Troubleshoot playing videos on mobile browsers
Are you unable to play any YouTube videos on your mobile device? Are videos constantly buffering for you? Here are some troubleshooting steps that fix the most common problems.
1. Reboot your device
2. Clear your browser’s cache and cookies
On Android:
- Open the default browser and open Menu.
- Touch Privacy & Security.
- Touch Clear cache and touch OK.
- Touch Clear all cookie data and touch OK.
On iOS:
- From your Home screen navigate to Settings > Safari.
- Touch Clear cookies.
- Touch Clear cache.
3. Use a different browser
If the default browser is not playing videos, download an alternate mobile browser such as Google Chrome.
4. Use a different network
If you are unable to play videos on your 3G/4G network, try connecting to a wifi network to see if you can watch videos. If you can watch videos on a wifi network but not on your wireless network, please contact your wireless provider to determine if there are any service issues in your area.
5. Check for the latest system updates
For optimal performance keep your device updated with the latest system updates. On Android, navigate to Settings > About Phone > System updates and touch Check now. On iOS, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update.
If you are still having issues, please post in the YouTube Mobile and Device forum. To make sure that you get help as quickly as possible, please include the following information in your post:
- My phone’s make (i.e. Motorola):
- My phone’s model (i.e. Droid):
- Wireless carrier:
- Is this happening over 3G/wifi or both?
- When did you first notice this issue?
- What troubleshooting steps have you tried out so far?
You can also contact your device manufacturer for further assistance. Listed below are external support links:
Fix sign in problems for mobile and devices
If you can sign in to YouTube on your desktop computer, but are having problems signing in to YouTube on your device (mobile, Smart TV, game console), select which version of YouTube you’re using from the choices below.
If you can’t sign in on your desktop computer either (at www.youtube.com), recover your Google account. For additional assistance, visit YouTube’s Accounts forum.
YouTube for iOS app
Make sure that you’ve updated your YouTube app to the latest version. You can find the newest version here in the App Store.
To sign in to the YouTube, please enter in the same email address and password as you would on the desktop version of www.youtube.com.
Apple’s pre-installed YouTube app
If you are using Apple’s pre-installed YouTube app (running on iOS devices with iOS 5 and below), you will need to sign in using an application-specific password. Please note that YouTube does not support Apple’s pre-installed app.YouTube on Apple TV
YouTube does not support YouTube on Apple TV. For issues please visit Apple’s Support Forum.
- Sign into www.youtube.com on your desktop.
- Once you have signed in, you can open a new tab in your brower and open www.youtube.com/activate.
- On your game console, browse to the Sign in page. Enter in the alphanumeric code shown on your TV.
Once you enter in this code, your game console will update with your YouTube account information. To learn how to get to the activation code on your game console, please visit one of the following Help Center articles:
To sign into one of YouTube’s supported apps on Smart TVs, please follow these steps:
- Sign into www.youtube.com on your desktop.
- Once you have signed in, open a new tab in your brower and open www.youtube.com/activate.
- On your Smart TV, browse the to the Sign in page, sometimes listed under Settings. Enter in the alphanumeric code shown on your TV.
If your home screen looks different from the above, the following steps listed below may assist you with sign in issues. Non-supported devices and 3rd-party apps may have alternate methods of account verification.
User ID/username field
The User ID/username field may require one of the following sign in methods:
- Full email address (i.e. youtubesupport@gmail.com)
- Email address without adding @gmail.com (i.e. youtubesupport)
Password field
The password field may require one of the following sign in methods:
- You may need to set up an application specific password
- Attempt to use the same password as you would on the desktop version of www.youtube.com
Additional manufacturer support
You may want to contact your device manufacturer or the developer of your software for further assistance:
How to view age-restricted videos in m.youtube.com (18+ only)
In order to view age-restricted videos, it’s best to verify your age associated with your Google account. You can follow these steps to verify your age:
- Sign into Google+ on your computer.
- In the left nav bar, click Profile.
- Under your profile picture, click About.
- Click Edit in the Basic Information section.
- Verify your birthday and update if necessary.
- Click Save.
Once you verify your age, sign out of m.youtube.com and sign back in. You should now be able to watch age-restricted videos. This does not impact accounts belonging to users who have told us they are minors. Learn more about age requirements on Google’s accounts.
