How to Fix Black Screen YouTube Videos?

Imagine cooking dinner after a long day of work, ready to finally relax and enjoy your favorite YouTuber’s content while you eat, only to be met with a black screen when playing the video. Even imagining such a scenario can irate you, yet the problem is more widespread than you’d think.

Today, we’ll dive deeper into the issue of black screen YouTube videos, discuss the culprits behind these frustrating problems, and show you how to fix them on both the PC and the smartphone, regardless of your operating system.

What Causes a Black Screen on YouTube?

Before diving deeper into the various troubleshooting steps and fixing methods, we must first discuss the potential causes of black screen videos on YouTube. We’ve listed some of the most common culprits behind these issues below. They include the following:

• Browser Issues – Whether you’re a fan of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, or any other browser, problems with these apps can easily cause a black screen when playing YouTube videos. They’re often related to cached data and website cookies but can stem from other browsing data-related issues, outdated apps, and extensions.
• Poor Internet Connection – When it comes to smooth video playback on YouTube, a good internet connection plays a significant role. If your internet connection is unstable or slow, your videos constantly buffer, lag, or manifest as black-screen videos.
• Faulty Display Hardware – Although it’s rare, as these issues would manifest in multiple other ways, cases of faulty display hardware causing black-screen YouTube videos do exist. However, you can quickly test this by connecting to a different monitor or TV.

These are not the only causes of black-screen YouTube videos, but they are the most common ones. Nevertheless, you can resolve the issue, regardless of its root cause, if you follow our solutions below.

How to Fix Black Screen on YouTube Videos on a Computer

Apart from the apparent hardware-related issue, which will require an additional display to troubleshoot, the rest of the black screen on YouTube video issues are caused by software, meaning they’re quickly resolvable. So, let’s dive straight into the numerous fixes you can try to eliminate this annoying issue.

Fix 1: Use a Different Browser

Although the average user uses Safari on Mac or Edge on Windows, many advanced users prefer a third-party browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera. However, browser issues are among the most common causes of YouTube videos displaying black screens.

Regardless of how much you love your favorite browser and have every setting adjusted to your likes, you might need to use a different one to fix the issue of black screen on YouTube videos.

If you’re a Chrome user, download and install Firefox, or vice versa, and navigate to the same YouTube videos with black screens on your primary browser. Check whether the issue persists with the new browser. If it does, move on to a different solution.

Fix 2: Clear Cache and Cookies

Cached data and website cookies are the leading problems behind numerous browser-related issues.If you want to avoid using a different app, try removing your browser’s cache and cookies and check whether the issue persists. Here’s how:

Chrome:

Step 1: Open Google Chrome, hit the Three Dot button in the top right, and click Settings.

Step 2: Navigate to Privacy and Security, hit Clear browsing data , and select the Advanced tab.

Step 3: Specify the Time range to All time, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files boxes, then hit Clear Data.

Step 4: Close Google Chrome, then relaunch the app and check whether the black screen YouTube video issue persists.

Firefox:

Step 1: Launch Firefox, click the Three Line button in the top right, and select Settings.

Step 2: Go to Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data, and click Clear Data.

Step 3: Check both Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content boxes, and hit Clear.

Step 4: Close down Mozilla Firefox, reopen the app, and try playing YouTube videos.

Other browsers will require similar steps, and you can always search online for a guide on clearing cache and cookies on your specific browser app.

Fix 3: Check if Your Plugins Are the Issue

In addition to cookies and cache, various plugins, also known as extensions, can cause black screen issues with YouTube videos. You should disable the ones you use in your browser and test whether that resolves the problem. Here’s how:

Step 1: Click the Three Dot button in the upper right corner of Google Chrome.

Step 2: Select Extensions and then Manage Extensions.

Step 3: Toggle off extensions one by one. After turning off each extension, close the browser, relaunch it, and check whether the black screen on YouTube videos persists.

If you’re using Firefox, you can find Extensions by heading into Firefox’s Settings and selecting Extensions & Themes. Other browsers will also have similar steps.

Fix 4: Clear Browsing Data

Although cached data and website cookies are the most common causes of browser-related issues, they’re only a minor part of the entire equation of browsing data. Browser history, download history, autofill data, saved passwords and logins, and other types of browsing data also exist.

Clearing it might help resolve the black screen issues when playing YouTube videos. However, it’s worth noting that you’re likely deleting gigabytes of browsing data, and you’ll need to log back into each website you use. Nevertheless, below are the steps you can follow:

Chrome:

Step 1: Open Google Chrome’s Settings and navigate to Privacy and Security > Clear browsing data > Advanced.

Step 2: Specify the Time range, tick all the boxes, and click the Clear Data button.

Firefox:

Step 1: Open Firefox’s Settings and navigate to Privacy & Security.

Step 2: Scroll down until you find History, and click on Clear History.

Step 3: Specify the Time range to clear, tick all the boxes, and hit Clear Now.

Step 4: Close down Mozilla Firefox, relaunch the app, and check whether YouTube videos display a black screen.

Fix 5: Try Playing Videos in Incognito

Another browser-related nifty trick you can try is using Incognito Mode to play your YouTube videos. If it succeeds, it’ll point you in the right direction and tell you whether the issue is connected to your browser’s settings and data, your GPU or monitor, or your Google and YouTube accounts.

Press Control + Shift + N on your keyboard if you’re a Google Chrome user or Control + Shift + P if you’re running Mozilla Firefox. Other browsers will have similar keyboard shortcuts. Furthermore, you can also click the Three Dot/Line button and tap on the New Incognito/Private Window.

Once you’re in Incognito Mode, navigate to YouTube and test whether the videos have black screens or run as they should. If they now work, you must move to the following step.

