might fix your problem. To clear the cache, press Home on the remote five times, Up once, Rewind twice, and Fast Forward twice.

   This process may take several minutes to complete.

9. Restart your Roku device. If there’s a problem with the YouTube app or the Roku device itself, restarting the device may fix the problem. This will force the YouTube app to close and restart as well.

   To restart your Roku, navigate from the home screen to System > System Restart > Restart, then wait for the device to shut down and restart.

   Restarting a Roku is different from factory resetting it. Don’t factory reset your device at this point, as there are a few other things you can try.

10. Update your Roku. Your Roku should update its firmware and your installed apps automatically under normal circumstances, but sometimes you need to do it manually. If your Roku or YouTube TV app have any available updates, installing them may fix your problem.

    Here’s how to check for firmware and app updates on Roku: Press home on your remote, then navigate to Settings > System > System Update > Check Now.

11. Reinstall the YouTube TV app on your Roku. In some cases, a malfunctioning Roku channel can be fixed by removing it and then adding it again.

    Here’s how to remove YouTube TV: Press Home > Streaming Channels > YouTube TV > Remove channel.

    You can then re-add the channel: Press Home > Streaming Channels, type YouTube TV in Search Channels, select YouTube TV, then select Add Channel.

12. Reset the Roku device. This will factory reset your Roku, which means it will erase everything from the device and restore it to its original state. After the process has finished, you’ll need to download and install updates, and then download all of your channels again.

    To factory reset a Roku: Navigate to Settings > System > Advanced > System Settings > Factory Reset, then enter the provided code.