iPhone Won't Play Videos: YouTube Not Working on iPhone Problems and Solutions

Why is YouTube not working on my iPhone? We list some common issues and share the solutions of YouTube not working on iPhone (iPhone X, iPhone 8 included). Hope you can solve YouTube iPhone problems.

Jul 19,2019 • Filed to: Video Resources & Tips • Proven solutions

"Why is YouTube not working on my iPhone?"

Many iPhone users have encountered problems for unknown reasons when they are playing YouTube videos directly on their phones. YouTube won't play videos on iPhone is a common issue when you enjoy YouTube videos on phones. Always when you open a YouTube videos on iPhone, you get an error message to tell you this videos is unable to watch. The irritating message can make you mad, and you don't know how to solve the YouTube not working on iPhone problem. Here we will list some common YouTube issues and share you the solution for YouTube app not working on iPhone (iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, etc. included). You can also find a detailed guide on how to download YouTube videos for iPhone to avoid YouTube not working problems.

Part 1. YouTube Not Working on iPhone Solutions

There could be a few reasons your YouTube app does not work on your iPhone. Check to see if you have used up all the memory on your iPhone. YouTube will take up a lot of space when you click the app and if your iPhone memory is full then obviously YouTube won't have the necessary space to run. The antidote is to clear up some memory on your phone by deleting unused apps and then clicking on the YouTube app again to see if that works. We have collect some most common issues and solutions to YouTube not working on iPhone.

youtube not working on iphone

Problem 1: YouTube doesn't work on iPhone

When you can't watch YouTube on iPhone check to see if you have a slow connection or refresh your iPhone by turning off cellular data or wireless services and turning this on again. This way, you can check to see if there is enough data speed for you to run on YouTube. Needless to say a phone that does not have wireless or internet services to run YouTube won’t enable you to watch any YouTube videos on your phone.

Problem 2: YouTube won't play videos on iPhone

Solution 1: Update YouTube app to the latest version

When YouTube won't play on iPhone check to see what version of the iOS you have. You will need to download the latest YouTube app on the latest iOS version. You can either reload the app of YouTube on your iPhone by deleting the app icon and going on the Apple AppStore to download the app again or get the latest iOS version of your iPhone before downloading the latest most compatible version of YouTube. When you have the most updated versions, you can be sure that YouTube will finally run smoothly on your iPhone.

Solution 2: Reset Network Settings

Sometimes, a poor network connection may cause "YouTube won't play on iPhone/iPad" issue. You can simply turn off your WiFi network connection and then turn it on again. Or just turn your phone into Flight Mode and then turn it off. Your network connection will reset automatically.

Solution 3: Clear YouTube App/Safari cache

Try to go to Settings > Safari and click Clear History and Website Data.

Problem 3: YouTube sound not working on iPhone

When there is no sound on your YouTube iPhone check to see if the mute button on YouTube is on. If it is, click the mute button to unmute it. If it is not on mute, click the iPhone volume to get to its maximum level. This should give you enough sound to enjoy your video.

Problem 4: YouTube no connection on iPhone

When iPhone cannot connect to YouTube you will need to check the wireless connection and see if you are connected. If you are not connected, get in touch with your service provider or go to a location where there is better signal in order for you to connect to YouTube.

Problem 5: YouTube app slow on iPhone

When the video streaming of YouTube is slow on iPhone, you will need a faster internet connection. Upgrade your plan or move to an area with better signal to get YouTube up and running smoothly.

Problem 6: YouTube not working on iPhone with message "playback error tap to retry"

For some users, resetting the phone and restarting it after that help to get rid of the problem. To get rid of the problem, you need to hold down the sleep button and the home button together. The phone will be switched off. Now, turn it on again. In around 99% of the cases this should solve the issue and you should be able to use YouTube in your device without any interruption. In case, this trick does not help, try restoring the phone's iTunes.

Problem 7: YouTube won't play on Safari with message "sorry, this video is not available on this device"

There are certain videos that are not meant for the mobile version of the browser. In such a situation, if you are planning to watch those videos on iPhone, the videos might not play and you might see a message like that. There is a way you can fix that and can watch all videos on YouTube. If you are using YouTube videos on Safari, you must make it a point to do the following:

  • Press the 3 lines on the top, left side of the phone.
  • Now you should scroll down to the bottom.
  • Once you are there, you need to select the desktop version.

