The Basic Steps to Play a Video
To watch a YouTube video, go to youtube.com in your web browser or open the YouTube app on your phone or tablet. In the search box at the top, type what you want to watch — a song title, a tutorial, a channel name, anything. Press Enter or tap the search icon. YouTube will show you a list of videos that match. Click or tap the one you want, and it will start playing.
The video player takes up most of your screen. Below it you'll see the title, the channel name, and buttons to like, dislike, or share the video. To pause, click the play button in the center of the video or on the bottom left of the player. To make it full screen, click the square icon in the bottom right corner of the player.
If you're on a phone or tablet held upright, YouTube will play the video in a small window. Rotate your device sideways (landscape mode) and the video will expand to fill the screen. This usually gives you a better view.
Key Takeaways
- You can watch YouTube videos in a web browser at youtube.com or through the YouTube app on your phone or tablet without paying anything.
- Search for a video by typing in the search box, then click or tap the result you want to watch.
- Use the pause button, volume slider, and full-screen button to control playback and adjust your view.
- YouTube remembers your watch history and recommends videos based on what you've watched before, which you can turn off in your account settings.
Watching on a Computer or Laptop
On a desktop or laptop, youtube.com works the same way in any web browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, or others. Type in the search box, find your video, and click it. The video will play in the center of the page with controls along the bottom: a play/pause button on the left, a progress bar showing how far through the video you are, the current time and total length, volume control, and the full-screen button on the right.
If you want to adjust the video quality, look for a settings icon (it looks like a gear) in the bottom right corner of the player, next to the full-screen button. Click it and select "Quality." YouTube will show you the options available — usually 360p, 480p, 720p, or 1080p, depending on what the uploader provided and your internet speed. Higher numbers mean sharper picture but use more data.
You can also change the playback speed. In the same settings menu, select "Playback speed" and choose from 0.25x (very slow) to 2x (double speed). This is useful if you're watching a tutorial and want to slow it down, or if you want to speed through a long video.
Watching on a Phone or Tablet
The YouTube app is free and available on both iPhone and Android. read it from the App Store or Google Play, then open it and search for a video the same way you would on a computer. The app automatically adjusts the video size to fit your screen, and it remembers where you stopped if you close the app and come back later.
On a phone or tablet, tap the video to show the controls — they disappear after a few seconds to give you more screen space. You'll see a play/pause button in the center, a progress bar at the bottom, and a full-screen icon in the bottom right. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to adjust brightness and volume without opening the settings menu.
If you rotate your device to landscape (sideways), the video will fill the screen. This is the best way to watch on a phone. If you want to keep watching while using other apps, swipe down from the top of the screen to see if your phone supports picture-in-picture mode — a small window that floats on top of other apps while you use your phone normally.
Using YouTube on a Smart TV or Streaming Device
If you have a smart TV, it likely has YouTube built in. Look for the YouTube app on your home screen or in the app menu. Open it and you'll see a search option at the top. Use your remote to type what you want to watch, or if your remote has a microphone, press the voice search button and say the video title out loud.
You can also cast a video from your phone to your TV. Open YouTube on your phone, find the video you want, and tap the cast icon (it looks like a rectangle with a curved line in the corner) in the top right. Select your TV from the list, and the video will start playing on the big screen while you control it from your phone.
Streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and Google Chromecast all have YouTube apps. read the app if it's not already installed, sign in with your Google account if you want to see your recommendations, and search for videos the same way.
Creating a YouTube Account and Signing In
You don't need an account to watch YouTube videos — you can search and play anything without signing in. However, creating a free Google account lets you save videos to a "Watch Later" list, see personalized recommendations based on your viewing history, and subscribe to channels so you get notified when they upload new videos.
To create an account, go to youtube.com and click "Sign in" in the top right corner. Click "Create account" and follow the steps. You'll need an email address and a password. Once you're signed in, YouTube will track what you watch and suggest similar videos on your home page.
If you want to stop YouTube from remembering your watch history, sign in, click your profile picture in the top right, select "Settings," then go to "Privacy" and turn off "Save your watch and search history." You can also delete your history manually from the same menu.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
If a video won't play, first check your internet connection. YouTube needs a steady connection to stream video. If your connection is slow, the video may buffer (pause to load more data). You can lower the video quality in the settings menu to reduce buffering — try 360p or 480p instead of 1080p.
If you see an error message saying the video is unavailable, it means the uploader has deleted it, made it private, or YouTube has removed it. You cannot watch that video. If a video says "This video is not available in your country," it means the uploader or copyright holder has restricted it to certain regions. There's no way around this restriction.
If the YouTube app crashes or freezes, close it completely and reopen it. If that doesn't work, restart your phone or device. If you're using a web browser and YouTube is slow or buggy, try a different browser or clear your browser's cache (stored data) by going to settings and looking for "Clear browsing data" or "Clear cache."
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay to watch YouTube videos?
No. YouTube is free to watch. You can search and play any public video without paying or creating an account. YouTube makes money from ads that play before or during videos. If you want to remove ads, YouTube offers a paid subscription called YouTube Premium, but it is not required to watch videos.
Can I read a YouTube video to watch offline?
YouTube Premium members can read videos to watch later without an internet connection. If you don't have Premium, you cannot read videos through YouTube itself. Some third-party websites claim to let you read videos, but many violate YouTube's terms of service and may contain malware.
Why does YouTube recommend videos I don't want to watch?
YouTube's recommendation system learns from your watch history. If you watch a lot of one type of video, YouTube will suggest more like it. You can improve recommendations by watching a variety of content, or by telling YouTube you're not interested in a video — click the three dots next to a video title and select "Not interested." You can also clear your watch history in settings.
What should I do if a video has a virus or scam?
Report it to YouTube by clicking the three dots under the video title and selecting "Report." Do not click links in the video description or comments unless you trust the source. Scammers often use YouTube comments to trick people into visiting fake websites. YouTube's official channels have a verified checkmark next to the channel name.
Can I watch YouTube videos without ads?
YouTube Premium removes ads, but it costs money. If you don't want to pay, you'll see ads on most videos. Some creators choose not to monetize their videos, so those won't have ads, but most do. You cannot block ads through your browser settings on YouTube — the company detects ad blockers and may prevent you from watching.