How To Fix "Youtube Videos Not Playing"

Table of contents

Open Table of contents

• 5 Reasons Why Youtube Videos Are Not Working
  • Internet Problems
  • Bugs
  • Browser Problems
  • Outdated Phones
  • Malfunctioning Computers
• How to Fix Youtube Videos Not Working
  • Windows 7, 8, and 10
  • macOS
  • Phone
• Effective Solution Explained

5 Reasons Why Youtube Videos Are Not Working

Internet Problems

Remember that Youtube videos will only normally appear if your connection is linked to your device properly. A sluggish connection to the internet will influence the speed at which Youtube videos play. In this case, consider lowering the video resolution. 

Bugs

If Youtube videos won’t run or play on your iOS or Android device, it may be Youtube bugs or issues. The software can be reinstalled or held off until Youtube resolves the bug issues. 

Browser Problems

Browser-related problems cause numerous Youtube video-playing problems. That is why refreshing the Youtube video page may resolve this problem. 

If not, you will have to clear your cache or upgrade your web browser. Also, using a different web browser is a wise decision. Here is some browser that you may use:

• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari
• Opera
• Mozilla Firefox
• Microsoft Edge

Outdated Phones

You may have this problem if your Android or iPhone has a flaw, such as an old operating system. Therefore, you must update your device because it may be the cause why Youtube videos need to be fixed on your device. 

Malfunctioning Computers

Youtube may not open or play videos if your PC or laptop malfunctions. You should reboot your computer device or run a Windows software update if available.

How to Fix Youtube Videos Not Working

Windows 7, 8, and 10

Numerous people report that their Windows web browser could not play Youtube videos. Multiple factors, including your browser’s settings and performance, could play a vital role in this problem. 

Here are some effective solutions that could help you troubleshoot issues regarding Youtube videos that are not working on Windows 7, 8, or 10. 

Double-Check Your Time And Date

Whenever you play a video, leave feedback, or post a video to Youtube, it collects statistics about your viewing habit and a timestamp on your device. Your desktop or laptop’s time setting could be incorrect, leading to issues like Youtube videos not playing properly. 

1. Find and press the Windows key and pick the “control panel” among the options on the right side. 

2. Once you are on the control panel, click “Clock, Language, and Region” > “Date and Time.”

3. Click “Change date and time,” then input and select the accurate time, date, and region.

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4. Finally, click “Apply” after all the necessary changes.

Clean Browsing History, Cookies, and Caches

All web pages use browser data to personalize your video streaming experience according to your previous browsing history. 

Browser data includes all the details regarding websites you have browsed, cache, accounts, and more. If you encounter any issues, you can delete all the browsing activity and see if it helps. 

1. In the search field, type “chrome://settings” and then press enter to direct you to the site.

2. At the advanced menu, look and click “Clear browsing data.”

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3. Click all the available checklists, set the time range to “All time,” and click “Clear data” to erase all browsing history.

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Test Your Internet Connectivity

You must ensure your internet access is functioning before adjusting your device. The Youtube video may never begin playing if your connection is poor and may remain in a “buffering condition.”

Deactivate Advertisement Blockers

The use of advertisement blockers, which aims to prevent advertisements from appearing on websites, is growing in popularity nowadays. If Youtube and your advertisement blocker conflict, Youtube may decline to transfer data to your browser, and the video may not start to play. 

1. On the address box, type “chrome://extension” and click enter. 

2. After that, you can deactivate this ad blocker by clicking the “remove” option.

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Try VLC Media Player

If you cannot continue watching Youtube videos, you can watch them using the VLC media player.

1. On the Youtube page, copy the URL of the specific video that you wish to watch.

2. Open the VLC media player and pick “Open Network Stream.”

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3. Finally, paste the URL and press play. 

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Erase Application Data

This application data is pulled from the file by the program on the website, which is then utilized to enhance and personalize your viewing experience. There is a chance that your browser’s application data is malfunctioning, which is why you are having problems.

1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard, type “%appdata%,” and enter.

2. Next, press “AppData” at the address box and click “Local” to open the folder.

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3. On the local folder, look and click “Google > User Data” to clear all folders.  

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If none of these solutions can fix your video streaming experience, you may conduct these additional solutions:

• Create another Youtube account and see if you can watch videos from it
• Try to upgrade your Virtual memory
• Testing software graphics and activating hardware acceleration in your computer
• Try to activate Adobe Flash Player and JavaScript
• Try to uninstall and reinstall your default browser after clearing all browser data
• See if your account has security restrictions that might prevent you from viewing Youtube videos

macOS

Applying repair strategies for Youtube problems is the greatest solution when a black screen or error messages claim that you cannot view a Youtube video. You can try various troubleshooting methods when Youtube videos would not play on macOS.

