In the digital streaming media devices market, Roku is the top player in the United States, with over 53% of connected TV users in the country. Of course, there’s competition from Amazon’s Fire TV, but at the moment, Roku has a comfortable lead. If you know someone with a streaming media player, there is essentially a 1-in-2 chance that they have a Roku.
Roku gives you access to a whole bunch of services, one of which is YouTube TV, which boasted about 4 million subscribers in the United States, making it the leading service. YouTube TV is what is technically known as a virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributor, or vMVPD. In the market of these virtual distributors, YouTube TV claims almost 40% of the market, which is a very healthy chunk to have.
This simply means that many people are itching to use this service, and some are hoping to do it from their Roku devices. However, despite all your attempts, you might find that you keep getting Roku issues with YouTube TV.
If this is you and you find your YouTube not working on Roku, you’re in the right place. I’ve put this article together with all the necessary answers to start enjoying your content. So let’s begin, shall we?
Do you have a particular question about why YouTube is not working on Roku? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the black arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
Here's what we'll cover:
How do I get YouTube TV on my Roku?
There was a time when you couldn’t get YouTube TV on Roku due to some contract issues between the two companies. However, as of now, the problems with YouTube on Roku have been solved. You can now download YouTube or YouTube TV on your Roku player without any hassle.
To download YouTube TV on your Roku, follow the steps that I’ve described below:
- Open the Roku Channel Store on your Roku player or on your internet browser on your smartphone or computer if you’re signed in.
- Search for “YouTube TV” in the search bar and select the entry that appears. Alternatively, you can use this direct link to add the channel to your Roku.
- From the page, tap the “Add Channel” button to download it to your Roku player. This will work even from your computer, as your Roku will download it automatically the next time you turn it on.
Now, you have YouTube TV and can enjoy all the unique content you get from the platform.
How to use Roku remote with YouTube TV?
You shouldn’t have issues using your Roku remote control with YouTube TV. Most of the remote buttons are interchangeable with those you’d use to get things done on the YouTube TV service, such as Back, Play and Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, and the navigation keys. So it shouldn’t be too much trouble getting things done with the remote.
Why is YouTube TV not working on Roku?
It’s hard to point to a single reason why you’re dealing with YouTube on Roku not working. There are many causes of problems like this, including a bug in the application, a poor or unstable internet connection, issues with your YouTube account, or problems with your actual Roku player.
Suppose you’re dealing with your YouTube app not working on Roku TV, or YouTube TV not loading on Roku. In that case, there are many different things you can attempt to fix the issue. I’ll take you through some of the most common issues and how you can fix them in the next section.
Common YouTube TV Roku issues and fixes
There are a lot of Roku issues with YouTube TV that people commonly face. So if you’re here looking for a fi to your problems, it is likely because you’re facing one of these common problems.
Don’t worry about it. Instead, let’s talk about some of these common problems and the really easy ways that you can set them right.
H3. Why does my Roku keep signing out of YouTube?
It can be annoying to log into your YouTube TV account each time you want to watch something on the app. Problems with YouTube on Roku like this can be very frustrating, trust me.
Some people say that this is a fault with certain Roku devices, as they have multiple, and some do this, and some don’t. Either way, you can try a three-step trick to try and clear the issue.
- Remove the app from your Roku.
- Restart your Roku player.
- Reinstall the YouTube TV app.
YouTube TV keeps freezing Roku
Many people are dealing with YouTube not working on Roku the way it should. They say it constantly freezes while watching anything, even after just a few minutes.
In late 2021, YouTube admitted that this issue came from their side and quickly issued a fix. However, if you’re still experiencing this, there are two culprits you can turn to.
It can either be as a result of a poor internet connection, which is causing continuous buffering, or it could be due to your Roku device overheating. They don’t produce massive amounts of heat. Still, you should give them room to breathe and keep them away from active heat sources, like the exhaust of a game console.
YouTube black screen on Roku
If your YouTube won’t load on Roku, and instead gives you a black screen when you try to play anything, it’s usually due to a software issue on your Roku. Fortunately, there are a few quick fixes you can try in succession to fix this issue.
First off, attempt to update the firmware on your Roku player. You can do this by going to Settings, System, and System Update.
Of course, one of the most time-tested methods to fix anything is to turn it off and back on. Just restart your Roku!
Finally, try to reset your network connection settings. Go to the Settings menu, then System, and Advanced System Settings. From here, you can perform a network reset.
When you tell someone that you are dealing with YouTube on Roku not working, one of the last ways they expect this to manifest is by the search button not working. This seems small, but you’ll realize how integral this tiny button is.
The fix for this is pretty easy because most people who experience this are on a custom DNS. If this sounds like you, you likely know your way around computers. Just allow the “static.doubleclick.net” address to your DNS, or switch back to Google’s DNS. This will fix your issue if your search button on YouTube won’t load on Roku.
YouTube TV rewind is not working
One of the issues you might have with your Roku not working with YouTube is when the Rewind, and sometimes Fast Forward, functionality doesn’t work anymore.
The good thing is that you need a system restart to clear this one up.
- From your Home Screen, go to Settings.
- Open System.
- Select Power.
- Select System Restart, and that’s it!
YouTube TV keeps buffering on Roku
Suppose your YouTube won’t play on Roku because it is too busy buffering. In that case, you need to check the internet connection it receives. Buffering tends not to be due to software bugs but happens when your playback catches up to the part that’s been downloaded.
Just switch to a strong and reliable WiFi connection to take advantage of faster speeds and prevent buffering from happening.
Youtube TV could not be installed from the network
This prominent issue resulted in a situation where you had YouTube TV not loading on Roku. However, the bug has now been fixed, and you can avoid it as long as you perform a system update on your player.
- Go to Settings.
- Select System.
- Click on System Update.
- Now, press Check Now to check for updates and install them.
Alternatively, you can do a Network Connection reset.
Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.
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