YouTube Keeps Crashing? Here are 8 Ways to Fix It

Are you facing issues with YouTube crashing? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. As streamlined as the platform is, crashes can and do happen. When this happens, it can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re trying to catch up on your favorite content. The good news is that we have some useful methods to help you troubleshoot and fix this.

What Are the Primary Causes of YouTube Crashing?

Understanding why YouTube is crashing on your device can help you troubleshoot more effectively. Several factors could contribute to this issue, so let’s look at the primary causes:

Outdated Application

Applications are continuously updated by developers to ensure a smooth user experience by ironing out bugs and glitches. If you’ve not updated your YouTube app for a while, it might be causing the crashing issues. What’s more, the older versions might not be fully compatible with your current operating system, causing unexpected crashes.

Issues with YouTube’s Servers

Just like any other web service, YouTube’s servers can face issues that disrupt its normal functioning. Scheduled maintenance or sudden glitches can lead to temporary service disruptions, making the app prone to crashes.

There’s even the possibility of increased traffic load causing problems, although it’s a pretty safe bet that Google has this potentiality covered given the massive amounts of traffic the site is used to seeing on the daily.

Device Overload

Your device’s health also plays a critical role in how apps function. If your device is overloaded with numerous running apps or is low on storage, this can impact YouTube’s performance. The app might not have enough memory to function correctly, leading to unexpected shutdowns.

VPN and Network Issues

VPNs have grown in popularity in recent years, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t without issues. The truth is that a VPN can sometimes cause issues with app functionality. For instance, certain VPNs might interfere with the data transfer between your device and YouTube’s servers. Similarly, issues with your network connection, like unstable WiFi or low-speed internet, can also cause the app to crash.

Corrupted Cache

The cache is where an app stores temporary data to enhance its performance. However, sometimes this cache can become corrupted, leading to a variety of issues, including app crashes.

Now that we’ve covered the most common problems affecting app performance, let’s check out a few troubleshooting tips. These are often the most straightforward ways to resolve YouTube performance hiccups. Often but not always. If these don’t do the trick, we have detailed methods later in this guide, so be sure to stick around for those.

Troubleshooting Tips

Now that you have a clearer understanding of the potential causes behind YouTube crashes, here are additional troubleshooting tips to help you further:

Free Up Device Storage

If your device’s storage is almost full, it can cause performance issues not only for YouTube but for other apps, too. Try removing unnecessary files, apps, or media to free up some space. This can often improve overall device performance and potentially fix YouTube crashing issues.

Check Internet Connectivity

A poor internet connection can cause the YouTube app to fail and eventually crash. Ensure you’re connected to a stable network, and try to avoid public WiFi networks when possible, as they can be unstable. If you’re on a mobile network, try to be in an area with a strong signal for optimal performance.

Close Unnecessary Apps

As we touched on a moment ago, running too many apps in the background can overwhelm your device’s processor and affect the performance of other apps, including YouTube. Try closing unnecessary apps running in the background to free up system resources.

It’s a good idea to make a habit of this. Doing so can go a long way in improving your overall experience with YouTube and other applications.

Disable Power-Saving Mode

If your device is in power-saving mode, it may limit the functionality of certain apps to save battery life. If you’re experiencing YouTube crashes, try disabling power-saving mode and see if the problem is resolved.

Check for Device Updates

We also talked about updating YouTube for better performance. But just as app updates are essential, so is ensuring your device’s operating system is up-to-date. Updates often contain bug fixes and performance improvements that can enhance the functionality of apps like YouTube.

By keeping these causes and troubleshooting tips in mind, you’re better equipped to tackle any future issues that might cause your YouTube app to crash. However, there are specific problems that sometimes require specific steps to remedy. For those, we have just the ticket with our detailed steps below.

1. Verify YouTube’s Server Status

Before diving into more complex troubleshooting steps, it’s always a good idea to check whether the issue is at the source. YouTube’s servers might be down due to maintenance or a glitch on their end. Websites like Downdetector can provide real-time information about the status of YouTube’s servers. Also, keep an eye on YouTube’s official Twitter account for updates.

2. Consider Turning Off VPN

While VPNs are an excellent tool for online privacy and security, they can sometimes interfere with your connection to YouTube. VPNs modify your IP address for security reasons, but as we mentioned in our troubleshooting section, this alteration can disrupt communication between your device and YouTube’s servers. As a temporary measure, try disabling your VPN and see if YouTube stops crashing.

