Google acknowledges bug stopping recorded programs on YouTube TV, fix is in the works

Many YouTube TV subscribers across multiple platforms are finding themselves locked out of their recorded content. If you’ve been staring at a “Restricted recording” error message or a lonely “go back” button where your play button should be, you’re not alone.

Google officially acknowledged the bug earlier today through its support forums, confirming that “some” users are running into issues accessing their recorded programs. The company says its teams are actively working on a fix, though there’s no timeline yet for when things will be back to normal.​

The issue appears widespread, affecting everything from local news recordings to primetime shows across networks like NBC, ESPN, ABC, and CNBC. Users on Reddit have reported the problem hitting Apple TV, Roku devices, Android phones, web browsers, and iOS apps — basically every way you can watch YouTube TV.​

According to user reports, when they try to play their recordings, they see a message claiming the content provider has “restricted access” to the content. That’s confusing, since these are recordings users specifically added to their libraries, not on-demand content with licensing restrictions.​

One user summed up the growing frustration pretty well: “2 months in a row where you have NOT provided me with the service I have paid for”. It’s a fair complaint, especially considering YouTube TV costs $72.99 per month, and the unlimited cloud DVR is one of its main selling points.

Some users reported that even currently recording programs would only play audio when attempting to watch from the beginning.​

Google hasn’t said what caused the bug or how long it’ll take to resolve, promising only to provide updates “as soon as we have them”. For now, affected subscribers are stuck waiting — and probably eyeing that monthly subscription fee a bit more critically.​

We’ll be watching for Google’s next update on the fix. In the meantime, live TV still works, though that’s not exactly what people are paying premium prices for.

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