The YouTube add-on ships with Recalbox: you will find it right away under Add-ons in Kodi. Search works without any configuration, but to reach your account (subscriptions, playlists, history, ad-free playback) YouTube requires the add-on to use your own API keys. It is free, but it takes about ten minutes in the Google Cloud console.
Requirements: a Google/YouTube account, a computer with a browser, and a Recalbox connected to the network.
The Google Cloud console changes regularly: the exact wording may differ from what is described here. The three items to obtain remain the same: an API key, an OAuth client ID and a client secret.
New project. Give it any name you like, then Create.APIs and services > Library.YouTube Data API v3, open it and click Enable.APIs and services > Credentials.Create credentials > API key.APIs and services, open OAuth consent screen (depending on the console version this section may be called Google Auth Platform).External user type, then Create.Save and continue. The two addresses may be different.Add users) with the e-mail address of your YouTube account.Publish app: without it, access expires after a few days.APIs and services > Credentials.Create credentials > OAuth client ID.TVs and limited input devices (this type, and only this one, allows signing in with a code shown on screen). Then Create.You now have the three values you need.
The screens may differ slightly if you are starting Kodi or the YouTube add-on for the first time.
Add-ons > YouTube.Settings.API in the left column, then fill in the middle column:
API key: the API key from step 2;API id: the client ID from step 4, without the .apps.googleusercontent.com suffix;API secret: the client secret from step 4.OK.Yes, pick your language and region, then state whether you want to use geolocation.Recommended videos: if a list of videos shows up, the keys work.📷 Screenshot to come:
kodi-youtube-api.png
Typing three long strings with a controller is painful: plug in a USB keyboard, or drive Kodi from the Kore or Yatse app — see Kodi Media Center.
Sign in. Kodi tells you that you have to sign in twice.A warning stating that the application is not verified may show up: this is expected, the application is yours. Carry on to complete the sign-in.
Once both validations are done you are signed in: your subscriptions, playlists and recommended videos appear, and playback is ad-free.
When starting a video I get an "UNKNOWN" error message. This is almost always a protected stream issue: in the YouTube add-on settings, check that InputStream Adaptive is enabled.
I have exceeded the API quota. Every API key has a free daily quota. Home use very rarely reaches it, but if it happens, the quota resets every day.
Do I have to repeat this on every Recalbox? The keys belong to your Google project, not to the machine: you can reuse the same values on several Recalbox installs.
Need help? Join the Recalbox Discord.