Here are some of the most common problems when playing a video:
- video doesn’t start (load)
- video loads slowly
- video gets stuck
- video player is blank with no video
Specific videos won’t play
If you’re able to watch some videos, but not others, below are a few troubleshooting tips that may fix the issue. After trying each tip, check whether the video will play.
- Refresh your browser's page.
- Change the video quality to a lower setting. Wait for the buffer bar to start growing before clicking play in the video player and switching back to your preferred setting.
- Upgrade your browser to the most recent version.
- Update your Flash Player to the latest version.
- Clear cache and cookies and restart your browser before accessing your video again.
- Enable Javascript in your browser.
No videos play
If you’ve tried viewing a number of videos and none of them play, try these additional troubleshooting steps:
Change Firewall settingsComputer firewalls sometimes block YouTube videos from playing. Adjust your firewall settings so that www.youtube.com is listed as a trusted site and other applications (like Quicktime, Real Player, or Windows Media Player) aren't set as the default streaming application. Here’s how to find your firewall settings:
- For PC users: click the Start menu, click Control Panel, click Security, then click Windows Firewall
- For Mac users: click System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, click the Firewall tab
It’s possible that YouTube is being blocked if you have ad or pop-up blocking software installed on your computer. Here’s how to check your computer for ad or pop-up blocking software (like Norton anti-virus):
- For PC users: click your computer's Start menu, then click All Programs
- For Mac users: click Finder, then click Applications
To learn more about how to disable your specific ad-blocking software, visit the software’s support page and search for instructions.
