13 Solutions to Fix YouTube Not Working on Chrome 2023

While both YouTube and Chrome browsers are owned and managed by Google, they don’t always work together as smoothly as expected. Sometimes YouTube can suddenly stop working or loading on Chrome, or Chrome stops responding randomly or playing any YouTube videos.

This can be quite annoying and could be caused by multiple factors like a poor internet connection or disabled JavaScript. Thankfully, the solutions to fix this YouTube not working on Chrome error are many, and below we’ll look at the most effective ones you can try this error. Let’s jump right into it.

Why is My YouTube Not Working on Chrome?

Before you can fix the YouTube not loading on Chrome issue, you have to know at least the underlying factors that cause it to happen in the first place. The common reasons are:

• Slow and unstable internet connections.
• Corrupted browser data (cache and cookies).
• Browser extensions and plugins conflict.
• Disabled JavaScript on the Chrome browser.
• Internet Service Provider (ISP) problems.
• Issues with home network equipment.
• Outdated Chrome browser.

These are the most common reasons that could lead to YouTube playback errors in Chrome. However, you can resolve it easily with any of these solutions:

1. Force Close and Restart Chrome

The first solution to fixing YouTube not working on Chrome is to force close the browser and then restart it again. It’s a simple solution that refreshes the browser and clears out the temporary data glitches that might have caused this problem. Follow these steps to quit the Chrome browser in Task manager:

• Launch the Task Manager on your computer.
• A list of running tasks will appear. Select Chrome from it, then click End Task.
• After that, open the Chrome browser and a YouTube video to confirm if the issue is fixed.

2. Enable JavaScript in Chrome

You have to enable JavaScript in Chrome to play any videos on it. Otherwise, no video would load. This is one of the reasons YouTube videos won’t play in Chrome. So, check and ensure JavaScript isn’t disabled on your Chrome browser.

• Launch Google Chrome, click the Menu option (the 3-dot icon at the top-right corner) and then click Settings.
• Click the Privacy and Security option in Settings.
• On the resulting page, head to Site Settings (under Privacy and Security) and click on it.
• Scroll to JavaScript (under the Content section) on the Site Settings page and click on it.
• Ensure it’s set to Allowed (or the box next to “Sites can use JavaScript” is checked). If it’s not enabled (the box next to “Don’t allow sites to use JavaScript” is checked), then enable it by checking the box next to “Sites can use JavaScript” or clicking the toggle next to JavaScript to enable it.

Ensure you as well check the Blocked sites list and see if YouTube is included there. If it’s there, then remove it.

3. Turn Off Hardware Acceleration

Sometimes the hardware acceleration feature can stop videos from playing when it’s enabled in the Chrome browser. Therefore, turning it off and enabling JavaScript can help to solve this problem.

• Click the Chrome Menu option (the 3-dot icon indicated in the section above).
• Click Settings. Head to the System option and click on it.
• Tap the toggle next to “Use hardware acceleration when available” to turn it off.

4. Clear Chrome’s Cache and Cookies

Chrome’s cache and cookies might be corrupted with lots of unnecessary browsing data that prevent YouTube from working properly in the browser. Clearing these cache and cookies will clean out all that corrupted data and allow the Chrome browser to run the YouTube videos.

5. Disable Ad-blocker Extensions

An Ad blocker in your Chrome browser extension may be interfering YouTube playback. Try pausing the Ad-blocker extension on the YouTube platform. Alternatively, you can disable it completely from your Chrome browser’s Settings menu. To do that:

• Launch Google Chrome and open the Menu option, as shown in other sections.
• Head to More Tools and then click the Extensions option.
• From the Extensions menu, click the Remove button at the bottom of the Ad-blocker Extension to remove it from the Chrome browser.

6. Open YouTube in Incognito Mode

In certain instances, the problem causing the YouTube playback error in Chrome might not be on YouTube’s or Chrome’s end. It might be related to your Google account. So, try opening the YouTube platform in an incognito window on Google Chrome.

Launch the Google Chrome browser and click the Menu icon. Click Incognito mode just at the top from the menu options to open a new incognito Chrome window. Now, browse YouTube privately to see if the issue is fixed.

7. Check YouTube Server

When YouTube servers are down or under maintenance, there’s nothing you can do about it, even if you try all the troubleshooting tips to resolve the issue. It’s a rare case, but worth checking, to see if it’s the cause of your problem.

You can do that by heading to Downdetector. On the website, search for YouTube. If there are many reports of a recent outage, you only have to wait until Google resolves the issue.

8. Check Your Network Speed

As a video streaming service, YouTube needs a fast and stable internet connection to watch videos smoothly. As such, a slow/poor internet connection will likely cause YouTube not to load on Chrome.

So, try checking the speed of your internet. You can do that using an internet speed test site like Fast.com. It can help you test your internet speed, and in case it’s too slow, you should take measures to improve it.

Note: The recommended connection speed for low-quality YouTube videos is at least 500Kbps and for high-quality videos is 1+ Mbps.

9. Reset Chrome

If you reset your Google Chrome, it will return to its default settings just like it was the first time you installed it. It’s a simple solution that can fix the wrong settings that could cause YouTube videos won’t play on Chrome.

Note that your pinned tabs, custom home pages, themes, extensions, and any temporary data will get lost once you reset Chrome.

10. Update Chrome Browser

As mentioned earlier, an outdated Chrome browser can prevent YouTube videos from playing. Updating your Google Chrome to the latest version can help to fix this by improving the browser’s overall performance and fixing any bugs it may have. To update Chrome:

• Launch Google Chrome and click the Menu option (3-dot icon).
• Head down to Help and click it. From the Help menu, click About Google Chrome.
• Chrome will open the Settings tab and start checking for updates.
• Click the Update Google Chrome option if you see it and let Chrome update. Now, click on Relaunch.

11. Delete and Reinstall Chrome

If the problem persists, try uninstalling the Chrome browser and then reinstalling it. You can download a new version of your OS and install it.

12. Use Another Browser

You can use a different browser like Firefox if, at this point, the above methods haven’t worked, and you need to view the YouTube video. If you can watch it with a different browser, then there’s no need to go through all the hassle of fixing YouTube on Chrome. Alternatively, you can consider using the YouTube app on your smartphone.

13. Download YouTube Videos

If the problem persists after using another browser, the last resort is downloading the YouTube video. Fucosoft Video Downloader is a free YouTube downloader that can help you easily do that with just a few clicks. It’s very efficient and simple to use and supports various video formats. It also allows you to download videos from most online video-sharing sites, and you can choose the quality/resolution of the downloaded video as you prefer.

Key Features of Fucosoft Video Downloader

• One click to download videos from over 100 online video-sharing sites, including YouTube, Vimeo, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
• Allows users to select video resolution, including 720P, 1080P, 4K and even 8K.
• Convert YouTube videos/playlists to MP3 audio.
• Download subtitles along with the YouTube video.

Steps to Downloading YouTube Videos Using Fucosoft Video Downloader

Step 1: Head to your browser’s address line and copy the URL of the particular YouTube video you intend to download.

Step 2: Click on the “+ Paste URL” button. Doing so will parse the link.

Step 3: Choose the video resolution/quality you want (8K, 4K, or 1080P) plus the output format and saving directory.

Step 4: Finally, click “Download.” Your video will begin downloading immediately.

Conclusion

Try each method highlighted above until the YouTube problem is resolved. It takes patience to go through them, but they can certainly work for you. If you’re not that patient, you might consider downloading the video using the Fucosoft Video Downloader. It’s the best option if you really must access/view the video, but you cannot fix the problem after trying all the methods we’ve listed.