Why Is YouTube Not Working On My Phone (Easy Fixes!)

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Recently, I was trying (in vain) to watch a podcast on public transport and asked Why Is YouTube Not Working On My Phone?

This article looks at some of the causes of why you can’t use YouTube on your phone and the steps you can take to fix it.

Why Is YouTube Not Working On My Phone?

The most common reasons Youtube is not working on your phone include a poor internet connection, a corrupted cache, or a software configuration issue.

When YouTube is not working, you often get a message at the bottom of your phone screen and greyed-out thumbnails.

How to fix YouTube not working on your phone

Step 1: Check your internet connection

When YouTube fails to load, you should check whether your internet connection is the issue.

I recommend switching between cellular and Wi-Fi connections and testing both to see if either works.

Step 2: Ensure airplane mode is turned off

Airplane mode automatically turns off your connections to both Wi-Fi and cellular data.

Sometimes airplane mode can be accidentally triggered, leaving you without an internet connection to access the YouTube servers.

The telltale sign when airplane mode is active, you will discover a little airplane-shaped icon in the top left corner of the screen on your Android or iPhone.

Step 3: Restart the YouTube app

A simple restart of the YouTube app can fix the issue.

Restarting the YouTube app enables any updates to be correctly installed and establishes a new connection with the servers.

Step 4: Reboot your phone

If YouTube is not working, reboot your phone to see if this resolves the issue.

Step 5: Update your YouTube app

If you’re having trouble watching the YouTube app on your device, updating the app may help.

Step 6: Turn off any Ad blockers or VPNs

If you are running any VPN or adblockers on your phone, then this can cause YouTube to stop working on your phone.

VPN connections can fail, leaving you without an internet connection.

Adblockers can cause software conflicts with the YouTube app, which prevents it from being able to load content.

Step 7: Clear the YouTube app cache

Clearing your YouTube app cache on your phone can help resolve issues on your phone.

Head over to your settings icon.

Settings icon on your phone

Next, scroll and find the app settings.

Apps setting on your phone

Next, scroll and find YouTube.

Phone apps YouTube

Once you are in the YouTube app settings, then select storage.

YouTube phone storage settings

On the storage page, you can now select clear data or cache.

Youtube clear cache on your phone

Step 8: Check the YouTube servers

When YouTube starts lagging or failing to load, the likely cause will usually be your network or playback device.

It only takes a second to check whether there are no issues or outages with the YouTube platform.

Youtube not working on your phone? Check the network status

Step 9: Contact the YouTube App Support

If none of our suggestions have fixed your issues, then it might be time to contact YouTube App support for further assistance.

Conclusion

It isn’t enjoyable when YouTube doesn’t work on your phone.

Luckily, the majority of the time, this is an easy fix.

We hope that the tips in this article were able to help you in getting YouTube streaming back up and running on your phone!