You’re trying to set the mood with a fireplace video. Or maybe you’ve got a "lo-fi beats to study to" stream going while you clean the house. Everything is fine until the video ends and some jarring, loud car commercial starts playing because the "Autoplay" algorithm decided you needed to see a 2026 SUV ad. It’s frustrating. Learning how to loop youtube videos on tv should be the easiest thing in the world, yet Google has tucked the setting away in menus that feel like they were designed by someone who doesn't actually watch TV.
I’ve spent way too much time fiddling with smart TV remotes to count. Whether you’re using a Samsung Tizen set, an LG with WebOS, or a generic Roku stick, the "loop" button isn't just sitting there on the main playback bar. It’s a ghost. But it is there. You just have to know the specific ritual to summon it.
The Secret Menu Method for Smart TVs and Consoles
Most people look for a loop icon—that little circle with the arrows—right next to the play/pause button. It isn’t there. On the YouTube app for Apple TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox, and most built-in Smart TV apps, the process is counter-intuitive.
First, start your video. While it’s playing, you need to press "Up" or "Down" on your remote to bring up the player controls. Look for the three dots or the "More Actions" gear icon. It's usually tucked away on the far left or right side of the screen. Once you click that, a side menu pops out. This is where the magic happens. You’ll see a toggle labeled "Loop." Click it. A small checkmark or a color change will indicate it's active.
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Honestly, it’s a clunky UI choice. If you’re using a simplified remote like the Chromecast or Apple TV one, sometimes you have to click "Up" twice just to highlight the right row. If you miss it, you accidentally scrub through the timeline and ruin the vibe.
Why Browsers and Mobile are Different
If you’re casting from your phone, things get even more annoying. A lot of people assume that if they set a video to loop on their iPhone or Android, it’ll just keep looping when they cast it to the TV.
It doesn’t. When you cast via AirPlay or Google Cast, the TV takes over the stream. The loop command often gets lost in transit. If you're wondering how to loop youtube videos on tv while casting, the best way is actually to stop casting and use the native TV app instead. Or, if you’re hardcore, plug a laptop into your TV via HDMI. On a desktop browser, you just right-click the video and hit "Loop." It’s a one-second fix. Why the TV app makes us jump through hoops is a mystery only Google's product managers can solve.
The Playlist Workaround
Sometimes the "Loop" toggle just isn't there. I've seen this on older Roku models and some budget Hisense TVs where the app version is outdated. In those cases, you have to get creative.
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Create a new playlist. Call it "Loop." Add the one video you want to play over and over again to that playlist. Open that playlist on your TV. There is a "Repeat" icon specifically for playlists that is almost always visible and functional, even when the individual video loop button is missing. It’s a "hack," sure, but it works every single time.
- Open YouTube on your phone or laptop.
- Find the video.
- Save it to a new playlist (e.g., "Loop Me").
- Open the YouTube app on your TV.
- Go to Library > Playlists > Loop Me.
- Hit the "Repeat" icon on the playlist controls.
Dealing with YouTube Kids and Restricted Content
Here is a weird nuance: you can't always loop everything. If a video is marked as "Made for Kids," certain features—like saving to playlists or specific playback controls—might be restricted depending on the region and the specific TV firmware. This is part of COPPA compliance. If you’re trying to loop a "Baby Shark" video for the 400th time to keep a toddler calm and the button is missing, that’s likely why.
In this scenario, the playlist method mentioned above is your only real hope, though even that is sometimes blocked for "Kids" content. The workaround? Find a "re-upload" or a "10-hour version" of the song. YouTubers know these restrictions exist, so they create 10-hour loops of popular sounds specifically to help parents and focus-seekers bypass the lack of a native loop button.
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The Technical Reality of YouTube on TV
TV apps are basically just "wrappers." They are lightweight web browsers designed to show you a specific website (YouTube.com/tv). This is why they feel slower than the app on your phone. Because they are web-based, they update constantly without you knowing.
If you wake up one day and the loop button has moved, don't panic. Google loves A/B testing. They might move the "More Actions" menu from the bottom left to the top right just to see if people click it more. Just look for the gear icon or the three-dot "More" menu. That is the universal junk drawer for features Google doesn't think you use often.
Summary of Actionable Steps
- Native App: Play video -> Press "Up" or "Down" -> Select "More" (three dots) -> Toggle "Loop" to On.
- The Cast Trick: If casting fails to loop, switch to the TV’s built-in app. Casting rarely supports persistent looping.
- The Playlist Hack: Add a single video to a playlist and hit the "Repeat Playlist" button if the individual loop toggle is missing.
- Search for "10-Hour": If the UI is too frustrating, search for a pre-looped 10-hour version of the content.
Check your TV's app store for updates. Sometimes, the "Loop" feature is missing simply because you're running a version of YouTube from 2023. Head to the LG Content Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, or the Google Play Store on your Sony TV and force an update. This usually restores missing playback features and makes the menus slightly less laggy.