Clean Browsing History

A cluttered web browser cache may cause your Youtube videos to fail from running on macOS Safari. So, you must try cleaning out the cache in your device.

1. Launch Safari and click “Preferences” after dropping down the menu. 

2. Next, click the “Advanced” tab on the other window and select “Show Develop Menu.”

3. Lastly, select the “Develop” drop-down option after you exit the preference window and click “Empty cache.”

Try To Apply Troubleshooting Hacks

1. Press your keyboard’s “F5” key to reload Youtube’s web browser.

2. Try to exit with all open websites.

3. Activate JavaScript by going to settings, then select “show advanced settings > privacy section > content settings.” In content settings, choose “allow sites to run JavaScript.” 

4. Firmly press and hold the “Shift” key as you restart Safari after quitting.

5. Try a different web browser.

6. Try to view the video through a different account or while in Safe Mode.  

Double-Check Safari Extensions

Verify whether any downloaded extensions are preventing you from seeing Youtube videos. First, you must deactivate all your extensions before reactivating them one by one while reloading Youtube to spot any issues. 

1. Launch Safari, select “Preferences > Extensions,” and uncheck the box beside it to deactivate all safari extensions.

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2. Repeat step 1, and uncheck a different extension for each round if the issue still occurs after reloading your Youtube browser. Mark the checkboxes corresponding to any extensions that need to be restored. 

3. If you can locate the troublesome extension, uninstall it entirely from your device. Hit the malfunctioning extension in the Extensions menu and choose “Uninstall.”

Verify Youtube HTML 5’s Function

Check if your device has the necessary components for using Youtube’s HTML 5 options.

1. Launch Safari, type “https://www.youtube.com/html5” in the address box, and press enter.

2. After the automated system check-up, select and update all the necessary features that need to be updated.

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Phone

When Youtube videos need to be fixed on your mobile phones, it is annoying because it hinders your smooth video streaming experience. That is why here are four methods that could assist you in permanently resolving this problem.

Reboot Your Phone

Try switching off and restarting your phone. Your device will resume after a reboot, and it can resolve any small software glitches preventing Youtube videos from playing.

1. Firmly press the power button on the right side of your phone. 

2. On the screen, a power icon will show. To switch off your device, slide the icon from left to right.

3. To ensure your phone has enough time to shut down completely, let it rest for about a minute before turning it back on. 

Fix Your Wi-Fi Connection

Like restarting your phone, restarting Wi-Fi may fix software issues that may result in poor Wi-Fi connectivity.

1. Navigate to settings and select Wi-Fi to switch your Wi-Fi on and off. 

2. To turn the Wi-Fi off, press the button beside it. 

3. To reactivate, hold the button down for a short while and enter the Wi-Fi password to connect. 

Try To Update The Youtube App

Verify that your Youtube app is upgraded to its latest version. To fix flaws in the program and add advanced features, Youtube developers constantly update their applications. 

1. Launch the App Store for iOS or Google Play Store for Android phones.

2. Navigate your screen to the “Update” section by scrolling down or directly searching for the Youtube app. 

3. Lastly, click the “Update” button beside the application if there is a necessary software update. 

Try To Uninstall And Reinstall

You might be required to remove and reinstall your Youtube application if it has a more complex software problem. 

Once you delete the app, it will delete all the data and settings associated with the program. Reinstalling the program will make it appear as if you have just installed it for the first time. 

Effective Solution Explained

As a Youtube user, you must follow the techniques listed in this guide to help fix the problem if the videos you want to watch won’t start. 

Whether you use a computer or a phone, you can always find a workable solution. You can discover how to troubleshoot internet connectivity, clear browsing data, deactivate browser extensions, and more in this article.

Do you find this post informative? Read more of my “how-to” articles regarding the Youtube application that you may apply for future purposes. 

• How To Convert Youtube Videos To Mp3?
• How To Make Youtube Videos: A Comprehensive Guide
• How To Download Youtube Playlist: A Comprehensive Guide

Please drop your sentiment in the comment section to let other Youtube subscribers know how you effectively troubleshoot your device whenever you encounter issues like this.

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This guide is part of alejandrorioja.com — written by Alejandro Rioja, who now builds AI agent systems for founders. Including the agent that keeps this site current. How it works →