By doing these steps you are actually changing YouTube videos from the mobile version to the desktop version. By doing this you will be able to transform the mobile version of the videos into the desktop version and play those. It should work. By doing this, you will be able to watch all videos in YouTube.

Problem 8: YouTube black screen on iPhone when watching YouTube embedded videos

If you are not using a jailbroken phone, watching YouTube channel is not much of a problem. All you need to do is to open the "Settings". From the settings you go to "General" and from there choose "Restrictions". Check whether the option of the YouTube app is set “On”. After doing this, if you try to view a website page containing an embedded video, you should be able to see it without any interruptions.

Part 2. Best Solution to YouTube Not Working on iPhone (iPhone X and iPhone 8 included)

If you are facing problems to watch videos using your iPhone, why don't you download your favorite videos to your iPhone and watch YouTube later on iPhone in your leisure time? There are loads of benefits of downloading and watching YouTube videos. One of the primary benefits of watching videos offline after downloading YouTube to iPhone is that you do not have to wait for a long period of time for the videos to buffer. The buffering and loading of the videos makes it irritating for the users to watch the videos. Moreover, if you download and store the favorite videos on your device, you do not have to depend on the Internet for watching YouTube. You will be able to watch those uninterrupted by the condition of the network. All you need is a Free YouTube Video Downloader like iTube HD Video Downloader.

iTube HD Video Downloader - Free Download YouTube to iPhone without YouTube Not Working Problem

  • Download 4K HD YouTube videos and watch YouTube videos on iPhone at free time without interrupting advertisements.
  • Support to download all types of videos from all the YouTube channels, playlists, and categories in 1 click.
  • Download video from YouTube and 10,000 other video sites such as Netflix, Vimeo, Hulu, Metacafe, Dailymotion, etc.
  • Record any online videos in high quality from any online video sites when you can't download directly.
  • Directly Transfer downloaded YouTube videos to iPhone, iPad, and Android devices with USB cable connected.
  • Provide a Private Mode to keep your downloaded video protected with a password known by yourself only.

Play YouTube on iPhone without YouTube on iPhone Not Working Problem

If you have the downloader installed in your device and you are watching YouTube videos using the browser, this YouTube downloader detects the videos and provides options to save it in different resolutions. You can choose options according to your choice. There are mainly three ways in which you can choose to download videos from YouTube. Given below is a list of the three ways:

Method 1: Download YouTube Movies with extension plugin

As you watch a video on YouTube, you see a "Download" button at the top right corner of the screen. As you click on that button a drop-down menu provides options to choose the desired resolution of videos that you want to download. Choose the resolution and you do not have to do anything else for the videos to get downloaded.

youtube not working on iphone

Method 2: Download YouTube videos from URL

The second way you can download YouTube videos using this free video downloader is that you can copy-paste the URL of the video in the desired location. Just adding the desired URL by click "Paste URL" button to the interface of the application will start the download automatically.

iphone wont play videos

Method 3: Download YouTube by Dragging URL

The third, and one of the most cost effective ways to download YouTube videos is to drag and drop the URL of the videos that you are choosing in the designated place inside the application. The HD and music videos from YouTube can be downloaded for free using this video downloading option. Once the download is completed the computer will follow the instructions and will either shut down or hibernate to the sleep mode.

Convert Downloaded YouTube Videos to iPhone:

Once completed the downloading process, you can switch to the Downloaded tab in DOWNLOAD category, and then add the downloaded YouTube videos to the conversion list or transfer list. If you choose to convert first, then turn to the CONVERT category on the left and then choose Apple devices.

youtube videos not playing on iphone

Transfer Downloaded YouTube to iPhone:

For transferring downloaded YouTube to iPhone, first go to the Downloaded tab in DOWNLOAD category as the former step, and then add the downloaded YouTube videos to the transfer list by another icon beside. Then sync your USB cable and turn to the TRANSFER category on the left, click the Transfer button and the videos will be in your iPhone within seconds!

youtube wont play on iphone

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