YouTube is a go-to platform for watching videos, learning new skills, and staying entertained. However, there’s nothing more frustrating than when your favorite videos keep pausing unexpectedly. Whether you’re watching on a computer, phone, or smart TV, these interruptions can ruin your viewing experience.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the common causes behind this issue and provide step-by-step solutions to ensure smooth, uninterrupted streaming. Read on to discover how to fix YouTube videos that keep pausing, and enjoy your content without the hassle.
Why Do YouTube Videos Keep Pausing?
YouTube videos might keep pausing for several reasons. Here are some common causes:
- Internet Connection Issues: The most common reason YouTube videos keep pausing is a weak or unstable internet connection. If your connection is slow or intermittent, the video may buffer frequently, causing it to pause.
- Browser Problems: Sometimes, the browser you are using can cause YouTube to randomly pause. This can happen if the browser is outdated, has too many extensions, or if there’s a conflict with other software.
- Device Issues: Your device itself could be the culprit. Problems such as low storage space, outdated software, or background apps consuming too much memory can cause YouTube to keep stopping.
- Headphone Connection: If you’re using headphones, a loose or faulty connection can cause the video to pause whenever the connection is disrupted.
- App Bugs: The YouTube app itself can have bugs or glitches that cause it to pause. Keeping your app updated can often resolve these issues.
- Background Data Restrictions: Some devices have settings that restrict background data usage. If YouTube doesn’t have unrestricted access, it may pause the video frequently.
- Power Saving Modes: Power saving modes on your device can limit app functionality to conserve battery, causing YouTube videos to pause every few seconds.
By identifying these common causes, you can take appropriate steps to prevent YouTube from pausing itself and enjoy uninterrupted video playback.
How to Fix YouTube If Videos Are Keep Pausing?
Now that we’ve identified the common reasons why YouTube keeps pausing, let’s look at how to fix these issues. By following these steps, you can enjoy uninterrupted video playback. We’ll start with the most basic troubleshooting method and move on to more specific solutions.
1. Check Internet Connection
If your YouTube videos are pausing constantly, your internet connection may be poor. You can resolve this by using any of the fixes given below.
- Test your internet speed by using an online speed test tool. YouTube requires a minimum of 5 Mbps for HD video streaming. If your speed is lower, consider upgrading your plan or troubleshooting your current connection.
- Close any unnecessary apps running in the background that may be hogging the bandwidth.
- The farther you move from the Wi-Fi router, the poorer the connection will be. You can try moving closer to your Wi-Fi router and check if the issue persists.
- Reboot your Wi-Fi router to remove any cache or memory files that may be affecting the overall performance of the Wi-Fi connection.
- In case you are not able to move closer to your Wi-Fi router for better connectivity, you can try using a Wi-Fi extender.
- If possible, connect your device directly to the router using an Ethernet cable. This can provide a more stable connection than Wi-Fi.
- Other electronic devices, walls, or objects can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. Ensure there are no such obstructions between your device and the router.
- If you have access to another Wi-Fi network or mobile data, switch to it temporarily to see if the issue persists. This helps determine if the problem is specific to your current network.
- If possible, connect your device directly to the router using an Ethernet cable. This can provide a more stable connection than Wi-Fi.
- Other electronic devices, walls, or objects can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. Ensure there are no such obstructions between your device and the router.
- If you have access to another Wi-Fi network or mobile data, switch to it temporarily to see if the issue persists. This helps determine if the problem is specific to your current network.
2. Try Using Different Browser
If you are encountering other problems on YouTube along with the videos pausing regularly, the browser you are using may be at fault. In such a case, when you upgrade your browser to the latest version it will fix the issue. Even after upgrading your browser, if you still experience issues while watching YouTube videos, it is best to download a different browser.
3. Reboot Your Device
There may be minor bugs in your device that can be causing the videos on YouTube pause. A simple reboot of the device you are using can resolve multiple issues like these. Always ensure that you save your work before rebooting your device.
- iPhone: To reboot an iPhone, press the ‘Volume Up/Down’ button with ‘Side’ button together and hold till you see the slider and turn off your phone. After a few seconds, press the ‘Side’ button and hold till you see the Apple logo on the screen.
