YouTube app stops playing
Links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. Get YouTube back up and working in no time! How ToUpdate, October 28, 2021, at 6:11 PM ET: YouTube was down for about 1.5 hours today, according toreports on Downdetector. The mobile app and website should be operating normally. If youre still experiencing YouTube issues, keep reading for some helpful tips. YouTube is the largest online video platform globally, with more than 2.3 billion monthly active users. Google does a great job keeping YouTube up and running, but there have been occasional times when the service goes down. YouTube not working translates to a problem for most of us, so what do you do when you find yourself in this situation? Here are some things you can try on your Android as well as Windows device. Editors note: Some of the instructions in this article were generated using a Pixel 4a running Android 11. Keep in mind that steps can be slightly different depending on the device youre using. Find out if YouTube is downEdgar Cervantes / Android Authority While its not a common occurrence, YouTube can sometimes go down. This is the first thing you should check. There is no straightforward way to check if YouTubes servers are non-operational, but we would recommend a couple of methods. You can get the info straight from the horses mouth by going to the official YouTube Twitter account. Chances are any outage will be reported there. We also like to recommend Down Detector, a website where people can report issues with YouTube not working. The site is almost always spot-on, and it even includes a live map to see if there are any local outages. If YouTube is down, theres nothing you can do but to wait it out. Close and reopen the app or websiteSimply closing and reopening the YouTube app often fixes any local issues or bugs. If youre using a computer, you can close either the tab or the browser and try reaccessing YouTube. Check for any updatesEdgar Cervantes / Android Authority Running older versions of an app is usually not an issue, but it can sometimes create some conflicts. This is especially the case with more extensive updates, or upgrades that include server-side changes. Make sure youre running the latest version of the app. More: How to update Android apps It may also help to see if everything else is updated. Check if there are any updates available to your browser (if youre using it), or the operating system. Restart your deviceIts always the first troubleshooting solution we recommend! A simple restart can magically get everything up and running for reasons we dont quite understand. It may seem silly, but its worth a try! Check your internet connectionEdgar Cervantes / Android Authority There is a chance the culprit is your internet connection! You can test other apps that need an internet connection to operate and see if they work. Or open the browser and Google anything. If nothing else works properly, then you might be off the internet grid. Check if your Wi-Fi is on, or if you maybe turned Airplane Mode on by accident. Those using Wi-Fi or LAN should take a look at the router and see if its connected. Are other devices working? Try restarting the router. Theres usually a dedicated button, but unplugging and plugging the router back in works too. Also: These are the best Wi-Fi routers you can find If youre using cellular data, you might want to see if your data connection is on:
Clear the apps cache and dataThe next fix on this list is to clear YouTubes cache and data. The former deletes temporary data, while the latter eliminates all app data, including various settings. This may help because sometimes data and settings get corrupted, or bugs mess things up. Clearing everything resets the app or browser and lets you start clean. Read: Gary explains cache memory Clear cache on Android:
Clear the cache on Chrome for Windows:
Sync your date and timeAlthough it sounds weird, the date and time settings could be the reason why YouTube is down. Googles servers might be having trouble syncing with them if you dont set them correctly. Sync date and time on Android:
Sync date and time on Windows:
Is the network blocking YouTube?Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Sometimes there are network restrictions on YouTube and other services. This is a common thing to see when using the internet from schools, libraries, or other places where administrators dont want you distracted. It could also be the result of careful parents who limit their kids YouTube activity. Talk to the network administrator and ask if there are any YouTube restrictions in place. The only solution to this problem would be to ask the administrator to allow YouTube access. You can also switch to data or use another available network. Update your GPU driversEdgar Cervantes / Android Authority If youre running YouTube on a computer and have issues with YouTube not working, there is a chance there are compatibility issues with the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Try updating the drivers and see if that helps. Keep in mind this solution only works for computer users. Skip this section if youre not using a computer. How to update your GPU drivers on Windows:
Next: Find the best laptops here Is YouTube not working after trying all these fixes? Maybe its time to take your case to YouTube. YouTube has its help center, so ask for help if you really cant get the service to work correctly. |