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YouTube App Crashing or Videos Won't Play: Fix

Short answer: If the YouTube app crashes, freezes or shows "Something went wrong. Tap to retry", update the app, restart your device and check your connection.

TL;DR: quick fix

Update the YouTube app from the App Store or Google Play; YouTube says to use the latest version.
Restart your phone, tablet or TV, then open YouTube and replay the video.
Restart your internet connection and run a speed test; HD 720p needs about 2.5 Mbps and 4K about 20 Mbps.

Is YouTube down?

YouTube has no public status page. If friends on other networks see the same problem, it's probably an outage: wait and retry.

How to fix it: step by step

Update the YouTube app from the App Store or Google Play; YouTube says to use the latest version.
Restart your phone, tablet or TV, then open YouTube and replay the video.
Restart your internet connection and run a speed test; HD 720p needs about 2.5 Mbps and 4K about 20 Mbps.
Make sure mobile data is allowed for YouTube in your phone's settings, and that you're signed in.
If the app keeps crashing, delete and reinstall it (iPhone: hold the icon > Remove App; Android: Settings > Apps > YouTube > Storage > Clear cache first). Downloads may need to be re-saved.
Still broken? In YouTube, tap your profile photo > Send feedback and tick "System logs".

FAQ

Will reinstalling YouTube delete my subscriptions?

No. Subscriptions, playlists and history are saved to your Google account; offline downloads may need to be downloaded again.

Why does YouTube work on my computer but not my phone?

That usually points to the app or phone (outdated app, low storage, data settings) rather than a YouTube outage.

More YouTube fixes

Last checked Nov 1, 2026 against the official help page: Google Help. Menus can differ by app version; follow the official page if a step doesn't match.