[Updated] How to Solve 'YouTube Videos Won't Play/Load' Errors

Q: YouTube MP4 video won't play on my Chrome, Firefox, IE or any browser on my computer! It stays blank. This issue has been driving me nuts - I've deinstalled/reinstalled Flash Player, Shockwave, and Java.

At times we are doomed with YouTube video not playing troubles. Here are a few typical YouTube outage cases. The videos fail to initiate playback and encounter a spinning wheel. YouTube videos won't load or doesn't start on Safari, Chrome, or mobile device. Sporadically, YouTube displays error messages, such as "error code 224003"， "An error occurred, please try again later", "Error 503 Internal Server on YouTube", "YouTube loads but video doesn't play", or "video player is blank with no video". The outages also happen on YouTube TV and YouTube music service as well.

Potential Reasons Why YouTube Videos Won't Play/Load/Start?

Why won't YouTube video play or start on mobile (iPhone, Android), Mac or Windows PC? The reasons are varied: , the problem of the source video. It may also vary from videos themselves to hardware configurations or settings. "When videos blur, buffer, or won't play altogether, YouTube is now pinning the blame on your internet service provider (ISP).", but it might really be the reason. For instance, CenturyLink may be one factor to consider if you fail to play many YouTube videos because it experiences high bandwidth traffic during certain times.

• Video source.
• Computer problem.
• Internet connection.
• Browser.
• YouTube mobile app.

Additionally, YouTube might experience technical glitches. There are many other unpredictable & complicated causes for YouTube errors here.

Hot search: YouTube Shorts not showing up fixes

Effective Solutions to Fix YouTube Video Won't Load on Windows/macOS/Mobile Issue

How to fix the problem when YouTube doesn't load/play videos on Chromecast, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc on Windows 7/8.1/10, macOS? What to do if you have problems watching youtube video on iPhone Android? Please read the following online videos won't load on youtube troubleshooting:

Solution 1: Check Video Source

Sometimes, it's the YouTube video source to blame rather than other factors. How to check if video source is working? Read below:

• Check the YouTube video property, private or public. If it's set as private video, forget it and try another one.
• Check if the YouTube video can be played back on other devices or platform. If not, the video might be problematic.

Solution 2: Fix Computer Problem

• Restart your computer. Sometimes, you're required to update your computer simultaneously.
• Log in your PC/Mac with a Guest Account, and try Safe Mode for YouTube;

Solution 3: Troubleshoot Internet Connection Issue

• Use a stable network connection. If the network is unsatisfactory, unplug your modem and router from power for roughly 10 seconds. Afterwards, plug them back in and check YouTube again.
• Upgrade your network bandwidth service if you wanna stream and play YouTube video at 4K Ultra HD resolution. Generally, you're advised to make sure internet speed at least 20Mbps for 4K streaming. If not, "YouTube 4K video won't play" occurs as usual.
• For most cases, the problem that YouTube won't play/load videos is caused by CenturyLink or other ISP. A possibly feasible solution is to use VPN. Basically you will succeed since it redirects your traffic through other means.

Solution 4: Solve Browser Issue

• Upgrade your browser, or fresh YouTube page by pressing F5 or Refresh icon, and then try enabling JavaScript.
• Disable unnecessary extensions on your Chrome browser. Mostly, some extensions would cause conflict with YouTube video playback. Then turn on Javascript for Chrome browser.
• If you've got the Firefox add-on "Adblock Plus", which is also wreaking havoc with YouTube, try disabling and uninstalling adblock;
• Remove the cookies of your computer to "free up" the space. Take Mozilla Firefox as an example: Tools -> Options -> Clear Your Recent History (all) and Remove Individual Cookies;
• Change web browser to Safari. According to official YouTube help text, playback in HD is unavailable for streaming on a web browser, except for Safari for HD streaming only. So resort to Safari for HD video streaming or rent/buy HD/UHD version of a video on browser that doesn't support HD video streaming.
• Update your Flash Player to the nearest version;

Solution 5: Do Something on YouTube Mobile App

Majority of factors that prevent YouTube videos from playing back on mobile iPhone Android can be resolved by closing and re-starting YouTube mobile application. Sometimes, further steps are also needed, including clear caches, exit apps running on background, uninstall and reinstall YouTube app.