Fixing ‘Something Went Wrong’ Errors on YouTube: A Comprehensive Guide

Encountering the dreaded "Something Went Wrong" error on YouTube can be incredibly frustrating. You’re ready to watch your favorite content, and instead, you’re met with a vague message that stops you dead in your tracks. This error can stem from a variety of causes, ranging from simple browser issues to more complex network problems. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed walkthrough of troubleshooting steps to get you back to enjoying YouTube videos without interruption.

Understanding the "Something Went Wrong" Error

Before diving into solutions, it’s helpful to understand why this error occurs. The "Something Went Wrong" message is a generic error that YouTube displays when it encounters an unexpected problem. This could involve issues with:

  • Your Browser: Outdated versions, cached data, and conflicting extensions are common culprits.
  • Your Internet Connection: Unstable or slow connections can disrupt video playback.
  • YouTube’s Servers: While rare, YouTube’s servers can sometimes experience temporary outages.
  • Account Issues: Problems with your Google account can interfere with YouTube functionality.
  • Device Issues: Problems related to the device such as outdated OS, corrupted files and more.
  • VPN/Proxy Servers: Use of proxy servers and VPN’s can sometimes interfere with YouTube functionality.

By systematically addressing these potential causes, you can significantly increase your chances of resolving the "Something Went Wrong" error.

Troubleshooting Steps: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a comprehensive list of troubleshooting steps, progressing from the simplest to the more advanced:

1. Basic Checks and Immediate Solutions

  • Refresh the Page: This is the simplest and often most effective solution. Press F5 (or Cmd+R on Mac) to reload the YouTube page.
  • Check Your Internet Connection: Ensure you have a stable internet connection. Try loading other websites to confirm. If your internet is down, restart your modem and router.
  • Restart Your Browser: Close and reopen your browser. This clears temporary files and refreshes the browser’s state.
  • Restart Your Device: A full device restart can resolve underlying system issues that might be affecting YouTube.

2. Browser-Related Solutions

Browser issues are a frequent cause of YouTube errors. Here’s how to address them:

  • Clear Browser Cache and Cookies: Cached data and cookies can become corrupted and interfere with website functionality. Here’s how to clear them in popular browsers:
    • Google Chrome:
      1. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "More tools" > "Clear browsing data…"
      3. Select "All time" for the time range.
      4. Check "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files."
      5. Click "Clear data."
    • Mozilla Firefox:
      1. Click the three horizontal lines (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Options" > "Privacy & Security."
      3. In the "Cookies and Site Data" section, click "Clear Data…"
      4. Check "Cookies and Site Data" and "Cached Web Content."
      5. Click "Clear."
    • Microsoft Edge:
      1. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Settings" > "Privacy, search, and services."
      3. Under "Clear browsing data," click "Choose what to clear."
      4. Select "All time" for the time range.
      5. Check "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files."
      6. Click "Clear now."
    • Safari:
      1. Click "Safari" in the menu bar.
      2. Go to "Preferences" > "Privacy."
      3. Click "Manage Website Data…"
      4. Click "Remove All."
      5. Click "Done."
  • Update Your Browser: An outdated browser can have compatibility issues with YouTube. Here’s how to update popular browsers:
    • Google Chrome:
      1. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Help" > "About Google Chrome."
      3. Chrome will automatically check for updates. If an update is available, it will download and install it.
      4. Click "Relaunch" to restart Chrome and apply the update.
    • Mozilla Firefox:
      1. Click the three horizontal lines (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Help" > "About Firefox."
      3. Firefox will automatically check for updates. If an update is available, it will download and install it.
      4. Click "Restart Firefox to Update" to restart Firefox and apply the update.
    • Microsoft Edge:
      1. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Help and feedback" > "About Microsoft Edge."
      3. Edge will automatically check for updates. If an update is available, it will download and install it.
      4. Click "Restart" to restart Edge and apply the update.
    • Safari: Safari updates are typically included with macOS updates. Go to System Preferences > Software Update to check for and install updates.
  • Disable Browser Extensions: Browser extensions can sometimes interfere with website functionality. Try disabling them one by one to see if any are causing the issue. Here’s how to disable extensions in popular browsers:
    • Google Chrome:
      1. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "More tools" > "Extensions."
      3. Toggle the switch next to each extension to disable it.
    • Mozilla Firefox:
      1. Click the three horizontal lines (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Add-ons" > "Extensions."
      3. Toggle the switch next to each extension to disable it.
    • Microsoft Edge:
      1. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Extensions."
      3. Toggle the switch next to each extension to disable it.
    • Safari:
      1. Click "Safari" in the menu bar.
      2. Go to "Preferences" > "Extensions."
      3. Uncheck the box next to each extension to disable it.

