YouTube TV

YouTube TV adding a button shortcut to switch between last-viewed channels

Ben Schoon | Dec 18 2023 - 7:03 am PT

As more and more customers have moved away from traditional cable TV services, YouTube TV has continued to grow in popularity, leading to the product getting regular feature updates. Now, YouTube TV is adding a new button shortcut that makes it easier to switch between your last-viewed channels.

Unlike traditional TV services, YouTube TV doesn’t operate with channel numbers. That’s not really a bad thing, but it does often mean that switching between channels can be a little time-consuming. There are options to help out here, such as customizing the order of the live channel guide or the “Networks” button that appears under a stream with several of your commonly-used channels listed.

But what it’s been missing is the handy little shortcut that lets users switch between channels quickly, as has been available on traditional TV remotes for decades.

That seems to be changing, as some YouTube TV subscribers report a new button shortcut that allows users to switch between their last-viewed channels without interacting with the on-screen UI. Rather, YouTube TV explains in a pop-up that a long-press of the “OK” or “Select” buttons can switch between the channel you’re currently watching and the one you were on previously.

Presumably, this varies from platform to platform, but users are currently seeing this on Apple TV and Google TV. Sadly, though, this appears to be a slow rollout, as it’s not widely available.

We’ll update this post as the feature becomes more widely available, but if you’re seeing it now, drop a comment below and let us know which platform you’re seeing it on, and what button does it.