YouTube TV App Issues on Roku: Solutions to Restore Access
The YouTube TV application has been vanishing for some Roku users. Fortunately, there are several strategies to resolve this issue if you are among those impacted.
This week, numerous individuals on both Reddit and Roku’s community forums have reported difficulties in either launching or finding the YouTube TV app on their Roku devices. Some users who attempted to reinstall the app found that the Open App button generated an error instead of launching the application. Compounding the problem is that this seems to be a Roku-specific issue, as users of devices like the Google TV Streamer 4K aren’t experiencing similar troubles.
Fortunately, it appears this issue primarily affects users with standalone Roku devices, rather than those with smart TVs that have Roku functionality integrated. Here’s a guide on how to attempt restoring the YouTube TV app if it has vanished from your Roku.
How to Fix the Missing YouTube TV App on Roku
Roku has acknowledged the issue and offered a temporary fix while they work on a solution. To regain access to the YouTube TV app on your Roku, consider manually updating your device using the following steps:
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Press the Home button on the remote.
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Select Settings.
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Navigate to System.
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Proceed to Software update.
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Click Check Now to initiate a manual update.
Once the software update is finished, Roku indicates that the YouTube TV app might reappear, though this is not guaranteed. If the problem persists, some users on Reddit have suggested accessing YouTube TV through the main YouTube app, which is located at the bottom-left corner of the app’s interface.
This unexpected glitch arises during a challenging time for both Roku and YouTube. Recently, Roku has been in the spotlight for testing new methods to require users to watch advertisements, while YouTube TV’s subscription prices have significantly increased. One might jokingly suggest that the best solution to this situation could be to avoid YouTube TV altogether. While the app has undergone a redesign, the value it provides may not always justify its cost, especially if essential content is absent.
