YouTube is Not Supported on this Device | Nvidia Shield TV

This error message typically appears on the Nvidia Shield TV when the YouTube app version is outdated and can no longer connect to Google’s servers, or when a “handshake” glitch occurs after a system update.

Since the Nvidia Shield TV is still a powerful, supported device, this is almost certainly a software glitch rather than your device actually being “unsupported.”

Here is how to fix it, ranked from easiest to most advanced.

1. The “Cast” Trick (Fastest Fix)

This specific glitch often locks the app on the “not supported” screen, but you can force it to refresh its authorization token by casting a video.

1. Make sure your phone and Shield TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.

2. Open the YouTube app on your phone.

3. Play any video and tap the Cast icon (rectangle with Wi-Fi waves).

4. Select your Shield TV from the list.

5. Once the video starts playing on your TV, take your Shield remote and press Back or Home.

6. Re-open the YouTube app on the Shield. This often clears the error loop.

2. Clear Data and Updates

If the app is stuck on an old version or has corrupted cache data:

1. Go to Settings (gear icon) > Apps > See all apps.

2. Find YouTube (not YouTube TV, unless that’s the broken one).

3. Select Clear Data and Clear Cache.

4. Restart your Shield TV and try again.

If that fails:

1. Go back to the App info page for YouTube.

2. Select Uninstall Updates. This reverts it to the factory version.

3. Open the Google Play Store on your Shield, find YouTube, and click Update.

3. The “SmartTube” Alternative (Highly Recommended)

If the official app continues to fail (or if you just want a better experience), most Shield TV power users switch to SmartTube. It is a third-party YouTube client designed specifically for Android TV that blocks all ads and skips sponsorships.

• Why use it: It bypasses the official app entirely, meaning “device not supported” errors from Google won’t affect it.

• How to get it:

  1. Install the Downloader app from the Google Play Store on your Shield.

  2. Open it and enter the code 28544 (or go to smarttube.app).

  3. Install the Beta or Stable version.

  • Note: You may need to disable “Scan apps with Play Protect” in the Play Store settings if Google tries to block the installation, as they recently flagged third-party clients.

4. Check for System Updates

Ensure your Shield itself isn’t pending an update, as an OS mismatch can break Google services.

• Go to Settings > Device Preferences > About > System Upgrade.

• Confirm you are on Shield Experience 9.x.

Next Step:

If none of these work, are you seeing this error on the standard YouTube app or YouTube TV (the cable replacement service)? The troubleshooting is slightly different for each.