How To Fix YouTube Videos Not Playing On Android Issue

YouTube is one of the most popular video streaming platforms that a lot of people visit as it contains various content ranging from entertainment to tutorials. Accessing this service is quite easy on your Android phone as you only have to use the app. Sometimes though there are issues that can occur when trying to access YouTube. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the YouTube videos not playing on Android issue.

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How To Fix YouTube Videos Not Playing On Android Issue

Before performing the recommended troubleshooting steps for this particular problem I suggest that you try restarting your phone first. This will refresh the operating system as well as remove corrupt temporary data and is quite effective in fixing most software related issues.

Update the phone software

The first troubleshooting step that you will need to do is to make sure that your phone is running on the latest software version. 

• Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi.
• Swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap the gear-shaped “Settings”  icon.
• Scroll down and tap System (or Software update on Samsung phones).
• Tap About phone. ( on a Samsung Galaxy, you’ll tap Download updates manually or Download and install instead).
• Tap the Update option.
• Depending on your Android device you may have to tap through a few on-screen prompts before the update will begin installing.

You should also update the YouTube app.

• Open the Google Play Store app.
• Tap Menu then My apps & games.
• Apps with an update available are labeled “Update.”
• Tap Update All to update all apps. For individual apps, find the specific app you want to update and tap Update.

Check if the YouTube videos not playing on Android issue still occurs.

Make sure the phone has a Wi-Fi connection

There are instances when the problem is caused by poor or no internet connectivity. Try turning off the Wi-Fi switch of the phone then check if the issue disappears when you are using mobile data. 

• Turn off your Wi-Fi connections and enable Mobile Data.
• Make sure the phone has a mobile data connection
• Try to load a video in the YouTube app. 
• If you are able to play videos on mobile data, go to Settings > WiFi and long press on the Wi-Fi network you were previously connected to.
• Tap on Forget Network from the newly appeared tab
• Tap on the Wi-Fi network again and insert the password.
• Open the YouTube app again and attempt to play a video.

Check if the YouTube videos not playing on Android issue still occurs.

Check your phone time and date

Sometimes this problem can be caused by an incorrect time and date on your device which is why you need to make sure that this is set correctly.

• Go to Settings > Advanced Settings, locate the Time & Language section and tap on Date & Time.
• Once you open Date & time, make sure Automatic date & time is enabled.
• Scroll down and check if Automatic time zone is enabled. If it’s disabled, tap on the toggle next to the entry in order to enable it.
• It may take a while until your system automatically updates the date & time. You can force it to update by restarting your device.

Check if the YouTube videos not playing on Android issue still occurs.

Clear the cache and data of the YouTube app

There’s a possibility that the problem is caused by corrupt data in the YouTube app. If this is the culprit you will need to  clear the cache and data of this app.

• Open the Settings of your phone.
• Tap the Storage heading to open its settings page.
• Tap the Other Apps heading to see a list of your installed apps.
• Find the YouTube application and tap its listing.
• Tap the Clear cache button.

Check if the YouTube videos not playing on Android issue still occurs.

Check if the problem occurs in Safe Mode

There are cases when an app you downloaded from the Google Play Store will cause issues on the phone when it is installed. To check if an app you downloaded is causing the problem you will have to start the phone in Safe Mode as only the pre-installed apps are allowed to run in this mode. The steps on how to get to Safe Mode listed below will apply to Samsung devices. This might differ if you are using another brand.

• Turn the device off.
• Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen appearing on the screen.
• When SAMSUNG appears on the screen, release the Power key.
• Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
• Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
• When Safe mode appears in the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume down key.

In case the issue does not occur in this mode then it is most likely caused by an app you installed. Find out what app this is and uninstall it.

Perform a factory reset

In case the above steps fails to fix the problem then chances are this is caused by a software glitch. The best way to deal with this right now is to perform a factory reset. Make sure to backup your phone data before doing the reset. The steps listed below applies to Samsung devices and may differ for other brands.

• Turn off the phone.
• Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
• When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
• When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
• Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
• Press Power button to select.
• Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
• Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
• When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
• Press the Power key to restart the device.

Check if the YouTube videos not playing on Android issue still occurs.