Hello everyone, I’m a YouTube TV owner and I recently encountered a really frustrating issue when trying to watch TV on my device. I was getting a completely black screen and nothing I did seemed to fix it. After doing some research and trying out different solutions, I finally got it working again and I wanted to share my experience as well as other tips and tricks I discovered during my search. In this blog post, I’ll be discussing the YouTube TV black screen problem and how I solved it.
A few reasons you may randomly encounter a black screen while watching YouTube include problems with your TV or web browser. Ad blockers, software programs on your browser (extensions), and network connectivity issues are also common causes of a black screen on YouTube.
| Issue | Possible Solution |
|---|---|
| Reload the Page | Refresh the webpage or close the app and try playing video again |
| Clear Browser Cache | Clear your browser’s cache or YouTube’s cache |
| Update Your Browser | Update your web browser or try using a different browser |
| Play on Android Device | Try playing the video on a mobile device or iPhone |
| Use Different Browser | Use a browser made for playing videos online, e.g., Firefox Nightly |
| Change Video Resolution | Play the video at a different resolution |
| Download the Video | Use a program like VLC Media Player or MX Player to download and watch offline |
| Play Another Video | Try playing another video on YouTube |
| Disable Ad Blocker | Temporarily disable any ad-blocking software |
| Check Browser Extensions | Look for extensions like “YouTube Center” and disable them |
| Check Internet Connection | Ensure a stable and strong Wi-Fi or mobile hotspot connection |
| Update the YouTube App | Check for YouTube app updates, uninstall and reinstall if needed |
| Play Video on Other Site | Try playing a video on another website like Vimeo |
| Restart Your Device | Restart your device to reset firmware |
| Log Out and Log In | Log out of your YouTube account and then log back in |
Table of Contents
Why Is My YouTube Screen Black?
If you see a black screen on YouTube, it can indicate that the video could not load for some reason. The issue can be on your side, with YouTube, or with your internet service provider (ISP).
If the issue is on your, you can resolve it by updating your web browser, turning off your ad blocker, and restarting your computer and network devices. You can do nothing if the issue is brought on by your internet service provider or YouTube. More reasons for a black screen on YouTube are:
- Low video resolution
- Bad or corrupted cache files
- Malware
- The YouTube app is outdated
- Glitches caused by streaming content for hours
How To Fix A YouTube TV Black Screen
Here are 15 ways you can resolve your YouTube black screen on your TV:
1. Reload The Page
Sometimes video-playback issues can be solved by simply refreshing the webpage or closing out of the app or website and trying to play the video again.
2. Try Clearing Your Cache
Try clearing your browser’s cache (or “temporary data” storage), so YouTube starts fresh with a new code. Go to Menu> Tools > Clear Cache to clear your cache in Google Chrome. To delete your cache in Firefox, go to Menu> Help > Clear Recent History. If you want to clear YouTube’s cache, go to Settings > YouTube > Storage > Clear Cache. Sometimes too many cache files can get corrupted and cause the app to crash.
3. Update Your Browser Or Try A Different One
If clearing your cache does not work and the problem persists, it could be because of an outdated browser or compatibility issues with the site’s code. Try updating to the latest version of Chrome or Firefox (or another browser) or using a different web browser altogether.
4. Play The Video On An Android Device
If YouTube videos do not want to play in Chrome, try playing the video on a mobile device such as an Android phone or tablet (or iPhone). This may be easier because these devices have fewer playback issues compared to computers.
5. Try Another Browser For Watching Videos
Try downloading one of these browsers that are specially made for playing videos online: – Firefox Nightly (for Windows) – YouTube Premium Video Player (for Mac and PC).
6. Try Playing The Video In A Different Resolution
If you are having trouble playing a video, try playing it at a lower or higher resolution (e.g., 240p to 480p). Lower resolutions tend to load faster than high-resolution videos, which may solve your problem.
7. Download The Video
If the video does not want to play at all, try downloading it using a program such as VLC Media Player (for Mac and PC) or MX Player (for Android). This allows you to watch the video offline without any browser-related issues.
8. Clear Your And Cache Again
If nothing else has worked so far, try clearing your cache one last time and trying again. Sometimes the device’s or app’s cache did not delete entirely.
9. Try Playing Another Video
If none of these steps helped you, try playing another video on YouTube to see if this solves your problem. Otherwise, check out the official YouTube help page for further assistance.
10. Ad Blocker Software May Be Causing The Problem
If you are using any ad blocker software on your computer, try disabling it to see if that fixes the issue. You can enable it after a while and check if it is interfering with your YouTube videos and causing the black screen.
11. Check For A Browser Extension Called “Youtube Center.”
This browser extension allows users to download videos from YouTube and other websites without an account or plug-in. It also allows users to play videos in resolutions higher than 480p (e.g., 720p).
12. Check The Internet Network Connection
Ensure your Wi-Fi/internet connection is strong and stable. The same goes when using mobile hotspot. If it is slow, use 5GHz if you use mobile hotspot, or take the punch and upgrade to a better premium plan for your Wi-Fi.
13. Check For A New Youtube Update.
It could be that YouTube is outdated. Go to your device’s app store to check if an update is available for YouTube or uninstall and reinstall YouTube. This will also automatically update the YouTube app if there is one.
14. Try Playing A Video On Another Website
If YouTube is still troubling you and you cannot find any solutions online, try playing a video on another website, such as Vimeo or DailyMotion, to see if this solves your problem.
15. Glitches Caused By Streaming Content For Hours
Streaming content for hours on YouTube may cause glitches, resulting in a black screen on YouTube. To resolve it, you can restart your device, so the firmware can reset and prevent your screen from getting glitches that cause a black screen.
Another way you can solve glitches on YouTube is by logging out and then in again to your YouTube account. Follow these steps to do this:
1. Open the YouTube app on your device
2. Navigate and select your ‘Profile’ icon from the Menu in the top-left corner
3. Select the ‘Accounts’ option. On the Accounts page, click on your YouTube account
4. Select the ‘Sign Out’ option to log out of your YouTube account
5. Open the YouTube app again on your device
6. Choose the ‘Sign In’ option and enter your username and password to log into your account again
Conclusion
Hopefully, one of these methods will fix the issue. All apps require some troubleshooting every now and again since you can run into many problems with them. A YouTube black screen can happen when you are streaming for too long as well, which is usually the case with me. If you still cannot find any solution, I suggest contacting the YouTube help center.
References
https://www.lifewire.com/youtube-black-screen-4178316
https://moviemaker.minitool.com/moviemaker/youtube-black-screen.html