- iPad: To reboot an iPad, press the ‘Volume Up/Down’ button with ‘Top’ button together and hold till you see the slider and turn off your iPad. After a few seconds, press the ‘Top’ button and hold till you see the Apple logo on the screen.
- Android Phone: Press the ‘Power’ button and hold for a few seconds and select ‘Restart’ from the given options.
3. Check Headphones Keeps Disconnected
If you are watching some video on YouTube using your earphones or headphones for audio and you observe that it keeps getting disconnected, you may face the problem of the YouTube video pausing. This can happen when your earphone plug is damaged, your phone’s port is dirty, or if the Bluetooth earphone is discharged.
If your earphones are physically damaged, it is always a better idea to replace them immediately to avoid future issues while playing YouTube videos. In case the issue is with your Bluetooth earphones and you cannot see any physical damage to it, you can do the following things.
- Try being within 20-30 feet distance from your device when you are using Bluetooth earphones for the audio.
- Disconnect and connect your earphones again.
- Charge your earphones and try using them again.
4. Update Your YouTube App
If you have not installed the latest updates of the YouTube app, you may encounter plenty of issues with YouTube videos pausing being one of them. In order to fix this, go to Play Store on your Android device or App Store on your Apple device, search YouTube app, and tap the ‘Update’ option. For your Windows PC, you can update YouTube either from its settings or you can do it from the Microsoft Store. Once done, you should be able to watch any YouTube videos without any interruptions.
5. Clear Cache and Data
Your device, may it be your cellphone or computer, stores the cache files from every site you visit online so that it can launch the site faster the next time you visit it. However, when many of these cache files get accumulated over time, it can cause multiple performance issues, with YouTube videos pausing being one of them. To eliminate this cause, you will have to clear the store cache and data files from your browser by following the below steps.
- From ‘Settings’, go to ‘Apps’ Click on “App Management”.
- From the apps listed, select ‘YouTube’.
- Go to ‘Storage’, and tap ‘Clear Cache’.
6. Check Unrestricted Background Data Usage
You should also check the data usage settings of YouTube on your phone. If you enable data saving mode on your mobile device and do not allow the YouTube app to use data in the background without limitations, it may cause YouTube videos to pause. Here’s how to adjust this setting:
- Navigate to the settings menu on your mobile device.
- Tap on the search bar or icon and search for “data usage” settings.
- Choose “Data usage” from the search results to access the settings.
- Look for options like “Data saving” or similar. If enabled, it restricts background data usage for apps, including YouTube.
- Select “Apps with unlimited data usage” or a relevant option based on your device model.
- Scroll through the list of apps and find YouTube.
- Toggle the button to allow YouTube to use data in the background without limitations.
Adjusting these settings ensures that the YouTube app can operate smoothly in the background, minimizing interruptions that cause YouTube videos to pause.
7. Extensions Might Be Outdated Or Corrupted
If you have multiple extensions installed on your browser, there are high chances that one among them may be the reason behind the YouTube videos pausing. You can fix this by opening a new window in incognito mode. When you stream YouTube videos in private mode, the browser extensions get disabled. After doing this if you do not face the problem of the YouTube video pausing midway, then you will have to delete all the browser extensions and install them individually to check the one that is causing the problem. Generally, the browser extensions that control media content are the cause behind such issues.
8. Turn off ‘Take a Break’ Feature
If you are someone who spends hours together browsing through the many YouTube videos, YouTube may pause the videos after a while to give you a break. While this is definitely good for your eyes and movies you have time to stretch, it can be pretty annoying when you are watching something interesting and don’t really need that break. You can turn off this feature by using the steps given below.
- Open YouTube, go to your profile, and tap on ‘Settings’.
- Tap ‘General’ and disable ‘Remind me to take a break’.
You can even turn off the ‘Remind me when it’s bedtime’ feature to avoid interruptions while streaming a YouTube video. However, it is important to note that long hours of screen time can potentially hamper your eyes as well as your sitting posture.