    After disabling extensions, restart your browser and try accessing YouTube again. If the error is resolved, re-enable extensions one by one to identify the culprit.

  • Try a Different Browser: If the issue persists, try accessing YouTube in a different browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari). This helps determine if the problem is specific to your primary browser.
  • Reset Your Browser: As a last resort, you can try resetting your browser to its default settings. This will remove all extensions, clear your cache and cookies, and reset your settings. Note that this will erase your saved passwords and bookmarks, so back them up before proceeding. Here’s how to reset popular browsers:
    • Google Chrome:
      1. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Settings" > "Reset and clean up" > "Restore settings to their original defaults."
      3. Click "Reset settings."
    • Mozilla Firefox:
      1. Type "about:support" in the address bar and press Enter.
      2. Click "Refresh Firefox…"
      3. Click "Refresh Firefox" in the confirmation dialog.
    • Microsoft Edge:
      1. Click the three dots (Menu) in the top-right corner.
      2. Go to "Settings" > "Reset settings" > "Restore settings to their default values."
      3. Click "Reset."
    • Safari: Safari doesn’t have a direct reset option. Clearing history, website data, and disabling extensions achieves a similar result.

3. Network-Related Solutions

Network issues can also prevent YouTube from functioning correctly. Here’s how to troubleshoot them:

  • Check Your Internet Speed: Use an online speed test (e.g., Speedtest.net) to verify your internet speed. Insufficient bandwidth can cause playback issues.
  • Restart Your Modem and Router: This is a classic troubleshooting step that can resolve many network problems. Unplug both your modem and router, wait 30 seconds, plug the modem back in, wait for it to fully connect, then plug the router back in.
  • Disable VPN or Proxy Server: If you’re using a VPN or proxy server, try disabling it temporarily. These services can sometimes interfere with YouTube’s connection.
  • Check Your Firewall Settings: Ensure that your firewall is not blocking YouTube. Check your firewall settings to see if YouTube or Google domains are blocked. You might need to add exceptions for YouTube.
  • Flush DNS Cache: Your DNS cache stores the IP addresses of websites you’ve visited. Sometimes, this cache can become outdated or corrupted, leading to connection problems. Here’s how to flush your DNS cache:
    • Windows:
      1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (search for "cmd", right-click, and select "Run as administrator").
      2. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
      3. You should see a message: "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache."
    • macOS:
      1. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal).
      2. Type sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and press Enter.
      3. Enter your administrator password when prompted.
  • Change DNS Servers: Sometimes, your default DNS servers might be experiencing issues. Try changing them to public DNS servers like Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1). Here’s how to change DNS servers:
    • Windows:
      1. Open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
      2. Click "Change adapter settings."
      3. Right-click on your network connection (e.g., Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and select "Properties."
      4. Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click "Properties."
      5. Select "Use the following DNS server addresses:"
      6. Enter 8.8.8.8 for "Preferred DNS server" and 8.8.4.4 for "Alternate DNS server."
      7. Click "OK" on all windows.
    • macOS:
      1. Go to System Preferences > Network.
      2. Select your network connection (e.g., Wi-Fi).
      3. Click "Advanced…"
      4. Go to the "DNS" tab.
      5. Click the "+" button to add new DNS servers.
      6. Enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
      7. Click "OK" and "Apply."

4. YouTube Account and App-Related Solutions

Sometimes, the issue might be related to your YouTube account or the YouTube app itself.

