To record on YouTube TV, find the show, team or event and tap Add (the plus icon). Every current and upcoming airing is then recorded to your Library, with no storage limit. Recordings stay for 9 months, and you remove a show by tapping Remove, which stops future recordings.
YouTube TV doesn't have a record button in the way an old set-top box did. You don't record one episode at a time. You add a whole show, team or event to your Library, and YouTube TV records every airing from then on. Once that clicks, recording is the easiest part of the service. The rules people trip over are what happens to recordings later, and what you can't record at all.
Steps to record a show on YouTube TV
- Open YouTube TV on your TV, phone or at tv.youtube.com.
- Search for the show, film, sports team or event you want.
- Next to it, select Add (the plus icon).
- That's it. All current and upcoming airings are recorded and appear in the Library tab.
If you add a show while an episode is already on, YouTube TV says the recording starts from the moment you added it. The good news is that if a rerun of that episode airs later, your partial recording is replaced by the full episode automatically.
Recording sports: add the team, not just the game
Adding a sports team records its games across the channels you have, which is handy for a season. One exception YouTube TV calls out: NFL RedZone. You can't record it by adding a team, league or game. You have to add NFL RedZone itself to your library so the full 8-hour block is recorded.
How long YouTube TV keeps recordings
| Situation | What happens to your recordings |
|---|---|
| Normal use | Kept for 9 months (YouTube TV's standard expiration) |
| Membership paused | No new recordings; existing ones kept until the pause ends, still within 9 months |
| Membership cancelled | Recordings expire 21 days after your access ends |
| You remove a show | Future airings stop; existing recordings stay until they expire |
A YouTube TV Community guide adds a useful detail: if a programme is recorded again during those 9 months, the counter effectively starts over. That's why a long-running show you keep adding doesn't seem to vanish.
How to delete recordings on YouTube TV
This is the part that frustrates people. YouTube TV's help pages describe removing a show, not deleting single episodes. When you tap Remove next to a show, team or event, all current and upcoming airings are removed from your list, and your recorded programmes stay available until they expire. In practice that means you can stop recording something, but you can't clear out individual episodes to tidy your Library.
- Open the show, team or event page.
- Select Remove (the tick icon turns back into a plus).
- Future airings stop recording. Existing recordings age out on their own.
Because storage is unlimited, there's no space reason to delete anything. It's purely about keeping the Library easy to browse.
Everyone in the family gets their own Library
If you share YouTube TV through a family group, each person's recordings are separate. YouTube TV says every member builds their own personal library, and your DVR and viewing preferences aren't shared with the rest of the group. So if your partner's recordings aren't showing up for you, nothing's broken: sign in with their account, or add the show to your own Library too. Each person can add the same show without using up anyone else's space, because there's no storage cap to share.
Watching your recordings
Open the Library tab and pick the show. For a game or programme you're recording, YouTube TV lets you start from the beginning, resume where you paused, jump to the live airing, or watch key plays where that feature is supported for the league and device. If a recording is broken, you can report it from inside the video player.
If you can only see on-demand episodes for a show, look further down the season list. Recorded copies and on-demand versions can sit side by side, and the on-demand one may play with ads you can't skip, which is set by the network.
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Why a recording didn't happen
- You were outside your home area. YouTube TV says that away from home you can watch local programming where you are, but you can't record or watch networks local to your home area.
- The show hadn't aired yet. Adding a show only records future airings, so a brand-new addition may look empty for a day or two.
- Your membership was paused. Nothing new records while paused.
- Sports blackouts. YouTube TV notes some sporting events may not be available in your area.
If live channels won't play at all, that's a different problem, usually location or connection. My guide to YouTube videos that won't play covers the basic checks, and if you're thinking of stopping the service, read how to cancel YouTube TV first so you know about the 21-day limit on your recordings.
My verdict
Recording on YouTube TV is one tap: add the show and forget about it. The things worth knowing are the limits, not the steps. Recordings last 9 months, you can't delete single episodes, and if you cancel you've got 21 days to watch what's saved. Add the shows you love and let the unlimited storage do the work.
Frequently asked questions
How do I record a show on YouTube TV?
Find the show, team or event and select Add. YouTube TV records every current and upcoming airing to your Library.
Is there a recording limit on YouTube TV?
No storage limit. YouTube TV says it includes DVR without storage space limits, so you can add as many programmes as you like.
How long do YouTube TV recordings last?
YouTube TV's standard expiration is 9 months. If you cancel, recordings expire 21 days after your access ends.
Can I delete individual recordings on YouTube TV?
YouTube TV's help describes removing a whole show, which stops future recordings. Existing recordings stay until they expire.
Can I record while travelling?
Not your home networks. Outside your home area you can watch local programming where you are, but you can't record networks local to your home area.
