YouTube TV multiview shows up to four live channels on one screen. While watching an eligible game or show on your TV, press down on the remote, select multiview, then pick the streams to add. It only works in the TV app: you can't use multiview in a web browser or through AirPlay.
Multiview is the feature sports fans buy YouTube TV for. Four games, one screen, and you pick which one you hear. It's also one of the most confusing features to find, because there's no multiview button on the home screen. You start it from inside something you're already watching. Here's exactly how, and the limits YouTube TV doesn't put on the box.
How to start multiview on YouTube TV
- Open the YouTube TV app on your smart TV or streaming device.
- Start watching a live game or programme that's eligible for multiview.
- Press down on your remote.
- Select multiview.
- At the bottom of the screen, choose the content you want to add from the multiview builder.
YouTube TV also suggests ready-made combinations. You'll sometimes see them in the Top Picks for You and Watch in multiview rows on the Home tab, which is the quickest way in when there's a busy sports day.
Controlling sound, captions and full screen
| What you want | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hear a different game | Use your remote to select that view; the active audio icon moves to it |
| Captions on one stream | Captions follow the view with active audio |
| Go full screen on one view | Select the view with active audio, then press Select |
| Back to all four | Press Back on your remote |
| Leave multiview | Press down, open the Networks tab and pick a network, or press Back |
The audio rule catches people out. Only one view plays sound at a time, so if you can see a game but can't hear it, it just isn't the active view. Move the highlight onto it and the sound follows.
Where multiview doesn't work
This is the part to read before a big game. YouTube TV lists these restrictions:
- No web browser and no AirPlay. You can't watch multiview at tv.youtube.com on a computer, or by sending YouTube TV from an iPhone to an Apple TV with AirPlay.
- Older TVs and sticks. Select devices, mostly from before 2018, may get fewer options or lower picture quality in multiview.
- Some family programming. YouTube TV says select family-friendly programming is excluded from the feature.
- Add-on channels. To build a multiview with add-on content, you need that add-on.
- No stats panel inside multiview. Other views aren't available while you're in it, but you can open stats, key plays and fantasy football on a second device.
Multiview with NFL Sunday Ticket
If you have NFL Sunday Ticket, there's an extra rule. Multiview with Sunday Ticket games can only be combined with other NFL games, not with your regular YouTube TV channels. And NFL RedZone only shows up as a multiview option if you have both NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone. So you can't put RedZone next to a news channel, for example.
Why the multiview option isn't showing
- Check the device. You need the YouTube TV app for TVs, on a smart TV or streaming device, not a browser or AirPlay.
- Check what you're watching. The option only appears while you're watching eligible live content.
- Update the app. Older app versions and older devices get fewer multiview options.
- Restart the app and your device. If the picture stutters with four streams, the YouTube TV troubleshooting steps (power cycle the device and router) help here too.
If live channels won't load at all, multiview isn't the problem. Start with my guide to YouTube videos that won't play, which covers connection and app checks that apply to YouTube TV as well.
Your multiview history
Each stream you watch in multiview is saved to your YouTube TV watch history as a separate video. You can manage or delete each one. If you want to clear a whole multiview session, YouTube TV says you need to erase every video from that session, one by one.
Is multiview worth using?
For live sport, it's well worth trying. Four games on a big TV with one-click audio switching is the closest thing to a sports bar at home. It's less useful on a small screen, where four views get tiny fast, and it's no help on a laptop because browsers aren't supported. If you watch on a computer, a second screen with the TV app is the workaround.
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My verdict
Start multiview from inside a live game: press down, pick multiview, add up to four streams. Remember the big three limits: TV app only, one audio track at a time, and Sunday Ticket games only mix with other NFL games. Set it up before kick-off rather than during it, and you'll enjoy it far more.
And if multiview is the main reason you're keeping YouTube TV, it's worth knowing your exit route too. My guide to cancelling YouTube TV explains what happens to your recordings and library when you stop, so you can time it around the end of a season rather than the middle of one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get multiview on YouTube TV?
While watching eligible live content in the TV app, press down on your remote, select multiview and add streams from the builder at the bottom of the screen.
How many channels can you watch on YouTube TV multiview?
Up to four channels at once on one screen.
Can I use YouTube TV multiview on a computer?
No. YouTube TV says you can't watch in multiview from a web browser or via AirPlay.
How do I change the sound in multiview?
Select the view you want to hear with your remote. The active audio icon shows which view is playing sound.
Why can't I add NFL RedZone to multiview?
RedZone only appears in multiview if you have NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone, and Sunday Ticket multiviews only combine with other NFL games.
