10 Fixes To YouTube Not Working or Playing Videos

YouTube has surpassed all other video platforms as our primary source of video content. The platform is as solid as it gets, and any server-side issues are practically non-existent since Google acquired it.

Your YouTube videos aren’t playing correctly for some reason. You may have no notion what’s causing the problem. How to get your YouTube to work typically once more?

There are a variety of elements that can come into play. 

youtube videos not playing

Even though the YouTube site loads well, videos that won’t play may be too huge to stream over your internet connection. A page may not load properly in some cases, so refreshing the page will resolve the issue.

Many other factors are contributing to YouTube play videos not playing. It includes issues with your computer, internet connection, browser, and YouTube itself.

Possible Causes For Watch “YouTube Videos Not Playing”

The majority of difficulties that prevent YouTube videos from playing can be classified into a few different types.

YouTube Application Errors: Most issues preventing YouTube videos from playing can be resolved. You need to quit and restart the YouTube app. However, you may need to clear the app cache or reinstall it.

Web Browser Errors: When YouTube videos won’t play, it’s usually because of a browser issue. Most of the time, refreshing the page solves the problem. You may also require to renew your browser or clear the cache.

Internet Service Provider Errors: Local networking issues can usually be resolved by disconnecting and replugging your modem and router. Reducing the YouTube video quality will further help if your internet connection is prolonged.

Computer problems: Most computer issues that prevent YouTube from operating can be resolved with a simple restart. You may have to upgrade your PC at the same time.

Methods To Solve “Youtube Video Not Playing”

  • Reload the YouTube Page
  • Clear Cache and Cookies of Google Chrome
  • Refresh Your Google Account
  • Reset Connection Settings
  • Update the YouTube App
  • Check Time and Date of Your Device
  • Clear the YouTube App Cache
  • Update the Browser
  • Use a VPN Software 
  • Directly Download and Watch Videos

1. Reload the YouTube Page

You watch youtube videos and video stops. There should be some form of malfunction if the YouTube video stops playing. You can give it a shot by refreshing the YouTube video page.

reload youtube videos page

On the other hand, you can exit the web browser and then reopen it to see if the video can be loaded and played correctly by going to the YouTube video page.

2. Clear Cache and Cookies of Google Chrome

Desktop

  • Launch Chrome.
  • Select Clear browsing data from the three vertical dots.
  • Tick the boxes “Cookies and other site and plugin data,” as well as Cached pictures and files.
 Clear Cookies of Google Chrome
  • Remove all data by erasing details from the beginning of time.
  • Choose “Clear browsing data” from the left menu.
  • Restart your computer and watch the YouTube video again.

Mobile Device

  • Simply follow the steps below to discover how to clear it:
  • Go to “Settings” on your phone;
  • Click on “Apps and software” and then “Apps” again;
  • Look for the “Chrome” app and open it;
  • Select “Storage.” Now, select “Clear cache” and then “App Data.”

3. Refresh Your Google Account

There’s a good chance your Google account went down the drain. In this scenario, you can refresh your Google account by uninstalling it and then re-adding it. Here’s how to do it:

  • Go to Settings and select Accounts from the drop-down menu.
  • Select Google from the list of all your accounts.
  • Confirm by tapping the Remove symbol. If you don’t see the icon immediately, pick Remove account from the menu icon (three dots icon).
  • If you have numerous Google accounts on your device, go through the steps again.
  • Return to Settings > Accounts and touch on Add account to add them again.
  • Before trying to load YouTube videos again, enter your Gmail account and password.

4. Reset Connection Settings

The “youtube videos not playing” issue may be related to internet connectivity. Resetting the connection settings is one answer to this error. It might not entirely solve the case. A few mouse ticks are solely that is required.

Desktop 

  • Open the Control Panel.
  • Click Internet Options.
Reset Connection Settings
  • Select the Advanced tab. Then press the Reset and Restore advanced settings buttons. Then, to implement the changes, click the Apply button.

Android phone

  • Turn off your Wi-Fi and turn on your mobile data connection instead.
  • Wait for the data connection on your phone to take over. In the YouTube app, try to load a video.
  • Go to Settings > WiFi and long press on the Wi-Fi Internet connection you were previously connected to see if you can play videos on mobile data.
  • From the newly appearing tab, select Forget Network.
select Forget Network
  • Reconnect to the Wi-Fi Internet connection and enter the password.
  • Relaunch the YouTube app and try to play videos.

5. Update the YouTube App

  • Go to the Google Play Store and sign in.
  • Touch on the route profile photo in the Google Play Store, then tap on My apps & games.
  • A list of all your pending updates should appear. Locate the Youtube app entry and either press the Update box next to it or Update All.
Update the YouTube App
  • Open the app after you’ve updated the latest YouTube version and check to see if your videos are loading regularly.

If your device still doesn’t load YouTube videos after updating the YouTube app, try deleting the update.