9. Get Rid of the Ads
One of the ways you can make money on YouTube is by placing multiple ads throughout the video. While this definitely benefits the video creators, it can ruin the experience for the audience. The easiest way to get rid of these ads is by upgrading to the paid YouTube premium version. You can even install an ad-blocker, but recently YouTube has started detecting ad-blockers and restricting videos for any user with ad blockers.
10. Disable Data Saver On YouTube
Data Saver generally lowers the picture quality to help you restrict your mobile data usage so that you do not go over the limit. In case you do go over the limit, Data Saver can even stop the YouTube videos. However, if you have an unlimited data plan, you can turn off the Data Saver and enjoy uninterrupted videos on YouTube by using the steps given below.
- Launch the YouTube app and go to your Profile.
- Tap on ‘Settings’, and then on ‘Data Saving’.
- Adjust the toggle in front of ‘Data saving mode’ to disable this feature.
11. Turn Off Battery Saver Mode On Your Device
If the Battery Saver Mode is turned on on your phone, it may cause the videos on YouTube to pause while you are watching them randomly. This happens because in the Battery Saver Mode, your phone tries to save the battery by interfering with the applications on your phone that are potentially leading to your phone’s battery draining faster. You can avoid such a situation by turning off the Battery Saver Mode in the following way.
- On your mobile screen, swipe down from the top of the screen to access the notification panel.
- Look for the battery-saver icon and disable it.
By turning off battery saver mode, you can prevent restrictions that may cause YouTube videos to pause due to limited device performance.
12. Check Conflicting Third-Party App
Certain third-party apps may hinder the performance of your YouTube app. Ad-blocker apps, antivirus apps, or VPNs are the most common reasons behind your YouTube app behaving abnormally. To resolve this, you will have to uninstall any such apps that can potentially hamper YouTube’s performance. Once done, you can relaunch the YouTube app and check if the problem persists.
What To Do If YouTube Videos Are Still Pausing?
If you have tried all the previous troubleshooting steps and YouTube videos are still pausing, there might be more complex issues at play. It’s essential to consider more advanced solutions or seek professional support to address these persistent problems.
YouTube Support Website:
The YouTube Support Website is a comprehensive resource for resolving various issues related to YouTube. You can find detailed guides, FAQs, and troubleshooting tips for a wide range of problems, including video playback issues. To access the YouTube Support Website:
- Visit YouTube Help: Go to the official YouTube Help website by navigating to support.google.com/youtube.
- Search for Issues: Use the search bar to type in keywords related to your issue, such as “videos pausing” or “playback issues”.
- Follow Guides: Browse through the available articles and follow the detailed guides and solutions provided.
If needed, you can also contact YouTube’s customer support for personalized assistance.
YouTube – FAQs
Ans: The most common reason behind the videos on your phone pausing after every few seconds is poor internet connection. YouTube videos use a lot of data, and when the speed of your internet connection is slow, the data required for the video to stream does not get transferred at the required speed, which restricts smooth viewing of the video.
Ans: When the internet bandwidth is insufficient, the videos on the internet can keep pausing periodically. This happens because the data cannot get downloaded fast enough for video viewing, due to which the video starts buffering. This also happens when there is an unstable internet connection.
Ans: You can try the following fix to stop your videos from pausing on YouTube.
* Launch the YouTube app and go to your profile.
* Go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘General’.
* Disable the ‘Remind me to take a break’ option.
Ans: You can fix this on your browser by clearing the cache, history, and cookies by following the steps given below.
* Go to ‘Menu’, and select ’History’.
* From there, tap on ‘Clear browsing data’.
* Then select ‘Advanced’ and check the required boxes to remove cache, cookies, and site data
* Also, select the ‘All-time’ option in the time range section and hit ‘Clear data’.
Ans: If YouTube is constantly pausing on your smart TV, you can try the following fixes.
* Ensure you have a strong and fast internet connection.
* Close all the apps running in the background.
* Reset modem or router
* Restart the YouTube app.
Conclusion
It is a very annoying situation to be in when the YouTube video you are watching starts stopping randomly every few seconds. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, this article can help you. There may be several reasons why the YouTube video on your device may be pausing from time to time. Once you know the reason, it becomes easier for you to troubleshoot the issue. You can follow the solutions given above to enjoy seamless YouTube videos viewing without any interruptions.
