YouTube is one of the leading platforms for uploading and streaming entertaining, interesting, and educational content. However, users have been complaining about a playback problem on YouTube.
It has been seen that the YouTube screen or video player doesn’t play the intended video, and the screen remains black.
Why is my YouTube screen black? Well, the video might have failed to load for different reasons. You can try playing another video and see if that starts playing.
In case it doesn’t, then it can be a problem with the YouTube platform or the Internet Service Provider.
Still, let’s investigate the probable reasons behind this to get a clear idea and how you can fix it.
Why is My YouTube Screen Black?
A black screen on YouTube or a blank video player is quite common. You might be waiting for the video to show up, and it never does.
Why is my YouTube screen black? Well, the following can be the answers:
- Temporary glitches with your computer, smartphone, or other streaming devices can be the culprit. A restart might help you here.
- In addition, a weak internet connection can prevent YouTube from playing a video without interruption. The video that you want to play might be buffering due to a slow internet connection.
- Reportedly, browsers can result in glitches while you are streaming YouTube. This generally happens when they are full of cookies, cache, and other browsing data. Moreover, an outdated web browser might fail to load the YouTube video player.
- If you have installed adware or ad blockers, then these browser extensions can interrupt YouTube streaming. As YouTube plays advertisements frequently, then the ad blocker might completely ban the entire video. All you experience is a black YouTube screen.
- Finally, it can be an issue with the YouTube app. Overloading cache, app data, etc., can restrict YouTube from playing more videos. You might experience that YouTube shuts down abruptly apart from displaying a black screen.
8 Ways to Eradicate the Black Screen on YouTube
Here are tried and tested solutions that might help you recover your YouTube experience. Let’s get started.
1. Log Out of the Google or YouTube Account
This might sound weird, but users have benefitted from signing out of their YouTube or Google accounts. So, click or tap the Account icon when you are on the YouTube app or page.
Then, go for sign Out. Now, check if YouTube lets you play any video without an account. If it works, then there might be an issue with your Gmail or YouTube account.
2. Reload the Browser or Restart the App
Are you watching YouTube using a browser? Temporary glitches are inevitable in web browsers, which might stop the entire YouTube platform. Try refreshing or reloading the YouTube page on your web browser.
Simply click the Reload icon next to the address bar of the browser. Alternatively, you can press the F5 key on the computer’s keyboard.
Moreover, you can shut down the browser all over and restart it. Launch YouTube and attempt to play a video. In case it’s the app, then you can quit the app and relaunch it. You can try the following solutions if this doesn’t work.
3. Have a Look at the Internet Connection
YouTube videos are of great resolution and quality. If your device fails to connect to a strong internet connection or access point, then the YouTube screen will remain dark. Additionally, you might catch it buffering.
Hence, perform a speed test for your current internet connection and check if the download and upload speeds are enough for YouTube streaming. If not, then you can try connecting the device to another network that is strong and stable enough. Otherwise, you can restrict traffic consumption to other apps on the PC, smartphone, or any device you use.
You can restart the overall network connection by turning off the internet components. Contact your Internet Service Provider if the error continues.
4. Clear the Cache and Cookies of the Browser
The browsing data, such as cache and cookies, might overflow with time. Then, you might encounter a black screen on YouTube. So, consider clearing the cache and cookies on the browser.
Here’s how you can remove cache and cookies on Google Chrome:
- Click the three vertical dots or Menu after exploring Google Chrome.
- Next, select More Tools when the Menu expands.
- After that, choose the option that says, ‘Clear browsing data’.
- The next window will let you choose the time range. It’s wiser to go for All Time.
- In addition, make sure that you check the boxes beside the following options:
- Browsing history
- Cookies and other site data
- Cached images and files
- Finally, hit the Clear Data button.
Now, you can try launching YouTube and check if you can play any videos.
5. Update the Browser
Why is my YouTube screen black? Incompatibility between the YouTube and browser versions is another reason why the screen remains dark. Update the browser on which you’re streaming YouTube. Now, updating a browser varies from one web browser to another.
Check out how you can update Google Chrome:
- Click the Menu or three vertical dot icons from the upper right corner of the screen.
- Choose Help and go for the option called ‘About Google Chrome’.
- Next, Google Chrome will look for updates automatically and download them if available.
- Finally, you can relaunch the browser and try playing a video on YouTube.
6. Remove AdBlockers and Extensions
Why is my YouTube screen black? Several users have benefitted from disabling browser extensions and AdBlockers on browsers. This hack works when you are surfing YouTube on web browsers and not through the app.
Here’s how you can disable AdBlockers or extensions on Google Chrome:
- Go to the address bar of the browser and enter ‘chrome://extensions’.
- Next, look for AdBlockers or unnecessary extensions there.
- Simply toggle off the extension, and you are done.
7. Update the YouTube App
You might encounter the same situation with your smartphone’s YouTube app. A black screen might appear instead of any video if the YouTube app is not up-to-date.
Therefore, go to the App Store or Google Play Store to update the app. The YouTube app might also display an option to update the application, and you just have to tap it.
8. Remove the App Cache
Not to mention, you must have been using the YouTube app for a long period. Thus, it must have accumulated a lot of caches. Hence, you should clear the app’s cache from your smartphone settings. Navigate to Apps or App Info under Settings and look for cache files of YouTube. Next, you need to tap the Clear Cache or Clear Data button.
However, this doesn’t apply to the iPhone. You need to uninstall or delete the YouTube app and reinstall it from the App Store. Thus, you won’t face any unnecessary cache on YouTube. Now, play a video on YouTube and notice if a black screen still appears.
Finally, Disable Hardware Acceleration
Turn off hardware acceleration on your web browser to restore YouTube. The method varies from one browser to another. Hence, check out the specific method from your browser’s official webpage. You can try another browser or device to play YouTube videos and check if it works.
Hopefully, the solutions will eliminate a black screen on YouTube. Why is my YouTube screen black? Seek expert intervention if you are still experiencing the same issue.
