In recent years, Amazon has introduced many innovative devices and revolutionized the tech industry. One such device that has become popular among users is the Amazon Echo Show.
In case you don’t know what the Amazon Echo Show is?
The Echo Show is a smart device developed by Amazon, featuring a touchscreen interface and built-in Alexa voice assistant. It has multiple features which include streaming music and videos, making video calls, controlling smart home devices, and more.
Despite its variety of features, users get confused or uncertain about how to watch YouTube TV on Echo Show. As it doesn’t have a built-in YouTube TV app. But there are some alternatives for the users such as using Amazon’s silk browsers, third-party apps, and Bluetooth. The last option will only help you in streaming audio, not video content.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the steps to seamlessly watch YouTube TV on your Echo Show, and explore a world of entertainment at your fingertips.
Why Watch YouTube TV on Echo Show?
The echo show is one of the convenient if you know the real use of it. In your busy schedule, it helps you in many ways and there are many reasons why using YouTube TV on Echo Show can be advantageous:
Convenient Access: The Echo Show’s compact display makes accessing YouTube TV content from anywhere in your home easy. Whether you’re in the kitchen, living room, or bedroom, you can quickly tune in to live TV channels or catch up on your favorite shows.
Multi-Tasking: While watching YouTube TV on your Echo Show, you can simultaneously perform other tasks. Whether you’re cooking dinner, doing household chores, or managing your smart home devices, you can enjoy entertainment without interrupting your daily routine.
Versatile Entertainment Hub: In addition to YouTube TV, the Echo Show offers access to a wide range of entertainment options. For example Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Spotify.
Family-Friendly Features: With parental controls and customizable profiles, YouTube TV on Echo Show is suitable for the whole family. Parents can allow and restrict access to certain channels or content categories, ensuring a safe viewing experience for children of all ages.
Seamless Integration with Smart Home: If you have other smart home devices linked to your Echo Show, you can enjoy seamless integration and control. Adjust the lighting, temperature, or security cameras while watching YouTube TV, all by giving voice commands.
Now let’s get into the steps to watch YouTube TV on your Echo Show.
How to Watch YouTube TV on Echo Show
If you are using Echo Show for the first time to watch YouTube TV, then Alexa will ask you to select the default browser. It will give you two options Amazon’s Silk or Mozilla’s Firefox ( You have to do this once, in the future you don’t need to set it again).
Note: If you select Firefox over the Silk browser, you can use YouTube TV. Moreover, firefox is also a web browser except Google Chrome which supports YouTube TV.
After setting up the browser, Alexa will open YouTube directly on the web. Next, enter the credentials and sign in to your YouTube account (It is totally up to you whether you want to sign in or not).
Remember: Once you set up the browser, and settings, you don’t need to do the settings again. All you need to do is ask Alexa to “Open YouTube,” and a webpage will appear on the screen.
Moreover, ask Alexa to play anything you want, for example, “Alexa, play SNL on YouTube.” Alexa will only search, and display search result pages from YouTube, as it shows on other smart devices. Then you have to tap on the video you want to play manually.
Third-party applications to stream YouTube
You can use third-party apps to stream YouTube TV on your Echo Show which includes Fire TV, Roku, and TuneIn.
Use Fire TV to watch YouTube on Echo Show
If you want to watch YouTube TV on your Echo Show using Fire TV, start by linking your Fire TV device to your Echo Show via the Alexa app. Once connected, use voice commands such as “Alexa, play YouTube TV on Fire TV” to launch the YouTube TV app on your Fire TV device.
From there, you can access your favorite live TV channels, on-demand content, and DVR recordings directly on your Echo Show’s screen.
Use Roku to watch YouTube TV on your Echo Show
Make sure that your Roku device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Echo Show. Then, enable the Roku skill on your Echo Show by navigating to the Skills & Games section in the Alexa app.
After enabling it, link your Roku account to your Echo Show and use your voice command “Alexa, open Roku” followed by “Launch YouTube TV” to watch YouTube TV on Echo Show.
