YouTube can sometimes freeze or stutter while playing videos. This is usually caused by factors such as spotty internet connectivity, misconfigured quality settings, and outdated video drivers. To fix this issue, you can try various methods such as changing your network settings, refreshing your browser cache, or updating your video drivers.
Check Your Internet Connection
- Reset your internet connection and router.
- Change your streaming habits.
- Try a different browser or app.
- Restart your router.
- Restart your PC or Mac.
- Connect to a different Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. ..
If your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection is slow, there are a few things you can do to fix it. First, try changing the network settings on your device. Second, try using a different router or modem. Third, try using a different type of Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. Finally, check to see if there is something wrong with your router or modem.
Check for Server-Side Issues
YouTube is experiencing some server-side issues that are causing video playback to be choppy. You can use a third-party tool such as DownDetector or IsItDownRightNow? to determine if YouTube is experiencing any service outages.
Lower the Video Quality
If you’re having trouble watching a video on YouTube because it’s playing at a higher resolution than your internet connection or computer can handle, there are a few things you can do. First, make sure your computer is up to date and has the latest hardware. If that doesn’t help, try using a different browser or downloading the video onto your phone or tablet. ..
If you want to reduce the video quality on your media player, try lowering it manually. To do this, select the cog-shaped Settings icon on the lower-left corner of the media player pane or screen while in fullscreen mode. Then, point to Quality, and select a sub-HD resolution (360p or 480p).
There is a delicate balance to be struck when it comes to writing about technology. On the one hand, you want your readers to be able to see what you’re talking about, without having to scroll through a lot of text. On the other hand, you don’t want your readers to feel overwhelmed by too much information at once. To find that balance, you need to work your way up until you find a good balance between visual clarity and performance.
Update Your Web Browser
If you’re using a web browser that relies on the VP9 codec for video playback, you should update it to resolve any known issues.
Web browsers tend to update themselves automatically, but it’s always a good idea to perform a manual check just in case. For example, you can force-update Chrome by opening the Chrome menu and selecting Help > About Google Chrome. ..
Are you using Edge, Safari, or Firefox? Learn how to update any web browser on the PC and Mac.
YouTube no longer uses the Adobe Flash Player for video playback on modern browsers. Contrary to what you may read online, you don’t need to install, update, or use any Flash plugins. Additionally, Flash is no longer supported by YouTube. ..
Clear the Browsing Data
Clearing your browser’s cache and checking if that makes a difference is a common solution for issues with obsolete browsing data. ..
Clear Browser Data:
- Type chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into a new tab and press Enter.
- Then, set the Time range to All time and pick the Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files categories.
- Select Clear data.
If you’re looking for more information on how to clear the cache in any browser, we’ve put together a guide that covers both PC and Mac.
Double-Check Your Add-ons
YouTube is experiencing choppy playback due to add-ons. Try disabling any active add-ons and checking if that resolves the issue. You can then reactivate them one by one while reloading YouTube in a separate tab until you isolate the problematic item.
In Firefox, open the Firefox menu (press CTRL+F5 to open the Extensions page) and select Add-ons.
Disable Hardware Acceleration
Some browsers, such as Safari, do not allow hardware acceleration.
Chrome users can disable hardware acceleration to improve performance. ..
On Firefox, go to Settings > General > Performance and uncheck the boxes next to Use recommended performance settings and Use hardware acceleration when enabled to disable hardware acceleration.
If that helps, you can continue troubleshooting by updating the video drivers and the system software on your computer. ..
Update the Video Drivers
NVIDIA’s GeForce driver can help avoid performance issues on the PC, especially if you have an AMD or Intel video card. Check your video card manufacturer’s website for updates and install them. Or, here’s an even better idea—use a driver updater tool to auto-update all drivers on your computer.
If you use a Mac, updating the system software to its latest version will also update the graphics drivers.
Update the System Software
Windows and macOS updates can fix underlying problems with the operating system that can cause video playback issues. ..
In Windows 10 and 11, open the Start menu and select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update. Under “Check for updates,” select Download and install updates, and then select Install updates from a list of sources. If you have Microsoft-certified hardware drives installed, they will be listed as optional updates. ..
On the Mac, open the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Then, choose Software Update > Update Now to update macOS to its latest version.
Switch Browsers
If you’re having problems with YouTube playback, you may want to switch browsers. Chrome is the best browser for YouTube, according to Google.
If you’re having trouble watching YouTube on Chrome, try using a different Chromium-based web browser such as Edge or Opera. If the issue persists, you might want to try factory resetting your browser. ..
