How to Fix YouTube Videos Not Playing

If you’re using Safari, you might need to update your browser. To do that, you should install the latest version of macOS. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app on your computer.
2. Go to System Preferences, then click “Software Update”.
3. You’ll see the available updates. Choose “Update now” to update your macOS.
4. Safari will be updated automatically.
5. Now go to YouTube and check if the videos play.

If your macOS is up to date but YouTube videos still won’t play, you may have to disable plugins in Safari. Follow these steps:

1. Open Safari and go to Preferences.
2. Click “Security” and uncheck the box next to “Allow Plug-ins” if it’s checked.
3. To disable specific plugins, click “Plug-in Settings”.
4. Refresh the YouTube video page.

How to Fix YouTube Videos Not Playing on iPhone

If you’re using the YouTube mobile app on an iPhone, make sure both your device and the app are updated to the latest versions. Here’s what you can do:

1. Open the App Store and tap on your profile picture to access the settings.
2. Scroll down to see a list of apps that need updating.
3. If you see an update available for YouTube, select it.
4. Open your device’s Settings app.
5. Tap “General”, then “Software Update”.
6. If an update is available, choose it and follow the instructions.
7. Restart YouTube and check if the videos are playing.

How to Fix YouTube Videos Not Playing on Android

If the YouTube app isn’t working on your Android device, make sure you have installed the latest updates first. If that doesn’t help, you may have to clear the Google Play and YouTube cache. Here’s how:

1. Go to your device’s Settings app.
   
2. Find “Apps” (the exact name may vary) and locate the YouTube app.
   
3. Tap “Storage”, then “Clear cache”.
   
4. Go back to the app list and find Google Play.
   
5. Tap “Storage”, then “Clear cache”.
   
6. Restart your phone.
   

In case YouTube videos still won’t play after clearing the app cache, you can try refreshing your Google Play account. This is an extreme measure that will delete your profile information but won’t remove your Gmail address.

1. Open your device’s Settings app.
   
2. Go to “Accounts” and find Google.
   
3. Tap the trash bin icon and confirm by tapping “Remove”.
   
4. Go back to “Accounts” and select the “Add account” option at the bottom of the screen.
   
5. Register your account and check YouTube.
   

How to Fix YouTube Videos Not Playing on Sony TV

If you’re having trouble playing YouTube videos on Sony Android TV models, you may need to initialize the YouTube app. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press the “Home” button on your remote control.
2. Use the arrows on your remote control to navigate to Settings.
3. Go to Apps and select YouTube.
4. Choose the option “Clear data” and confirm.
5. Choose the option “Clear cache” and confirm.
6. Choose the option “Force stop”.
7. Restart the YouTube app.

How to Fix YouTube Videos Not Playing on Samsung TV

For Samsung Smart TVs, the steps are slightly different from those for Sony TVs. To clear the YouTube cache on your Smart TV, follow these steps:

1. Press the Home button on your remote control (the house icon).
2. Go to Settings, then to Apps.
3. Select YouTube.
4. Choose “Clear cache” and confirm.

If clearing the cache didn’t help, make sure your YouTube app is updated to the latest version:

1. Press the Home key to open the menu.
2. Select “Featured”.
3. Find the YouTube app, press and hold the Enter button to open the app menu.
4. Select “Update app” from the dropdown menu.
5. Confirm by selecting “Update”.

FAQ

If you’ve tried everything to fix YouTube videos not playing, you may find the solution to the problem in the section below.

Why can’t I play YouTube videos on my Android device/Chrome browser?

Sometimes YouTube videos won’t play if the time and date settings of your device or browser are incorrect. To fix this issue, go to the date and time settings and enable the “Automatic date & time” option. Another common reason is issues with your internet connection. Check if a different website or app works. If not, check your connection settings or reset your router.

I’m using Adobe Flash Player – why won’t YouTube videos play?

Adobe Flash Player stopped supporting content at the end of last year. You may receive reminder notifications from Adobe to uninstall the app. If you don’t get notifications, uninstall the player by following the instructions for Windows or Mac.

What are some other reasons why YouTube videos won’t play on Safari?

If you’ve updated your browser and turned off plugins, but YouTube still isn’t working, you might need to check the Disk Utilities and fix the disk permissions. To do this, go to Utilities, then Disk Utility. Choose a disk and click on “First Aid,” then “Repair Disk Permissions”. You may also want to check Safari’s permissions.

Enjoy YouTube without any problems

By now, I hope YouTube videos are playing on your device. Remember to regularly clear your app cache and keep an eye out for system updates to avoid having these issues in the future. You can also turn on automatic updates to make things easier for yourself.

Have you faced other issues with YouTube videos not playing? How did you resolve them? Share your experiences in the comments section below.