Fix: YouTube Videos Not Playing on My Browser

Are YouTube videos not running on your web browser.? If you are facing any issue with video streaming, loading, or webpage crashing on YouTube, then I will guide you on how to fix it. You may run any browser but the solutions I will provide will work on all modern web browsers.  There can be many reasons why YouTube videos not playing on a browser. It may be running on an older build that is buggy. Otherwise, the JavaScript may be disabled on your browser.

A major culprit of this problem can be a slower internet connection. Either there is some issue with the router at your place. Otherwise, the ISP is down for repair and maintenance. Often people install extensions and plug-ins on their browser which may affect other apps. This may also cause the YouTube videos to not load or play. So, we have to fix up all these issues to get the videos running on your web browser.

Fix: YouTube Videos Not Playing on My Browser

Let’s begin the troubleshooting.

Try to Restart your Browser

It may happen that you have made some changes to your browser settings. Then you have forgotten to relaunch your browser to put the changes into effect. That can also interfere with websites you visit which include YouTube. So, try to restart your browser and check whether that fixes the issue of YouTube video not playing.

• Press Ctrl + Alt +Del to access the Task Manager
• Under Processes name, you will see your browser
  
• Right-click on the browser name and select End Task

Then re-open the Chrome browser. Go to YouTube and check if you can run the videos fine.

Check your Internet Connection

As I mentioned most of the time, internet connection plays a major part in the disruption of watching videos on YouTube. If the internet is slower, then the videos will not buffer at all or buffer very slowly. The video resolution quality will decrease as well.

Check the router installed in your home. Try to disconnect it and reconnect it. Then initiate internet on your devices. After that try to access YouTube and see if you can stream videos now. Otherwise, if you do not have technical know-how I suggest not to mess around with the gadgets. Instead, call upon your Internet Service Provider and tell them about the problem you are facing.

If they are undertaking any maintenance, then the entire internet connection will be down and not only YouTube. Still, they will definitely help you out if you think there is some issue with your internet speed. They may send their representative or help you out through the phone. Most of the time, resetting the router fixes up the issue if no maintenance is going on from the ISP side.

YouTube Maybe Down but How Will You Know That?

Not every time, your ISP or internet connection will have an issue. The YouTube server may be down and that may cause the videos to not stream, buffer or load. So, you have to check for that but how.? There is this website called DownDetector.

All you have to do is Google the phrase “Downdetector YouTube”. Then click on the first or second result of the search and you will be able to know whether YouTube is down in the last 24 hours in your region or throughout the globe.

Collectively the site will report the current status of YouTube. You can still report if you are facing any trouble with YouTube. Click on I have a problem with YouTube and mention what the exact problem is and submit the same to DownDetector.

Update your Browser Version if YouTube Videos are Not Playing

Normally, the browser updates itself automatically. Still, you can check whether your browser version is the latest one or you require to install a fresh build that is available.

For Chrome browser,

• Click on the 3-dot icon in a new browser tab
• From the menu select Settings
• From the left-hand panel navigate down to About Chrome
  
• Then you will know if the browser is running the latest build or you need to update or relaunch the browser

For Microsoft Edge users,

• Click the 3-dot button
• Select Settings > in the left-hand panel select About Microsoft Edge
  
• The browser will automatically update if at all there is a requirement for an update
• Then simply restart the browser

Now, depending upon whatever browser you are using you can access YouTube and try to play videos. I’m sure this will fix the issues up.

Use Your browser in Incognito Mode

If any faulty extension you have installed on your browser is causing the videos on YouTube to not play properly, then try accessing YouTube via your browser through incognito mode.

Both for Chrome and Microsoft Edge browser directly press Ctrl +Shift + N to create a new incognito browser window. Then, as usual, enter the YouTube dot com in the URL bar and hit enter. Now, search for any video and check whether you’re able to stream your videos smoothly or not.

Check if JavaScript is Enabled on Your Browser or Not.?

JavaScript is responsible for the myriads of images, videos, and animations you see on a modern-day website. If JavaScript is disabled on the browser, then the website will not be responsive. That’s when you will experience that you cannot play YouTube videos smoothly.

To check if the JavaScript is enabled or not,

• On your browser URL, type Chrome://settings and hit enter
  
• In the Search Settings box, type Site Settings
• When the matching result Site Settings will show up, click on it
• Then navigate to JavaScript. If you see it is set to allowed then everything is fine and you do not need to go any further
  
• Otherwise, click on JavaScript and make sure to click on the switch beside Allowed to enable it
  

If a particular website is set in the block list then remove that. As long as a website stays under JavaScript block list, then it cannot utilize the same hence leading you to face issues with the services the site provides.

Remove Junk Files by Clearing Browsing Data

Sometimes due to excessive usage, the browser accumulates a lot of junk files and temporary files which are basically of no use. However, these files keep consuming the memory and causing the browser to not work properly. So, it is wise to clear the data and the cache of the browser.

• Open the Chrome settings
• In the search settings box, type Clear
• Click on the first result that mentions Clear Browsing data
  
• Then click Clear Data
• Restart the browser

The above steps can easily work on any browser you have installed on your computer.

Reset your Browser if YouTube Videos are Not Playing

The last solution that remains if none of the above troubleshooting methods work for fixing the trouble, is to reset the browser. The process of resetting the browser is just the same in any browser. I will show you how to do it on the Chrome browser.

Remember that when you reset your browser all the settings, cookies, pinned tabs, homepage, default search engine, etc will be automatically removed. You have to begin from the scratch.

• type in Chrome://Settings in the URL bar and hit enter
• Then on the left-hand side click on Advanced
• under that click Reset and Clean-up
  
• Confirm the action by clicking Reset Settings
  

So, follow all the above troubleshooting methods and hopefully, any one of these will fix up the issue of YouTube videos not playing on your web browser.