Last updated on January 23rd, 2024 at 02:17 am
This post will offer solutions to the ‘Unfortunately YouTube has stopped’ error. It covers your PC and Android phone.
YouTube is one of the most reliable video streaming platforms out there.
Most of the time it works fine when you access it.
But then sometimes you get an “Unfortunately YouTube has stopped” error message.
This is frustrating if you’re in the middle of watching an important video.
What is the problem when you get this error message? Is there something wrong with the YouTube platform? Or is there something wrong with your device?
Let’s look at the ways to fix the ‘Unfortunately YouTube’ has stopped error.
Let’s start with the simple fixes first. We shall start with an Android device and then move on to how to fix the problem on a computer.
Android Fixes
Close the App and Reopen
The first thing you would want to do is close the app. You can do this by tapping on your list of recent apps, Then swipe the YouTube app to your left or right.
Wait for some seconds and then launch the app again to see if it’s working.
Check Whether YouTube is Down
Before proceeding to the other fixes, you may want to know if there’s an issue with the YouTube platform.
To do this, visit the Down for Everyone or Just Me site.
Restart Your Phone
Long hold the power button on your phone until the option to restart appears.
After restarting, launch the YouTube app again to see if it works.
Update YouTube App
Tap on the Apps icon on your phone’s home screen.
In your list of apps, go to Settings.
Choose Apps.
Then select the YouTube app.
Next, scroll down and tap on App details in Store.
Update your app if there’s an option to do so. If you see only the Open option, then your YouTube app has been updated. No further action is required.
Update Google Play Services
Follow the same steps as above and choose Google Play Services.
Tap on App details in Store to see if an update is available.
If so, update the app and restart your device.
Restart the YouTube App
You may also want to restart the YouTube app. Any issues with the app itself may be resolved by following the steps below.
Go to Settings on your Android device as explained above.
Then taps on Apps and Notification or Apps.
From the list of Apps, select YouTube.
Then tap on Force Close or Force Stop.
Finally, restart your device and launch the YouTube app.
Clear YouTube Cache
Clearing the YouTube app cache may result in fixing the Unfortunately YouTube has stopped problem.
Here are the steps to follow after closing your YouTube app.
First, go to Settings and select Apps & notifications or Apps.
From the apps list select YouTube.
Finally, tap on Storage.
Then select the Clear cache option.
Try launching your app after this to see if it works.
Uninstall and Reinstall YouTube
What if the above steps don’t work? Uninstall and Reinstall the YouTube app.
To do this, follow the steps in the Update YouTube app section above.
Then in the final step, choose Uninstall.
When uninstallation is complete, go to Google Play Store.
Search for YouTube and install the app.
You should have a fresh app working fine.
Those are the ways you can use to fix Unfortunately YouTube has stopped on Android.
Video Guide
You can learn the same steps to fix the YouTube has stopped error through the video below.
Fix Unfortunately YouTube Has Stopped on a Computer
If you can’t play YouTube videos on your computer, try the following steps, if you’re using the Chrome browser.
Turn on Javascript
If you’ve problems playing YouTube videos on your chrome browser, try turning on Javascript.
To do this, head to the top right corner of your Chrome browser.
Then click on the three vertical dots and select Settings from the menu.
On the left panel, select Privacy and security.
Next, click on Site Settings.
Under Content, click on Javascript.
Under Default behavior make sure that Sites can use Javascript is selected.
Update Chrome
Having the latest version of Chrome may fix the issue of YouTube video playback on your computer.
To update your Chrome browser, follow these steps:
Click on the three dots on your browser.
Next, select Help.
Then click on About Google Chrome.
Check whether your Chrome browser is up-to-date.
Go ahead and try the above steps to resolve the Unfortunately, YouTube has stopped error.
Can’t Fix Unfortunately YouTube Has Stopped?
What if after trying the above steps, the Unfortunately YouTube has stopped problem isn’t solved?
Well, you may want to hit the Report (PC) or Send feedback (Android) button the next time the message pops up.
YouTube may offer you a suggestion on how to resolve the issue.
Read more YouTube articles.