IMPORTANT: This article applies only to specific products and/or operating systems. Check Applicable Products and Categories for details.
You may experience streaming issues with the YouTube™ app for several reasons. This information is provided to help you resolve these issues.
Common issues:
- The message YouTube is unavailable. Please try again later appears on the TV screen.
- The message YouTube has stopped appears on the TV screen.
- The app gets stuck on the start screen (doesn't launch).
Note: These issues may appear when trying to use the YouTube app immediately after the TV was in standby mode. Because the TV takes a few seconds to reconnect to your internet network, in this case, try selecting CANCEL or exit the app and then try again.
Network conditions and internet connection
Network conditions or your internet connection are often the cause of video streaming issues. Check the following:
- There may have been a temporary network problem, try closing the YouTube app, then re-open it and try again.
- Your internet connection may be running slow or experiencing a connection problem. Reset your modem/router by removing the power for about a minute, reconnecting power and turning it back on, and waiting until the connection is established before trying again.
- Test your internet connection using another device (smartphone, tablet, computer, etc.) to verify your internet is working and the speed is fast enough for streaming YouTube content. For the YouTube recommended internet speed, check the YouTube support website (Quick Settings) button, then select Settings → System → Restart → Restart
- On the supplied remote control, press the HOME button, then select Settings → About → Restart → Restart
- On the supplied remote control, press the HOME button, then select Settings → Device Preferences → About → Restart → Restart
This issue may be resolved by clearing the app data and cache or initializing the YouTube app. These steps may vary depending on your TV model and the software version installed. If you need model-specific information to perform any step, check your manual. Manuals are posted on your model support page.
On the afternoon of April 12, 2022, it appears that both YouTube and YouTube TV are seeing a partial outage that has taken down some portions of each service.
Update: YouTube has fixed this outage.
As of around 8pm ET, YouTube says this issue has been fixed, with all features back up and running across smart TVs and other affected platforms.
All fixed – you should now be able to log in, switch between accounts, and use the account menu & navigation bar across all services (YouTube, YouTube TV, YouTube Music, YouTube Studio) and devices.
Thank you so much for your patience 🫶 //t.co/ytjSVnytlP
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) April 12, 2022
In our brief testing, YouTube TV appears to be fully functional on the web, and it’s also working just fine on Google TV. Meanwhile, YouTube itself is broken on the web with no sidebar navigation, though playback of videos seems to be working fine.
The app for smart TVs seems to be in the worst shape, with a “no internet connection” being the primary symptom shown of this outage through the app. This issue seems to be appearing across all apps, including Google TV, Samsung smart TVs, Roku, and even Nintendo Switch.
Update 4:25pm: Google has acknowledged YouTube’s outage, with a thread going over the most common issues.
- Unable to sign-in or switch accounts
- Unable to cast to your TV or use the app on a gaming console
- Left-hand Navigation Menus and Setting menus are not appearing / not loading
- ‘No internet connection’ error message when watching videos
YouTube is working to fix the problem.
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