How to Set Favorite Channels on YouTube TV (Step-by-Step 2026)
YouTube TV's channel guide shows every channel in one long list by default. Marking your favorites moves them to the top so you spend less time scrolling and more time watching. This guide walks you through every step — on mobile, smart TV, and the web.
To set favorite channels on YouTube TV: Open the YouTube TV app → go to Library or the Live tab → find the channel you want to favorite → tap the channel to open its detail page → click the heart icon or "Add to my stuff." Your favorited channels appear at the top of your channel guide for quick access.
How to Set Favorite Channels on YouTube TV
The steps below work on the YouTube TV iOS and Android apps, smart TV and streaming device apps (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast), and the YouTube TV website. The interface is nearly identical across all platforms.
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1Open the YouTube TV app
Launch the YouTube TV app on your phone, tablet, smart TV, or streaming device. Alternatively, open a browser and navigate to tv.youtube.com. Make sure you are signed in to your Google account.
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2Go to the Live tab
Tap the Live tab at the bottom navigation bar on mobile, or at the top of the screen on TV and web. This opens your full live channel guide with all available channels listed in order.
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3Find the channel you want to favorite
Scroll through the guide to locate the channel, or tap the search icon and type the channel name. You can favorite any channel included in your YouTube TV subscription — sports networks, news channels, entertainment, and more.
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4Click the heart icon or "Add to my stuff"
Tap the channel name or logo to open its detail page. On mobile and web, click the heart icon (or the button labeled "Add to my stuff"). On smart TV apps, select the channel and press the corresponding button shown on screen. The heart icon turns solid when the channel is favorited.
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5View your favorites in the channel guide
Return to the Live tab. Your favorited channel now appears at the top of the guide under a Favorites section, pinned above all other channels. You no longer need to scroll to find it.
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6Repeat for additional channels
Go back through the guide and repeat steps 3 and 4 for every channel you want to add. There is no cap on the number of favorites — you can pin as many channels as you watch regularly. Most users find 5–15 favorites keeps the top section useful without becoming cluttered.
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7Favorite channels on the web (tv.youtube.com)
On a desktop browser, visit tv.youtube.com and click Live. Hover your cursor over any channel in the guide — a heart icon appears. Click it to favorite the channel. Alternatively, click the channel to open its detail page and use the heart button there.
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8Confirm sync across all your devices
Your favorites are stored in your Google account, not on the device. Any channel you favorite on your phone automatically appears as a favorite on your smart TV, laptop, and tablet — no manual syncing or setup required. If you share a YouTube TV plan, each household member's Google account has its own separate favorites list.
Pro tip: use the Library tab for quick access too
Channels you add to "my stuff" also appear in the Library tab under "My stuff." This gives you a second quick-access point — especially useful on smart TV remotes where navigating back to the Live guide takes extra steps.
How to Rearrange Channels in Your YouTube TV Guide
A common question after setting favorites is whether you can manually sort the order of channels in your YouTube TV guide — for example, putting ESPN before CNN, or reordering your favorites alphabetically.
As of 2026, YouTube TV does not support full manual channel reordering. The channel guide follows YouTube TV's default order for non-favorite channels, and the order within your Favorites section is also set by YouTube TV rather than user preference.
What you can control is which channels appear in the Favorites section at the top. By carefully selecting only the channels you watch most often as favorites, you effectively push everything else below the fold. This is the closest thing to custom channel ordering that YouTube TV currently offers.
Workaround for arranging your most-used channels
Because favorites appear grouped at the top, many users treat the Favorites section as a custom "Top 10" list. Add only the channels you flip to daily and leave the rest in the full guide below. This creates a lightweight, personalized view at the top of the guide without needing manual reordering support.
Changing the overall channel lineup
If your goal is to change which channels are available — not just their order — you can add or remove channel add-ons from your YouTube TV subscription through your account settings at tv.youtube.com/settings. This affects your full channel lineup rather than just the display order.
How to Remove a Favorite Channel on YouTube TV
Removing a favorite is as simple as adding one. The process is the same on all devices:
- Open YouTube TV and go to the Live tab.
- Scroll to the Favorites section at the top of the guide, or find the channel anywhere in the full list.
- Tap the channel name or logo to open its detail page.
- Click the heart icon (which will be solid/filled since the channel is currently favorited) to toggle it off.
- The channel is immediately removed from your Favorites section and returns to its default position in the full guide.
You can also remove favorites from the Library > My stuff section by tapping the channel and clicking the heart icon there. The change syncs instantly across all your devices.
YouTube TV Channel Guide Tips
Getting the most out of your YouTube TV guide goes beyond just setting favorites. Here are five tips to improve your daily experience:
Limit favorites to your top 10
The Favorites section is most useful when it's short. If you favorite 40 channels, the section becomes as hard to scan as the full guide. Pick the 5–15 channels you watch every week and leave the rest unfavorited.
Use the search bar for one-off channels
For channels you watch occasionally but not daily, use the Live tab search instead of adding a permanent favorite. Typing a channel name takes two seconds and keeps your Favorites section clean.
Each Google account has separate favorites
If your household uses multiple Google accounts on one YouTube TV plan, each account has its own favorites list. Set up favorites on each profile to give every viewer a personalized guide without affecting others.
Pin sports channels before game day
Add seasonal sports channels (NFL Network, NBA TV, ESPN) to favorites at the start of the season and remove them in the off-season. This keeps your guide relevant without permanent clutter.
Favorites persist through plan changes
If you upgrade or downgrade your YouTube TV plan, your favorites list is preserved. However, any channel removed from your plan will no longer be accessible even if it remains in your favorites — it simply won't have live content.