  • Make sure the All apps filter is enabled in Settings > Apps (Applications > Application Manager).
  • Scroll down to the YouTube app and touch it.
  • In Android Application Manager, open the YouTube app.
  • Select Uninstall Updates from the drop-down menu.

6. Check Time and Date of Your Device

It has nothing to do with the YouTube app itself. Your Google account is the source of the problem (which the YouTube app uses). Many customers have experienced issues with functionality while their device’s “Time and Date” is erroneously set. 

Other strange behaviors may occur if the date and time are incorrect, in addition to the YouTube app. When downloading from the Google Play Store, you may experience sync issues or even crashes. Check that you’ve correctly set the “Time and Date”:

  • Go to Settings > Advanced Settings and tap on Date & Time in the Time & Language section.
  • Make sure the Automatic date & time option is enabled once you’ve opened Date & time.
  • Activate the Automatic Date and Time feature.
  • Check if the Automatic time zone is enabled by scrolling down. Toggle the toggle next to the entry to activate it if it’s disabled.
  • It may take some time for your system to change the date and time automatically. By rebooting your smartphone, you can force it to update.

7. Clear the YouTube App Cache

This strategy offers the best probability of resolving the video loading problem. The most recent Android versions are aware of how to handle cache accumulation. Older versions are inefficient and frequently crash. Let’s see if that’s the case by emptying the YouTube app’s cache:

YouTube App Cache

  • Go to Apps > Application Manager (Settings > Apps).
  • Make sure the All applications filter is selected.
  • Scroll down to the YouTube app and touch it.
YouTube App Cache
  • Select Clear data from the Storage menu.
  • Check to see whether YouTube is loading videos by restarting your device.

Google Play Services

  • Make sure the All apps filter is selected in Settings > Apps.
  • Scroll down to Google Play Services and tap it.
  • In Android Application Manager, go to Google Play Services.
clear Google Play Services cache
  • Select Clear Data from the Storage menu.
  • Check to see whether YouTube is loading videos by restarting your device.

8. Update the Browser

The video won’t play correctly if your browser is old. As a result, Ensure your browser is up to date.

First, make sure your browser is up to date. Second, go online and see the latest version. You’ll know if the browser is out-of-date after comparing the two versions. You’ll see if you need to upgrade it.

  • In Chrome, go to the top-right corner of the browser and click the three dots.
  • If Update Chrome is available in the menu, select it. This option will only appear if an update is open and has already been downloaded. It will ask you to restart Chrome if you click it.
help then about google chrome
  • Suppose the Update Chrome option isn’t visible. Go to Help and select About Google Chrome.
google chrome update
  • Chrome’s current version number will be displayed. Chrome will see if there are any new updates available. If an update is found, it will be downloaded, and you will be required to restart Chrome to complete the installation.

9. Use a VPN Software 

This difficulty can happen if the video you’re trying to view is restricted in your region or if your region’s server is down. The quickest workaround in both situations is to use a VPN, such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN.

ExpressVPN
  • Go to the official NordVPN website.
NordVPN
  • Install NordVPN on your computer.
  • Set up your account and sign in with NordVPN.
  • The Quick Connect key at the bottom of the map will automatically choose the best server for you.

If you’re yet holding trouble seeing the video. Use the Search here button in the top left corner to look for a new server.

10. Directly Download and Watch Videos

  • Copy the YouTube video URL you wish to watch and paste it into the search box behind the Home button on the toolbar.
  • The video you’ve chosen will be played. Then, to continue, you must press the Download button.
  • A little pop-out window will appear, allowing you to choose the video format you want to download. You may additionally choose whether or not to download the video subtitles.
  • After you’ve chosen your video format and subtitle, click the DOWNLOAD button to begin the download. On the side (right) of the interface, the download task will be displayed.
  • Finally, you can go to the download folder and watch the YouTube video you just downloaded.

Conclusion 

Hopefully, the techniques may aid you in determining your YouTube video not playing issue. If none of the methods work, try to update the installed adobe flash player.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why has YouTube stopped working today?

Open your device’s settings menu, pick “Apps,” and then YouTube. The next step is to go to “Storage.” You’ll see two options: precise data and clear cache. Clear the cache first, then see if YouTube now functions appropriately. If it doesn’t, go back and clear the data to see if that helps.

Why is YouTube not working?

You can try cleaning the cache if restarting the phone doesn’t help. If you clean the cache files on your phone, you may be able to fix the issue. Select a video to view from the YouTube app.

Why is Google Chrome not playing videos?

Plugins, Chrome extensions, or something stored in your cache or browser data can cause video or gaming troubles. Open Chrome on your machine. New Incognito Window has been added. Go to the video or game’s website in the Incognito window.

How do I reset my YouTube?

If you require to remove your search history on your Android or iPhone, follow these steps.  Select the “Library” icon. Clear the search history by going to History Settings > Clear Search History. By selecting that option, you may also clear your complete watch history.