YouTube is the world’s biggest video-sharing platform with a broad audience and support for long device lists. Despite its immense popularity, users sometimes face various problems. From the black screen to the constant buffering and read errors, YouTube has a lot to solve. However, if YouTube doesn’t work on your device, don’t worry.
In this article, we have suggested 15 different methods to solve many of your current problems. Let’s start the article without further ado.
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How to Fix YouTube Not Working
In this section, we mention 15 ways to deal with a variety of YouTube problems. The steps are quite simple and can be easily solved by yourself. Also, we will explain many steps to give you a better idea of the problems and how to fix them. Now let’s easily find the solution you want.
Check if YouTube is down or not.
Before looking for solutions, make sure YouTube is down or not in your area. YouTube and many other online platforms have recently been exposed to global outages due to congestion on the high-volume network. If YouTube doesn’t work suddenly, everyone is likely to be out of order.
Read – How to Watch Blocked YouTube Videos (Easiest Way)
Clear cache, cookies, and data
Sometimes expired cookies or blocked app data doesn’t make YouTube work properly. In such cases, you must delete the cache data and cookies. That is how.
- Open the Chrome browser and press Ctrl + H to open your browsing history.
- Now click on clear browsing data and check the following items shown below.
- On Android TV or phone, tap and hold the YouTube app and open “App Info.” Go to memory here tap on remove data and cache.
- On iOS devices, you can’t clear the cache manually, but you can remove and reinstall the app to quickly relaunch it.
Check extensions
If YouTube doesn’t work on your computer, some Chrome extensions are likely to block access. Follow these steps to find out if extensions are the main culprit.
- Open Chrome and simultaneously press the “Ctrl + Shift + N” key combination (Command + Shift + N for Mac). A private browser window opens. Now open YouTube and see if it works. If so, some questionable extensions are likely to cause problems.
- To remove these extensions, add chrome: // extensions / to the URL bar and press Enter. Find all the extensions here and uninstall the ones you do not need. Also, try disabling as many extensions as possible to determine the culprit extension.
Update Chrome and YouTube app
You may be using an earlier version of chrome or the YouTube app that is not fully compatible with the latest version. In such cases, updating the application will resolve most problems.
- Open Chrome on the desktop and type chrome://settings/help in the address bar. Here you will find the latest update and install it immediately.
- Open your respective app store on Android and iOS and update the YouTube app. I hope this solves the problem you are facing.
Read – How to Play YouTube Videos in Background on Android?
Check the site settings.
- Paste chrome://settings/content/JavaScript in the Chrome URL bar and make sure toggle is JavaScript enabled. Desktop computers require JavaScript to run YouTube properly.
- Similarly, add chrome://settings/content/sound to the address bar and enable / disable audio settings. This step allows YouTube to play the sound.
Check the proxy settings
Sometimes some changes remain in effect even after removing the shaded extensions unless you manually cancel them. Proxy settings are one of those that change extensions and lead to inaccessible websites. How to restore proxy settings on your desktop?
- Launch Google Chrome and go to Settings. In settings, scroll at the bottom and click on “Show advanced settings”.
- Now in Advanced Settings find the section named Network, and further click on “Change proxy settings”.
- This will open the internet properties window.
- Now click on the LAN Settings and further check “Automatically detect settings”.
- Now click Ok and reboot your PC.
Update the graphics driver
If you are facing a black or green screen when playing YouTube videos, the outdated graphics driver is probably causing the problem. Here’s how to fix it.
- Press the “Windows” and “R” keys simultaneously on a Windows PC. A small execution window opens. Type devmgmt.msc here and press Enter.
- A device manager window appears. Now double click on “Display Adapter,” and it will expand. Right-click each submenu here and click “Update Driver.”
- Finally, click “Search automatically …” and it will search for the latest graphics driver on the Internet. So keep your computer connected to the Internet. Then restart your computer, and this time YouTube should work without any problem.
Read – 10 Free Sites To Find Background Music For YouTube Videos
Hardware acceleration control
Hardware acceleration is a useful feature to play YouTube with the best quality. However, if your computer is old, disabling it is a better option. It allows you to reproduce decent performance on YouTube without stuttering or restricting.
However, if you have a powerful computer, turn on hardware acceleration. Type chrome://settings/system in the chrome URL bar, and enable use hardware acceleration when available.
Update the date, time and region of the app
Due to an incorrect time zone, date, or region on the device, YouTube often does not work and always displays the charging plate. So updating is easy. Just sync the time to the correct values, and YouTube will work again. Open your device’s settings page and find a time menu. Make changes now and reboot your device. I hope YouTube works well this time.
Uninstall unknown apps
In addition to Chrome extensions, malicious applications can be installed on your PC, which can cause problems with the proper functioning of YouTube. The best procedure to solve this problem is to remove unknown applications.
- Open the Run window on a Windows PC by pressing the Windows and R keys simultaneously. Enter “appwiz.cpl” here and press Enter.
- After that, find the apps you don’t use often and uninstall them right away.
- You can also find malicious apps in chrome. Paste chrome: // settings / clean-up into the address bar and click the “Search” button. Then you can uninstall the apps.
Restore DNS
Domain name servers are a type of Internet phone book that manages a directory with domain names and their IP addresses. Sometimes DNS is changed on the PC, causing a website to go down. Changes at the system level can make the web, including YouTube, inaccessible. Follow the steps below to restore DNS on a Windows PC.
- Search for cmd in the start menu.
- Type ipconfig/flushdns here and hit Enter. DNS is reset to default settings.
- In macOS, go to Applications → Utilities → Terminal, paste the following command, and press Enter. You will be asked for your Mac login password, enter it, and the DNS cache will be cleared successfully.
Reset network settings
If YouTube doesn’t work on your Android or iOS device, you can try activating airplane mode. After a while, turn off airplane mode and check if YouTube works. Otherwise, you can completely reset the network settings.
- Open the Chrome browser and go to the settings option.
- In settings scroll down at the bottom and click on Show Advanced Settings.
- Now further scroll at the bottom and click on Reset settings. This will reset the chrome browser to its default settings.
- On Android, open the Settings page and go to System -> Reset options -> Reset Wi-Fi, cell phone, and Bluetooth. Finally, press the “Reset Settings” button.
- In iOS, go to Settings -> General -> Reset and tap “Reset network settings” below. Now restart your smartphone and check if the app is working or not.
Update the Operating System
This may seem unlikely, but operating system updates can fix most problems on the devices. Device manufacturers regularly release cumulative updates to fix various types of bugs. Also, your device will be updated with new installation and security fixes during the process. If there is an update on your smartphone or PC, update it now. This could fix the YouTube issues you are experiencing on your device.
Use a VPN
If YouTube doesn’t work at your school or university, chances are the site has been restricted by an agency. In such a case, a VPN can help you access you to YouTube by tunneling the network to another country. If you live in a country where YouTube is blocked, the VPN can help you get around the geographic restriction.
Contact your ISP
If neither method worked, it might be your ISP’s fault. ISPs are responsible for providing Internet access, but they can also block access to certain websites on their site. To fix the YouTube problem, you should contact your ISP and ask them to remove the restriction.
