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(9 Fixes) YouTube TV Not Working On Firestick [2023 Guide]

YouTube TV Not Working On FIrestick

YouTube TV is a definite game-changer.

It has everything you’d want in a streaming service.

From live sports to movies… 

TV series to documentaries. 

It’s essentially premium cable without a cable box. 

Couldn’t get it to work on your Firestick?

Don’t worry. There are plenty of fixes for that. 

Continue reading to find out:

  • 9 effective ways to fix your YouTube TV app’s issues on your Firestick. 
  • How cache files can cause YouTube TV to malfunction and how to delete them.
  • 3 easy ways to restart your Firestick if it’s preventing YouTube TV from working.
  • The download speed you’ll need to stream YouTube TV on Firestick without buffers.
  • And much, much more…

Why is YouTube TV not working on my Firestick?

YouTube TV isn’t working on your Firestick because of network issues. A fix for that would be to restart your modem and router. In addition, you may also reset your Firestick’s WiFi connection. It’s also possible that the YouTube TV app is glitching. To fix it, you may delete and reinstall the app.

YouTube TV not working on Firestick: 9 fixes

#1: Check if YouTube TV is down

YouTube TV was only launched in 2017.

And this live streaming service now boasts over 100 channels. With over 3 million subscribers across the United States. 

It’s really a good alternative for those who’ve been wanting to stop their cable subscription. 

And as a product of tech giant Google, YouTube TV enjoys steady and reliable uptime. Meaning outages and service interruptions are rare. 

However, if this streaming app isn’t working on your Firestick…

It’s best to check first if it’s experiencing one of those rare outages. 

How to check if YouTube TV is down

Now YouTube TV doesn’t have a dedicated page for service interruption status.

But you can easily check through these websites:

In addition, you may also try to stream through Firestick’s Silk Browser. It comes pre-installed with your Firestick. 

And this is another way of checking if the problem isn’t limited to the app.

How to stream YouTube TV via Silk Browser

  1. Press the Home button on your Firestick remote. 
  2. Click Find, then select Search. It’s the one with the lens icon.
  3. Type in “Silk Browser” in the textbox.
  4. Once Silk Browser comes up, click the Open button to launch.
  5. On the browser’s address bar, type in “https://tv.youtube.com/” .

Are you able to stream from the browser?

If so, then it’s the app that’s faulty. And you may proceed with the other fixes. 

But if it also won’t play via the browser, then the streaming service is down. 

However, don’t worry. Google has the finest engineers. And their outages don’t last long. They should be able to get it back up and running after a short while. 

#2: Check for network connection issues

Check For Network Connection Issues

Here’s another possible reason why your YouTube TV isn’t working on Firestick…

You have an unstable internet connection. 

YouTube TV’s website has the following speed recommendation to stream without buffers:

  • 25 Mbps for 4K.
  • 3 Mbps for Standard Definition.
  • 7 Mbps to stream in HD on 1 device.
  • 13 Mbps to stream in HD on multiple devices.

Anything under 3 Mbps, and you’d experience a really slow loading time. 

One effective way to fix that is by doing a power cycle on your modem and router.

A power cycle means resetting your device. The process is simple yet resolves many issues. 

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Unplug your modem and router from the outlet.
  2. Wait for about 30 seconds. 
  3. Plug both devices back in. 

Now, wait for all the light indicators on the modem to turn steady. Look for the light with the label “Internet.” Make sure it’s green and not blinking. 

You may then try to relaunch the YouTube TV app on your Firestick. 

#3: Re-establish your Firestick’s network connection

Another way to fix your Firestick’s internet is by resetting its network connection. 

But before doing that, try to check your Firestick’s network status first. 

How to check your Firestick’s network status

  1. Press the Home button on your remote and click Settings.
  2. Navigate to Network and click it.
  3. Click the Play button on your remote.

You’ll then see the Connection Status page on the screen. You’ll see if your Firestick is currently connected to WiFi. And whether the signal strength is good or poor.

If it’s poor, then go ahead and re-establish Firestick’s connection. 

There are 2 things you need to do to accomplish that:

First: Your Firestick needs to forget your WiFi network.

Second: Reconnect to your Wifi. You’ll have to re-enter your password for this.

The steps to do both are really easy. 

How to forget your WiFi network

  1. On your remote, press the Home button, then go to Settings.
  2. Select Network.
  3. Highlight your Network’s name.
  4. Press the Menu button on your remote, followed by the Select button.

This should automatically disconnect your Firestick from your WiFi. 

But don’t leave the Network menu just yet. Because now you’ll need to reconnect.

