Sometimes, YouTube stops working. Sometimes the service works fine, but the app, device, or internet connection you're using doesn't stream the video smoothly or doesn't display the video at all. When the YouTube app isn't working properly, try the following troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue.
There are several reasons why YouTube isn't right for you. You may be experiencing internet problems. Your YouTube app may need to be updated. Alternatively, the YouTube service may be experiencing an outage.
When YouTube isn't working properly, try the following troubleshooting solutions to fix YouTube:
Check out X (formerly Twitter) updates from @TeamYouTube. When a service encounters widespread problems, the account is usually quick to acknowledge the problem. Before trying any of the steps below, check @TeamYouTube's latest tweets to see if the service is experiencing issues. If so, please wait for YouTube people to restore service.
Force close the app and restart. If there's a problem with an app on your mobile device, force quitting will usually clear the problem, so when you restart it, everything will be back to normal.
- Close the application on Android.
- Close the app on iOS.
Restart the device. Many PC and mobile device problems can be solved by simply restarting. Turn off the power to your phone, tablet, computer, TV, or streaming video box. Wait a minute or so and then power up again.
Windows and macOS systems may take extra time to boot because restarting often prompts for system or application updates.
Check network connection. A slow or unstable connection may cause YouTube to reduce the quality of your video stream or stop working entirely. Check modem or router status. Or do a speed test. If your hardware isn't working properly or you're not getting normal speeds, restart your device.
While you're at it, check your network bandwidth as well. YouTube videos don't load well on networks that are bogged down by other activities like online gaming or video/music streaming. Reducing other network-related things, especially on slow networks, will free up some bandwidth, which helps make some bandwidth available for streaming on YouTube (this is especially useful if you need to fix a black screen on YouTube).
Higher resolution videos require faster internet speeds to function properly. YouTube recommends using a 0.7 Mbps connection to play SD 360p resolution videos, which means that a rather slow DSL connection will also work. HD 1080p resolution relies on a 5 Mbps connection, while 4K video requires 20 Mbps. You can find more details on the YouTube video streaming troubleshooting page.
Some system administrators block access to YouTube. For example, some schools ban students from accessing YouTube but allow teachers access. In some cases, if you change the domain name settings (DNS) on your device, you can gain access to the service. Using a VPN is another great way to bypass networks that block YouTube.
Clear your browser's cache. If not deleted for a while, residual data may cause problems with the browser itself and may prevent videos from loading correctly.
Update your software. YouTube sometimes stops functioning properly if the app or router firmware is out of date. If you access YouTube from an Android device, please check for updates on Google Play. You can find iOS updates in the App Store. There is no official YouTube app for Windows, so please update your browser and operating system.
YouTube app and operating system updates may be available for streaming devices such as Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Nvidia Shield TV, and Roku. Check the device manufacturer's instructions for how to install the patch on these devices.
Switch to Chrome. If you don't use the Chrome web browser, you may need to download and install it. Since Google owns both Chrome and YouTube, the two tend to work well together. Google offers versions of Chrome for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Check your YouTube account settings. Make sure you're logged into an account that has access to the clips you want to watch. Some video sharing settings limit access to people with specific accounts.
