You have two useful routes: enter text into YouTube’s TV search with a compatible phone remote, or find a video in the YouTube phone app and send that video to the TV. Choose based on where you want to browse the results.
A query such as “live jazz” leaves the next choice open. A video you’ve already selected gives the TV something specific to play.
Browse the results on the TV
Google’s remote supports text entry on Android TV and Google TV. Whether it reaches YouTube’s search field depends on that field accepting the input. Google’s remote features
- Pair the Google TV phone app using the code on your TV. For this Wi-Fi setup, both devices need the same home network. Google’s pairing guide
- Open YouTube on the TV and select its search field. The field needs to be active, rather than the search icon merely highlighted.
- If the phone remote offers its keyboard, enter a short query such as “jazz”. Watch for the letters on the TV.
- If they arrive correctly, submit the search and use the remote to browse the TV’s results.
If navigation works but the text doesn’t arrive, try another TV app’s search field. A second working field is a useful clue that the first app handles input differently. Keep those results separate when asking for support; “YouTube ignores typed text” is more useful than “nothing works”.
You can use the phone-side route below while you investigate. Repeatedly pairing the same TV is unlikely to tell you more once navigation already works.
Choose the video on your phone
On the same Wi-Fi, open YouTube on both devices. Search on your phone, select a video, then use Cast in its player to choose the TV. Android 17 and later also require YouTube’s local-device discovery permission. YouTube’s Android casting instructions
This route suits a particular episode, tutorial or music video you want to inspect on the phone first. Check the title and channel before sending it, especially when several videos have similar names. If other people are using the TV, check the destination before you interrupt their video.
If the TV is missing from the Cast list, YouTube also offers TV-code linking. You’ll need access to YouTube’s settings on the TV to obtain its code.
Search while something is already playing
YouTube’s same-account companion experience lets you look for another video on the phone while the TV keeps playing. Its September 2026 update removed the shared-Wi-Fi and manual-connection requirements for that experience. Sign into the same Google Account on both devices. TeamYouTube’s companion announcement
That is a YouTube feature. A separate local-network remote still needs its own connection to the TV. Keep that distinction in mind if YouTube can see a screen that another remote app can’t find.
The Remote beta: start with the query
The Remote includes a dedicated YouTube search entered with your Android phone keyboard and sent to your selected TV over the local network. It is for compatible Android TV and Google TV devices with Android TV Remote Service v2. The TV model and YouTube version determine whether the action is accepted. The Remote’s requirements
The phone-side search demo shows where you enter the query. If a query doesn’t arrive on your TV, check the selected destination, then try a search directly in the TV’s YouTube app. If that also fails, resolve the TV-side issue first. If YouTube works but the remote query fails, record the TV model, YouTube version and a harmless sample query for support.
Prefer entering the query on your phone? Request beta access with your Google Play account email. Requests are reviewed privately. If approved, you’ll receive a manual Google Play invitation to accept before installing. How your email is handled