How to reconnect to WiFi

  1. Sill on the Network menu, look for your WiFi’s name on the list, and select it.
  2. A virtual keyboard will appear. Type in your WiFi password.
  3. Click the Connect button.

Once you’ve reconnected, try streaming again from YouTube TV. For many users, doing a network reset is enough to resolve streaming issues. 

#4: Restart your Firestick

Now it’s also possible that your YouTube TV app’s fine. And so is your internet connection.

And it’s a temporary malfunction in your Firestick that’s preventing the app from working.

A simple solution to that is to restart your Firestick. 

There are 3 ways to do it:

  • By unplugging. 
  • Via the remote.
  • Through the Settings.

I’ll provide the steps for each.

Restart by unplugging

  1. Unplug both your Firestick and your TV from the outlet.
  2. Unplug your Firestick from the TV.
  3. Wait for about 30 seconds.
  4. Plug your Firestick back into the TV.
  5. Plug both the Firestick and the TV back into the outlet.

Restart via the remote

  1. Press and hold the Select and Play button.
  2. Wait until a “Your device is powering off” message appears on the screen. 
  3. Let go of the buttons.

Restart via the Settings menu

  1. Press the Home button on your remote and click Settings.
  2. Scroll down to My Fire TV and select it.
  3. Click the Restart option.

For a visual guide on all 3 steps, you may check out this video below:

#5: Sign out of your YouTube TV app and sign back in

Another quick fix to a glitching YouTube TV app is to simply sign out. And then sign in again. 

How to sign out of YouTube TV on your Firestick

  1. Select the YouTube TV app’s Home tab.
  2. Click your account picture on the upper-right corner of the screen.
  3. Click the Log Out button.

Before signing back in, it’s best to force-close the app first.

How to force-close YouTube TV 

  1. Press the Home button on your remote and click Settings.
  2. Select Applications.
  3. Navigate to Manage Installed Applications and click it.
  4. Select YouTube TV from the list of apps.
  5. Click the Force Stop option.

Afterward, relaunch the YouTube TV app. You’ll see a Sign In button on the main page. Click that and enter your details. Then check if you’re now able to stream. 

#6: Check if there are available updates for the YouTube TV app

Any app will likely experience glitches if it’s outdated. 

So another important thing to check is if there are available updates for YouTube TV. And if there are, make sure to install them.

Here’s how you can do that:

  1. Click the Home button on your remote and select Apps. 
  2. Look for the YouTube TV app and highlight it.
  3. Press the Menu button on your remote. It’s the one with 3 horizontal lines.
  4. Scroll down to More Info and click it.
  5. If there are updates available, you’ll see an Update button. Click it.

The update download should begin automatically.

#7: Clear the YouTube TV app’s cache

Every app installed on your Firestick stores cache files. 

These are temporary files. Such as your most recently viewed channels. 

But these files can also get corrupted. Causing the app to malfunction. 

So clearing them is another way to fix the app. 

Here are the steps to do it:

  1. On your remote, press Home and go to Settings.
  2. Select Applications.
  3. Scroll down to Manage Installed Applications and select it.
  4. From the list of apps, select YouTube TV.
  5. Click the Clear Cache option.

#8: Clear the YouTube TV app’s data

If clearing the YouTube TV app’s cache didn’t fix the issue, you may want to also clear its data.

Clearing its data is essentially resetting the app. Your account will be deleted. As well as your personal settings and preferences. 

These are the steps to do it:

  1. Press the Home button on your remote and select Settings.
  2. Select Applications.
  3. Navigate to Manage Installed Applications and click it.
  4. Select YouTube TV.
  5. Select the Clear Data option.

#9: Uninstall then reinstall the YouTube TV app

If clearing YouTube TV’s cache and data doesn’t do the trick, then consider deleting the app. And then reinstalling it.

The process is simple.

How to uninstall YouTube TV on Firestick

  1. Press the Home button on your remote and go to Apps.
  2. Highlight the YouTube TV app.
  3. Press the Menu button on your remote.
  4. Select Uninstall. 

Before re-installing, restart your Firestick first. You may refer to Fix #4.

After restarting, you may go ahead and reinstall the app.

How to reinstall YouTube TV

  1. On your remote, press the Home button and click Find.
  2. Select the Search icon.
  3. On the search box, type in “YouTube TV”.
  4. Once the app is found, click the Download button.

After downloading, you’ll see an Open button. Click it to launch the app and see if you can now stream. 

Bonus: Contact YouTube TV for customer support

Now if none of the fixes work, it may be a problem on YouTube TV’s end.

It’s best to contact their support. They have a dedicated page where you can communicate with a support specialist. 
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