You might have encountered the issue of YouTube videos loading but not playing. Well, we have got you covered here. YouTube has become a key source of information and entertainment for its vast user base, much like television. According to YouTube, billions of hours of video are watched every day. Furthermore, many people are doing so on mobile devices rather than computers. You may have already developed a habit of watching online content on your phone.
YouTube videos generally fail to play on Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Don’t worry if YouTube videos aren’t playing for any reason. Using the strategies outlined in this article, you may rapidly resolve the problem. The problem might be caused by a variety of factors. It is recommended that you attempt each option at a time until the problem is fixed.
Reasons Why YouTube Videos Loading But Not Playing
1. Bad Or No Internet Connection
Because YouTube is dependent on mobile or Wi-Fi networks to function, you will be unable to watch videos if your Internet connection is inconsistent or unavailable. In this case, the upload and download arrow symbols of the Internet connection are not visible on the uppermost area of the home screen.
2. Problems With Video Resolution
Another reason YouTube videos aren’t playing is that the platform is now unable to serve high-resolution material. To put it another way, higher video quality necessitates a fast Internet connection. If your internet connection is slow, movies may freeze or take an eternity to load.
3. Mobile Browser Problems
Because you have a mobile browser, you may believe that YouTube videos not playing on the app isn’t a huge concern. While this is correct, you may still have issues using the alternate platform. Mobile browsers, for example, might have issues as they are also available as applications, load slowly on bad connections, and include faulty add-ons.
4. Frozen Phone
It’s also possible that the cause of YouTube videos not loading isn’t the Internet connection, app, or mobile browser. Sometimes, the software of an Android phone or an iPhone gets frozen. When this thing happens, wait for a while and restart your smartphone.
5. Failure To Sync Time And Date
YouTube is run by Google, which synchronizes its apps with the date and time settings on your phone. YouTube video loading and playback issues may occur if it fails to gather the necessary information.
Symptoms Of Not Playing YouTube Videos
Irresponsive System: If the videos aren’t playing, your system may hang and refuse to respond to the commands. You can move your cursor here to cancel the movie or attempt a different function, but it will be ineffective.
Distorted Play: Another sign that a video isn’t playing is that the video is running in a distorted manner. This occurs when the video repeatedly begins and ends.
Blank Screen: This symptom indicates that the screen may show a white, black, or even blank window. Even if you can hear the video sound fine, this can happen. Your video is not playing if you see a blank or colorful screen or window.
Odd Play Manner: If your video plays in an abnormal mode, such as extended or huge mode, it’s a sign that it’s not working. As a result, if your video appears to be zoomed instead of its normal size, it might be a sign of this issue.
Distorted Playback: When your playback movies and display colors get jumbled up, it’s an indication that the videos aren’t playing. This issue manifests itself as a problem in the video’s playback section.
Best Fixes For The “YouTube Videos Loading But Not Playing” Issue
Here are some fixes to resolve this issue.
1. Update Date & Time
Maybe the date and time on your phone get changed without your knowledge, or you have shifted time zones. Whatever the cause, you can easily change appropriate settings to get YouTube to sync with it and play videos without any issues. Automatic Date and Time is the option you require since it is more accurate than manually entering the time from another clock.
On an Android or iPhone, update the date and time as follows.
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Select General Management or General from the drop-down menu.
- After that, click Date and Time.
- To activate Automatic Date and Time, drag the slider to the right.
2. Clear Cache And Cookies
Caches and cookies may affect the performance of YouTube videos. As a result, try to clear the cache and cookies. Depending on the browser you’re using, you’ll need to take different procedures to clear cache and cookies. We’ll teach you how to clean cache in Google Chrome, and Firefox in the sections below. If you’re using another browser and don’t know how to clear the cache, visit their official page for instructions.
Google Chrome
- To begin, open Chrome.
- Click on the Three Dots > go to More tools > Clear browsing data.
- Check the boxes next to browsing history, cookies and other site data as well as cached pictures and files.
- Now, click on the Clear data option. Restart your computer and watch the YouTube video once more.
Firefox
- Launch Mozilla Firefox.
- Select History from the three-line menu in the upper right corner.
- Select Clear Recent History from the drop-down menu.
- To clear a period, choose it. Make sure cookies and cache are chosen in the details section. Then choose the OK option.
- Make sure to restart the computer after completing this procedure.
3. Disable VPN
VPN programs are well-known among users of smartphones, tablets, and computers. However, employing a VPN program might have a negative influence on YouTube apps, resulting in YouTube video loading issues. Disable the VPN software and reload the internet browser on your PC or mobile phone, or restart the YouTube app on your smartphone to fix the problem.
4. Update YouTube App
If an error occurs or a YouTube video cannot be played on an Android smartphone or an iPhone, you should update the YouTube application as soon as possible through the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
5. Try Reloading The Video
The use of the above measures isn’t usually the first option. When it comes to solving problems, sometimes the simplest answers are the best. You can restart the video by clicking the retry option on the error notification, closing and reopening the YouTube app, or refreshing the page on your mobile browser.
Final Words
YouTube videos loading but not playing on your mobile app or browser might be frustrating. This is because online video streaming has become a need for keeping up with global events and engaging with them. If you face any problems while watching YouTube videos try using the above-mentioned fixes.
Google is the owner of YouTube.
Alphabet Inc. owns Google.
Larry Page made Google.