Tech Reference

'Can you watch YouTube on a Nintendo Switch?': Yes, you can — here's how to download and use the YouTube app

Written by Steven John
youtube on switch
To watch YouTube on your Nintendo Switch, you'll need to download the app. Steven John/Business Insider
Read in app

Late last year, Nintendo Switch console users finally got to enjoy some of the finest media out there. Specifically, YouTube videos, because thanks to an app Google released last year, you can watch YouTube videos on the Switch.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Nintendo Switch (From $299.99 at Best Buy)

How to watch YouTube on the Nintendo Switch

To watch YouTube on your Switch:

1. Open the Nintendo eShop. Scroll down to the circular icons at the bottom of the home screen, and select the icon of an orange shopping bag that's labeled "Nintendo eShop."

2. Once the eShop loads, scroll up to "Search" in the top-left.

3. Search for "YouTube."

4. The free YouTube app should be the first thing to appear. Select it and then click "Free Download."

IMG_5834
The Nintendo Switch YouTube app is a free download.  Steven John/Business Insider

5. On the next page, click "Free Download" again. You may have to enter your Nintendo ID login info.

6. Give the app a few minutes to download. Once it's finished, you'll get a notification, and the icon will appear on your home screen.

IMG_5840
You can find the YouTube app right on the Switch home screen, beside your games.  Steven John/Business Insider

7. Tap the app with a finger, or navigate to it with a controller and then press A to launch it.

Once it opens, you can sign in right away, or use the app signed out.

While you're watching a video, you'll use either the touchscreen or the left joystick to fast-forward and rewind. The other buttons will open more menus.

IMG_5843
YouTube is always at your fingertips once downloaded to the Switch.  Steven John/Business Insider

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Read next

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Headshot of Steven John
Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.