The current quality setting appears in parentheses next to “Auto. " This doesn’t mean your video has been playing at that quality the whole time—just that it’s playing at that speed right now due to current conditions.
If you’re still having issues, see the Troubleshooting Playback Issues method.
If you’re watching YouTube videos in a web browser, try closing excess open browser tabs. Having many browser tabs open at once hogs precious RAM and CPU power, which can impact streaming video.
Clear your web browser cache. See How to Clear Your Browser’s Cache to learn how to do this on nearly every browser. If you’re using the YouTube app on an Android, iPhone, or iPad, check the Play Store or App Store for updates to the app. If you’re using Chrome on a computer, click the three-dot menu at the top-right corner of Chrome, then click New incognito window. Now, navigate to YouTube and start watching a video. If the video isn’t stopping frequently to buffer, the issue is likely related to a bad Chrome extension. Return to the three-dot menu, select Tools, and then click Extensions to disable unknown extensions.
If your VPN service gives you the option to connect to a variety of servers, try a different server.
If you’re using Windows or macOS, try preventing unneeded apps from launching when you start the computer. See How to Disable Startup Programs to learn how.
If you’re using a phone or tablet, try using mobile data (data rates may apply) to see if you’re having the same issue. Or, if you’ve already been using mobile data, try connecting to Wi-Fi. If you’re using Wi-Fi on a computer, try connecting directly to your router with an Ethernet cable. If this takes care of the problem, your Wi-Fi connection might be weak or overloaded.
Navigate to https://www. google. com in any web browser. Type internet speed test into the search bar and click the magnifying glass. Click the blue Run Speed Test button. Compare the results to what is provided by your ISP. If your connection is slow, contact your ISP for assistance—the issue could be on their end, but also may be related to your modem.
