Watch history not updating on Roku TV YouTube App

Hi Sistasa

Thanks for the post.

My suggestion above worked with the OP. I would recommend trying it out and see if that will resolve the issue you're experiencing.

Please keep us posted.

All the best,
Kariza

These steps did not resolve the same exact issue for me.  I reached out to YouTube and they are not fully aware of this issue and have opened a ticket to solve the issue.

I even went so far as to create a new YouTube brand channel, and for a moment, I thought it was working because I saw some history on my Roku...but then I noticed that the same history was not replicated in the browser version of YouTube.  It's just messed up.

Thanks for the reply.  I have YouTube Premium as well, so maybe that figures in somehow.  FWIW, I spent quite a lot of time on chat with Roku support last night, but got exactly the same reply that I saw elsewhere in this forum.  I had the impression that it was a copy/paste.  They kept passing the buck to another person and at the end, they hung up on me.  I tried to make the point, but they weren't having it.  They're just delivering the company line, whether it makes any sense or not.  I mean, I could have been talking to a bot because what I was saying didn't affect the responses at all.

YouTube is Google, so their arrogance is real, but at the same time, in a contest of arrogance where Google is blaming Roku and Roku is blaming Google, I would tend to believe that Google has superior expertise, if only because of the sheer magnitude of their user base.  I believe Roku has a problem, but have no idea how to get through to anyone who cares.

I agree - the broken YouTube app is all but useless to me.  But sadly, Roku has done nothing but to deflect.  And YouTube is Google, so they don't have to bow down to anyone.  I philosophically agree that Google shouldn't have their way just because they are more powerful than Roku, but that is, after all, how things work in the real world.  I would happily sign a "Dethrone Google" petition, but it would take an epic uprising to change Google's direction at this point.  Heck, most people don't even realize that Google is not their benevolent advocate.

But having said that, by perpetuating the feud, Roku is doing a disservice to their customers.  That's on them - not Google.  Everyone who bought a Roku device did so with the expectation they it would work with YouTube, because that is the expectation that Roku set.  Roku needs to honor that promise by doing whatever it takes to make it work again.  After that, they can duke it out with Google on their own time.  If Roku can present their case in a way that enlightens the jury as to just exactly what Google has become, that jury just might decide against the beast.

If you're saying that you were able to make it work somehow, I am super-interested, but I'm not understanding exactly what you did to make it work.  Can you expand on this for me?

Here's a possible solution for those with Roku Sticks who tried the Roku-recommended solution without success:

1. Remove the YouTube channel

2. Turn off your television

3. Disconnect the Roku Stick and wait 30 seconds

4. Reconnect the Roku Stick

5. Turn on your television

6. Reinstall the YouTube channel and log in

This worked for me when nothing else did. Maybe it will help someone else.

I doubt that this will get fixed until such time if/when Roku and Google come to terms.

Yes, appears to be fixed now.  I think the issue was with Youtube as I had the issue with Roku, Firestick, and my Vizio TV.  Thanks for the update.

Here's the state of things:

Search history will work on a brand account in the YouTube Roku app, using these steps:

1) Reset the app (Settings -> Reset app)

2) Go to upper left "Sign In"

3) "Sign in with your phone" -> "Try another way"

4) Do not go to the URL shown, instead go to youtube.com/activate and enter the code

5) Select the brand account you want to sign in with on Roku, not your main Google account

6) Done!

Under "Accounts" (upper left), you will see your brand account... on the right part of the screen, you should see a "fake" e-mail address that ends in pages.plusgoogle.com.

Search history is working properly with a brand account signed in to the YouTube Roku app in this way. Unfortunately, starting today, you are no longer able to view age restricted videos when signed in this way to a brand account in the YouTube Roku app, even if your brand account is age-verified.

If you want, you can do an "Add account" and this time, on step 5, select your primary Google account. This will automatically add your Primary Google ID/email, and all associated brand accounts to the Roku app. They will appear under your primary main Google e-mail address. When you select one of these brand accounts, it will have **no** e-mail address on the right part of the screen. This will not affect the "brand only" sign-in that you did above... that appears separately, and again, has a "fake" e-mail address that ends in pages.plusgoogle.com. You can view age restricted videos when using brand accounts that appear under your main Google e-mail. However, when signed in this way, there is still the unsolved, ongoing issue of search history not appearing and watch history not updating. You will see "top" searches in the app's "search" section ("flame" icons) instead of your personal search history ("clock" icons).

I started a thread on Google support, but I don't have any confidence that it will do any good.

Hopes this helps some people...