  • Sign Out and Sign Back In: Sign out of your YouTube account and then sign back in. This can refresh your account credentials and resolve any temporary account-related issues.
  • Check Your Google Account: Ensure that your Google account is in good standing and that there are no issues with your account (e.g., payment issues, security alerts).
  • Update the YouTube App: If you’re using the YouTube app on a mobile device, make sure it’s updated to the latest version. Outdated apps can have bugs that cause errors.
  • Reinstall the YouTube App: If updating doesn’t work, try uninstalling and reinstalling the YouTube app. This can resolve corrupted app files.
  • Clear YouTube App Cache (Mobile): Clear the app’s cache. This can resolve corrupted data issues. Here’s how:
    • Android:
      1. Go to Settings > Apps > YouTube.
      2. Tap "Storage."
      3. Tap "Clear Cache."
    • iOS: iOS doesn’t have a direct cache clearing option for individual apps. You’ll need to offload or reinstall the app.
      1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
      2. Find YouTube in the list.
      3. Tap "Offload App" (this removes the app but keeps your documents and data) or "Delete App" (this removes the app and all related data).
      4. Reinstall the app from the App Store.

5. Device-Specific Solutions

The device you’re using to access YouTube can also be a factor.

  • Update Your Operating System: Make sure your operating system (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS) is up to date. Operating system updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements that can resolve compatibility issues.
  • Check for Hardware Issues: In rare cases, hardware issues (e.g., a faulty graphics card) can cause video playback problems. Run hardware diagnostics to check for any issues.
  • Free Up Storage Space: Insufficient storage space can impact performance. Make sure you have enough free storage on your device.
  • Close Unnecessary Applications: Running too many applications simultaneously can strain your device’s resources and lead to performance issues. Close any unnecessary applications before accessing YouTube.

6. YouTube Server-Side Issues

While less common, the "Something Went Wrong" error can sometimes be caused by issues on YouTube’s servers.

  • Check YouTube’s Status: Use a service like DownDetector (downdetector.com) to check if YouTube is experiencing widespread outages. If there’s a widespread outage, the only thing you can do is wait for YouTube to resolve the issue.

7. Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

If none of the above solutions work, you can try these more advanced steps:

  • Check for Malware: Run a full system scan with your antivirus software to check for malware. Malware can interfere with internet connectivity and website functionality.
  • Inspect Browser Console for Errors: The browser console can provide more detailed information about errors. To access the console:
    • Google Chrome: Right-click on the page and select "Inspect" or "Inspect Element," then go to the "Console" tab.
    • Mozilla Firefox: Right-click on the page and select "Inspect," then go to the "Console" tab.
    • Microsoft Edge: Right-click on the page and select "Inspect," then go to the "Console" tab.
    • Safari: You need to enable the Develop menu in Safari’s preferences. Then, right-click on the page and select "Inspect Element," then go to the "Console" tab.

    Look for any error messages that might provide clues about the cause of the issue. Search online for solutions related to those error messages.

  • Use a Network Analyzer: Tools like Wireshark can help you analyze network traffic and identify potential issues.
  • Contact YouTube Support: If you’ve tried all of the above steps and are still experiencing the error, contact YouTube support for assistance. Provide them with as much detail as possible about the issue, including the troubleshooting steps you’ve already tried.

Preventative Measures

While you can’t completely eliminate the possibility of encountering the "Something Went Wrong" error, you can take preventative measures to reduce its likelihood:

  • Keep Your Browser Up-to-Date: Regularly update your browser to ensure you have the latest security patches and performance improvements.
  • Keep Your Operating System Up-to-Date: Install operating system updates as soon as they become available.
  • Be Mindful of Browser Extensions: Only install browser extensions from trusted sources and regularly review your installed extensions.
  • Maintain a Stable Internet Connection: Ensure you have a reliable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth.
  • Clear Your Browser Cache Regularly: Clear your browser cache and cookies periodically to prevent data corruption.
  • Use a Reputable Antivirus Program: Protect your device from malware by using a reputable antivirus program and keeping it up-to-date.

Conclusion

The "Something Went Wrong" error on YouTube can be frustrating, but by systematically following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide, you can often resolve the issue and get back to enjoying your favorite videos. Remember to start with the simplest solutions and work your way up to the more advanced steps. With a little patience and persistence, you can overcome this common YouTube error and prevent it from disrupting your viewing experience. Good luck!

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments