YouTube announces that the official app no longer supports 3rd generation Apple TV from 2012.
From March 2021, the app will stop working and be removed completely from the app store. If you want to continue watching YouTube via the media player, it will be a little trickier in one go.
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When the app no longer works, you must use AirPlay to stream your YouTube videos to Apple TV. You do this with a compatible iPhone, iPad Touch or iPad that is connected to the same home network.
Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, iPhone, or iPad. With AirPlay, you can also stream YouTube from your iOS device directly to any Apple TV (3rd generation or later).
As early as 2015, YouTube dropped support for the second-generation Apple TV. This means that the only models supported from March are the fourth and fifth generation Apple TV.
The reason why the later models still work is because they have access to the app store directly via tvOS, something that the third generation model lacks.
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