YouTube on your TV stops working for five main reasons: your internet connection dropped, the app needs an update, your TV's memory is full, YouTube's servers are down, or your account has a sign-in problem
Most of the time, YouTube quits on your TV because something between your TV and YouTube's servers broke the connection. That could be your WiFi dropping for a few seconds, your TV's app running an old version that no longer works, or too many apps cached on your TV eating up storage space. Less often, YouTube's own servers go down for maintenance or a glitch, which you cannot fix but can work around.
The good news: you can test and fix most of these problems yourself in under five minutes. Start with the simplest fix first—restart your TV—and work through the steps below in order. Each one rules out a different cause, so you will know exactly what went wrong.
Key Takeaways
- Restart your TV first by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in—this fixes most YouTube problems without any other steps.
- Check your WiFi connection by opening another app that uses the internet, like Netflix or weather, to see if the problem is YouTube or your whole network.
- Update the YouTube app through your TV's app store, because YouTube stops supporting older app versions and they will not load.
- Clear your TV's app cache by going to Settings > Apps > YouTube > Storage > Clear Cache, which frees up space and removes corrupted data.
- Sign out of your YouTube account and sign back in if you see an error message, because account sync problems can lock you out temporarily.
Restart Your TV Completely
A full restart fixes YouTube about 60 percent of the time because it clears temporary files and resets your TV's connection to the internet. Do not just turn the TV off with the remote—that puts it in standby mode, not a real restart.
Unplug the power cable from the back of your TV. Wait 30 seconds. Plug it back in and turn it on. Let it sit for another 30 seconds after the picture appears before you open YouTube. This gives your TV time to reconnect to your WiFi and load everything fresh.
If YouTube works after the restart, you are done. If it still does not work, move to the next step.
Test Your Internet Connection
Before you assume YouTube is broken, check whether your whole internet connection is working or just YouTube. Open a different app that needs the internet—Netflix, a weather app, or your TV's web browser.
If that app loads fine, your internet is working and the problem is YouTube-specific. Skip ahead to the update section. If that app also fails or loads very slowly, your WiFi is the problem, not YouTube. Move your TV closer to your router, restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds, or check whether other devices in your house can connect to WiFi. If nothing else can connect either, contact your internet provider.
Update the YouTube App
YouTube stops supporting older versions of its app, so if your TV has not updated in several months, the app may no longer work. The update usually happens automatically, but sometimes it stalls or your TV does not have enough storage space to complete it.
Go to your TV's app store—this is called Google Play Store on Android TVs, App Store on some Samsung TVs, or LG Content Store on LG TVs. Search for YouTube. If an "Update" button appears, tap it and wait for the update to finish. Do not unplug your TV or turn it off during the update. This usually takes two to five minutes.
After the update finishes, open YouTube again. If it still does not work, move to clearing the app cache.
Clear the YouTube App Cache
Your TV stores temporary files from YouTube in a cache. If that cache gets corrupted or your TV runs out of storage space, YouTube will not load. Clearing the cache removes these temporary files without deleting your account or settings.
Go to your TV's Settings menu. Find Apps or Applications. Select YouTube. Look for Storage or Memory options. Tap "Clear Cache" (not "Clear Data"—that would sign you out). Wait for the process to finish, then close Settings and try YouTube again.
The exact menu names vary by TV brand. On Android TVs, it is Settings > Apps > YouTube > Storage > Clear Cache. On Samsung TVs, it may be Settings > Apps > YouTube > Storage Usage > Clear Cache. If you cannot find it, search your TV's manual for "clear cache" and your TV model number.
Sign Out and Sign Back In
Sometimes your YouTube account loses sync with your TV, especially if you recently changed your password or signed in on another device. Signing out and back in forces your TV to re-authenticate with YouTube's servers.
Open YouTube. Go to your account icon in the top right corner. Select "Sign Out." Wait 10 seconds. Go back to the sign-in screen and sign in again with your email and password. If you have two-factor authentication turned on, you will need to enter the code from your phone.
After you sign back in, try playing a video. If YouTube still does not work, the problem is likely on YouTube's end or a deeper issue with your TV's network settings.
Check Whether YouTube Is Down
Occasionally YouTube's servers go down for maintenance or experience an outage. You cannot fix this yourself, but you can confirm it is happening and know when it will be back.
Open a web browser on your phone or computer and search "YouTube down" or "YouTube status." You can also visit downdetector.com and search for YouTube. If thousands of people are reporting problems at the same time you are, YouTube is likely down. Check back in 30 minutes to an hour. If only you are having the problem, it is specific to your TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does YouTube work on my phone but not my TV?
Your phone and TV connect to the internet separately, so the problem is almost always your TV's app or network connection, not YouTube itself. Try restarting your TV and updating the YouTube app. If your phone is on WiFi and your TV is on WiFi, restart your router—sometimes it drops one device's connection but not another.
What does "error code" mean when YouTube shows a number?
Error codes tell you what went wrong. Error 400 usually means a network problem. Error 500 means YouTube's servers are having trouble. Error 401 means your account is not signed in correctly. For any error code, try restarting your TV first, then clearing the app cache, then signing out and back in. If the same code appears three times, write down the number and search it online with your TV model.
Will clearing the cache delete my watch history?
No. Clearing the cache removes only temporary files. Your watch history, subscriptions, and saved videos stay on your account because they are stored on YouTube's servers, not on your TV. You will stay signed in after you clear the cache.
Why does YouTube load but videos will not play?
This usually means your internet connection is too slow or unstable. Try restarting your router, moving your TV closer to the router, or waiting a few minutes and trying again. You can also try playing a lower-quality video—go to the video, tap the three dots, and select a lower resolution like 480p instead of 1080p.
Do I need to factory reset my TV to fix YouTube?
No. A factory reset should be your last option because it deletes all your apps and settings. Try every step above first. If YouTube still does not work after updating, clearing the cache, and signing in again, contact your TV manufacturer's support line—the problem may be a hardware issue they can diagnose.