Use TuneIn to Watch YouTube TV on Echo Show
You can access live radio stations and podcasts, including those affiliated with YouTube TV channels. Simply enable the TuneIn skill in the Alexa app, link your TuneIn account if necessary, and use voice commands such as “Alexa, play (name of the YouTube TV channel) on TuneIn” to listen to live audio feeds of your favorite channels directly through your Echo Show’s speakers. While TuneIn doesn’t provide visual content like Fire TV or Roku.
Note: Using TuneIn you will only be able to stream Youtube audio, not video content.
How to Watch YouTube on Echo Show Without Voice Commands.
You can watch YouTube on Echo Show without any voice commands, by following the steps I have mentioned below.
- Go to the menu option, and select “Video.”
- Here you’ll see supported streaming options, like Netflix, and YouTube.
- Find and select the YouTube video you want to play.
Amazon Echo and YouTube Conflict
The conflict between Amazon Echo and YouTube started from the rivalry between tech giants Amazon and Google. In 2017, Google removed access to YouTube from Amazon’s Echo Show, citing a violation of its terms of service.
This move came amidst growing competition between the two companies in the smart home market, with Amazon’s Echo Show posing a significant threat to Google’s own smart devices.
But this conflict ended and the latest generation of Echo shows have access to the YouTube app. Recently, new updates were even released for the Echo Show’s first- generation, which enabled users to watch YouTube TV on Echo Show.
Can I Use Bluetooth to Watch YouTube TV?
You can’t stream YouTube TV using Bluetooth, while the latest generations of Bluetooth (5.0 and above) allow video sharing. This limitation is due to permission issues between Amazon, and Youtube.
You can stream audio content from YouTube easily using this method. Moreover, you can also listen to podcasts and music which Alexa can not provide.
Troubleshooting Tips to Watch YouTube TV on Echo Show
Here are some troubleshooting tips that you can use to fix any glitches while watching YouTube TV on Echo Show.
Check Network Connection: Check that your Echo Show is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network. Poor network connectivity can lead to buffering or playback issues while streaming YouTube TV.
Update Software: Make sure your Echo Show’s software is updated. Check for any available updates in the device settings and install them. Outdated software can sometimes cause compatibility issues with streaming services like YouTube TV.
Restart the Echo Show Device: If you encounter any issues, try restarting your Echo Show device. Simply unplug it from the power source, wait for a few seconds, and then plug it back in. This can help refresh the device’s system processes and resolve minor glitches.
Check YouTube TV App: Ensure that the YouTube TV app is installed and properly configured on your Echo Show. If you’re experiencing issues, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app to see if that resolves the problem.
Clear Cache and Data: If you’re still encountering issues, try clearing the cache and data for the YouTube TV app on your Echo Show. This can help remove any temporary files or corrupted data that may be causing problems.
Restart Your Router: If nothing works, try restarting your router to ensure a fresh connection to the internet. Sometimes, network issues can be resolved by simply power cycling your router.
Contact Support: If you’ve tried all of the above troubleshooting steps and cannot watch YouTube TV on your Echo Show, contact Amazon customer support for further assistance.
Conclusion
How to watch Youtube TV on the Echo Show? You can watch YouTube TV on Echo Show by using some alternative ways, which include Amazon’s silk browser or third-party applications. However, you can also use voice commands to watch YouTube TV on Echo Show, but still you need to select manually whatever you want to watch.
Another option is using Bluetooth to watch YouTube TV on Echo Show, but the drawback of it you can only access the audio not video.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1: How to watch live TV on Echo Show 8?
To watch live TV on Echo Show 8, you can use streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, or YouTube TV. Simply open the respective app on your Echo Show 8, sign in to your account, and navigate to the “Live TV” section to access a variety of live channels. You can also use an OTA antenna with a device like Fire TV Recast to stream live TV channels to your Echo Show 8.
Q #2: Can Alexa control YouTube TV?
You can use Alexa to control the YouTube app on smart devices.