YouTube Not Working on Phone? Android and iPhone Fixes

If YouTube has stopped working on your phone, it's rarely the whole service that's down. More often it's the app, the connection or a stale bit of stored data on the handset. I use YouTube on mine for research and for watching how other creators run their channels, so a dead app slows my whole day.

This guide follows YouTube's own help pages for Android phones and iPhones. The order matters: the quick checks come first, because they fix most problems, and the heavier steps come last.

What YouTube not working on a phone looks like

YouTube's help page on video errors lists the messages people see most. Check which one you're getting, because it points you to the right fix:

• Playback error. Tap to retry.
• Something went wrong. Tap to retry.
• Connection to server lost.
• An error has occurred.
• This video is unavailable.

If the app opens but nothing plays, start with the connection steps below. If the app won't open at all, jump to the update and reinstall steps.

Quick phone checks before you change any YouTube settings

1. Close the YouTube app completely, then open it again.
2. Restart your phone, then replay the video.
3. Update the YouTube app from the Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone).
4. Make sure you're signed in. YouTube says signed-out viewers can be blocked from some videos.

YouTube's own wording for an Android error is to update the app, close it and reopen it, restart the phone, and then replay the video. The iPhone and iPad page gives the same order.

Switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data on your phone

A shaky connection is the most common reason videos stall on a handset. YouTube's help suggests changing the connection you're on:

• On mobile data, connect to Wi-Fi and replay the video.
• On Wi-Fi, switch to your mobile network and replay the video.

Do both before you blame the app. Public Wi-Fi in a cafe or hotel is a frequent culprit, and so is a router that needs a restart. YouTube's page on video errors also suggests running a speed test and lowering the video quality if your connection is slow.

It also says to check that data use for YouTube is allowed in your phone's settings. If you've restricted background data or set a data saver, YouTube might be blocked from loading anything.

Clearing the YouTube app cache on an Android phone

Stored temporary files can get corrupted and stop videos loading. On Android, YouTube's steps are:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Apps or Applications, depending on your Android version.
3. Tap YouTube.
4. Tap Storage, then tap Clear cache.
5. Open YouTube and replay the video.

Menu names vary a little between phone makers and Android versions, so use the search box in Settings if you can't find Apps.

Offloading and reinstalling YouTube on an iPhone

iPhones don't have a Clear cache button for apps. YouTube's help says to offload the app and reinstall it instead, which wipes the stored data but keeps your documents:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to General, then iPhone Storage.
3. Scroll to YouTube and tap it.
4. Tap Offload App, then tap Offload App again to confirm.
5. When it's finished, tap Reinstall app.
6. Replay the video.

On an iPad the screen is called iPad Storage but the steps are the same.

Uninstalling YouTube on your phone as a last resort

If nothing so far has worked, YouTube's page on video errors says you can uninstall and reinstall the app. Do this after the steps above, not before, because it's slower and you'll need to sign in again. Also keep your phone's system software up to date, since the same page lists an old app version, firmware or system software as a cause.

YouTube works on your phone but not in the browser

Sometimes the YouTube app is fine and the problem is a mobile browser. YouTube recommends using the YouTube app for the best experience, and if you're in another app, switching to the YouTube app or opening youtube.com in your browser.

If a browser is the only thing misbehaving, the usual suspects are an outdated browser, corrupted cache and cookies, or an ad blocker. Update the browser and clear its cache and cookies.

When YouTube on your phone shows no sound or a blurred picture

These are separate problems with separate fixes. For sound, check the volume on the phone and in the app, check the sound settings, and restart the app or phone. For a soft picture, my guide to why YouTube looks blurry on a phone goes through the quality settings.

Reporting a YouTube phone problem from inside the app

If the problem comes back after all this, report it while it's happening so the details are captured. In the app, tap your profile icon, then Help and Feedback, then Send Feedback. YouTube recommends doing this right after the problem.

You can also check whether other people are having the same trouble. I cover that in my wider guide to why YouTube might not be working for you, including how to tell a wide outage from a fault on your side.

Why YouTube not working on a phone matters for creators

If you publish videos, a viewer who hits a playback error won't wait around. Check your own video on a phone, on both Wi-Fi and mobile data, before you tell your audience it's broken. Often the video is fine and the viewer's connection or app version is the cause.

YouTube not working on a phone: which fix to try for each symptom

What you see	Try this first
Videos stall or keep loading	Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data
App opens but shows an error	Update the app, close it, restart the phone
App is slow or glitchy	Clear cache on Android, or offload and reinstall on iPhone
Some videos won't play while signed out	Sign in to your account
Nothing works after all steps	Uninstall, reinstall, then send feedback from the app

Frequently asked questions

Why is YouTube not working on my phone but working on other devices?

YouTube's help points to the app version, the connection or stored app data on that handset. Update the app, restart the phone and try a different network.

How do I clear the YouTube cache on an iPhone?

YouTube says to go to Settings, General, iPhone Storage, tap YouTube, then Offload App and Reinstall app.

How do I clear the YouTube cache on Android?

Open Settings, tap Apps, tap YouTube, tap Storage, then tap Clear cache.

Does being signed out stop YouTube working?

It can. YouTube says signed-out users may be blocked from some videos, so sign in and try again.

What should I do if YouTube is still broken after all the fixes?

Send feedback from the app: profile icon, Help and Feedback, Send Feedback. You can also test the same video on a different supported device.