3. Try Using a Reliable VPN

If you’re concerned about online security, you might not be comfortable disabling your VPN entirely. In this case, consider switching to a reliable VPN service. There are many options to choose from, so check user reviews and feedback to gauge which one is best suited to your needs. You can also check forums and sites like Reddit to see what users are saying about a particular VPN.

It’s also worth noting that many quality VPNs offer free trials, so you can get a feel for it before you commit. Most require a credit card to take advantage of the free trial, however, so keep that in mind going forward.

4. Update the YouTube App

Outdated software is a common culprit behind app crashes. YouTube’s developers frequently issue updates to rectify bugs, enhance security, and improve performance. Keeping your app up-to-date can help mitigate many potential issues, including crashes.

For Android Users:

1. Open the Google Play Store on your device. You’ll typically find this on your home screen or in the app drawer.
2. Tap on the menu button, represented by three horizontal lines at the top-left corner. This will open a sidebar with various options.
3. From the menu, tap on “My Apps & Games.” This will lead you to a list of all the apps installed on your device.
4. Under the “Updates” tab, look for YouTube. If an update is available, it’ll be indicated here.
5. Tap the “Update” button next to YouTube. This will initiate the update process.

For iOS Users:

1. Open the App Store on your device, which you can usually find on your home screen.
2. Tap on your profile icon located at the top right corner of the screen.
3. Scroll down to the “Available Updates” section to find a list of all apps with pending updates.
4. If YouTube has an update, you’ll see an “Update” button next to it. Tap this button to update the app.

After the update, reopen YouTube to see if it’s operating smoothly without crashes.

5. Force Close and Restart the App

A simple restart of the app can often solve temporary issues. When you force close an app, it stops all its ongoing activities and starts afresh when reopened. This can help to clear minor glitches or memory leaks causing the app to crash.

For Both Android and iOS Users:

1. Swipe upwards from the bottom of your screen to access the application switcher.
2. Find the YouTube app among the open applications. Swipe it upwards or to the right (depending on your device) to force close it.
3. Wait for a few seconds, then reopen the YouTube app to check if it’s functioning correctly.

6. Restart Your Device

If the problem persists even after restarting the app, try rebooting your device. Your device’s operating system can encounter glitches that interfere with app functionality.

For Android Devices:

1. Press and hold your device’s power button until a menu pops up.
2. Select “Restart.” Wait for your device to reboot fully.

For iOS Devices:

1. Press and hold a volume button (it doesn’t matter which) and the side button. Hold until the slider appears to power off of the device.
2. Drag the slider to turn your device off. Wait for the device to shut down completely.
3. After a few moments, keep pressing and holding the side button again until you see the Apple logo.

Once your device is back on, reopen YouTube to check if it’s still crashing.

7. Clear Your App Cache (Android Only)

Your YouTube app cache holds temporary data to improve app performance. However, over time this cache can accumulate outdated or corrupted data, causing issues.

1. Navigate to your device’s Settings app.
2. Scroll down and select “Apps.”
3. Locate and select “YouTube.”
4. Tap on “Storage,” then tap “Clear Cache.”

After successfully clearing the cache, try running YouTube again to see if the issue is resolved.

8. Reinstall the YouTube App

If none of the above methods work, you might have to uninstall and then reinstall the YouTube app. This process can rectify issues that occurred during the initial installation.

For Android:

1. On your home screen or in the app drawer, locate the YouTube app.
2. Long-press on the app icon and select “Uninstall.”
3. After successful uninstallation, go to the Google Play Store.
4. Search for YouTube, and tap “Install” to reinstall it.

For iOS:

1. Find the YouTube app on your home screen.
2. Tap and hold the app icon until it jiggles and an options menu appears.
3. Select “Remove App,” then confirm by tapping “Delete App.”
4. Once you’ve successfully uninstalled YouTube, go to the App Store.
5. Search for YouTube and tap “Get” to reinstall it.

After reinstalling, open YouTube to see if it operates without crashes. Remember that even after reinstalling, you’ll need to sign in again with your Google account to access your subscriptions and personalizations.

Final Thoughts

By following these steps, you should be able to prevent YouTube from crashing on your device. If the problem persists, there’s likely something more complex going on that’s causing it to crash. If you find that the comments section freezes when you type a comment, you may have to revert to an older version. And even if that’s not the case, it might be worth reaching out to YouTube’s support for further assistance.