Fix 6: Log Out From Your YT Account

Like any other app or website, YouTube could be better. It can have issues that manifest as a black screen when playing YouTube videos, preventing you from enjoying your favorite platform creators. These issues are often related to your Google/YouTube account but can be fixed by logging out.

Similarly, a working YouTube website in Incognito Mode is an excellent indicator of such issues, as you’re browsing as a guest in this mode.

To test this theory, open the YouTube website, click on your initial or profile picture in the top right corner, and hit the Sign Out button. Then, you can either use YouTube without an account or log in to a different YouTube account.

Fix 7: Check Your Connection

Online videos on platforms like YouTube and similar websites and their smooth playback largely depend upon the quality and speed of your internet connection. You must check your connection if you’re experiencing problems when playing videos on YouTube, regardless of whether they’re connected to a black screen or something else entirely.

Visit speed measuring websites like speedtest.net and fast.com, or use Google’s built-in speed test tool. Let the tools test your ping, jitter, and download and upload speeds.

If you’re getting the speeds you’re paying for, the problem is likely unrelated to your internet connection. Otherwise, you can restart your home router to ensure the problem isn’t on your end.

However, using Wi-Fi devices means more latency and slower speeds, especially if you’re far from your home router. To check for connection issues thoroughly, you should move around your home and reengage the speed test with different Wi-Fi devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Fix 8: Update Your Browser

Regularly updating apps is essential to your system’s security, and browsers are no exception. These updates can also resolve numerous issues you might have on various websites. Therefore, you should always be on the latest version. Here’s how to check:

Step 1: Inside Google Chrome, click the Three Dots button and head to Help > About Google Chrome.

Step 2: Click the Update button if there’s an update. Otherwise, click Relaunch.

Other browsers, like Firefox, Opera, and Safari, also need updates and have similar steps.

Fix 9: Disable Adblocker

Like other plugins and extensions, AdBlocker can have various adverse effects on the performance and quality of your browsing and cause issues like black screens when playing YouTube videos. To test this, you must turn off your AdBlocker extension in the browser.

Step 1: Navigate to your particular browser’s Extensions and locate AdBlocker.

Step 2: Turn off the extensions and relaunch the browser.

Step 3: Test for black screen issues.

You can re-enable the extension if the AdBlocker isn’t causing your issues. However, it’s best to keep it disabled until you resolve the problem.

Fix 10: Update or Uninstall Adobe Flash Player

Although many recently-updated browsers have moved away from using Adobe Flash Player and Adobe advises against using it, some users with older hardware, operating systems, and web browsers still rely on this app to play online videos.

However, this app can cause various issues. You’ll need to update the app or remove it altogether. Here’s how:

Step 1: Go to Adobe’s website and search for Adobe Flash Player.

Step 2: Download the latest version and run the installer.

Step 3: Follow the instructions and update the app.

Step 4: Restart your PC and check whether the issue persists.

Step 5: Hit the Windows key and search for the Control Panel.

Step 6: Navigate to Programs and Features, locate Adobe Flash Player, select it, and hit the Uninstall button.

Restarting your PC is highly recommended after updating or removing Adobe Flash Player.

Fix 11: Disable Hardware Acceleration

Although it’s an excellent tool for improving your graphical performance, your GPU’s hardware acceleration can also cause video playback problems, including black screen issues on YouTube videos, so you’ll need to turn it off or decrease it.

Step 1: Right-click on the Desktop > Personalize.

Step 2: Go into System > Display > Advanced display.

Step 3: Click on Display adapter properties for Display 1 > Troubleshoot.

Step 4: Tap on Change settings, and move the slider for Hardware acceleration between None and Full.

You can test various Hardware Acceleration settings by moving the slider to different notches and checking whether the black screen issues persist on YouTube videos.

How to Fix Black Screen on YouTube Videos on Smartphones

The solutions for black screen YouTube videos depend on whether you’re using a computer or a smartphone since YouTube is accessible as a dedicated app on both Android and iOS.

Smartphone users will need to try these fixes:

Fix 1: Clear App Cache

Cached data is a problem on smartphones, too. However, it’s unrelated to the browser app here, as you’ll need to clear the cache from the dedicated YouTube app. Here’s how:

Step 1: Navigate to Settings > Apps > Manage apps > YouTube.

Step 2: Click Clear Data at the bottom.

Step 3: Tap on Clear Cache and then test whether YouTube works as it should.

Step 4: If the black screen issue continues, repeat the steps above and tap on Clear Data this time.

Step 5: Log into YouTube and test again.

Fix 2: Update the App

If clearing the cache and the app’s data isn’t enough, you’ll need to ensure you’re running the latest version of the app.

Step 1: Open the Play Store on Android or the App Store on iOS.

Step 2: Search for YouTube and hit the Update button if there’s an update available.

Fix 3: Reinstall the App

Reinstalling a smartphone app can help when clearing the cache and the app’s data, or updating the app doesn’t do anything. It’ll force the app to refresh its settings and is bound to fix your issues.

Step 1: Navigate to Settings > Apps > Manage apps > YouTube on Android phones.

Step 2: Tap the Uninstall button at the bottom, and press OK when prompted.

Step 3: Go to the Google Play Store and search for YouTube.

Step 4: Download the app again and log back in.

Users with iPhones can do the following:

Step 1: Long-press on YouTube, tap Remove App, and then on Delete App when prompted.

Step 2: Head into Apple’s App Store and reinstall the YouTube app.

Step 3: Log into YouTube and check whether the black screen issue continues.

Fix 4: Restart Your Device

Another excellent fix, which, believe it or not, works wonders on numerous occasions, is a device restart. Here’s how to do it on Android:

Step 1: Press and hold the phone’s Power button until the Power off screen appears.

Step 2: Tap Reboot or move the slider towards Restart.

iPhone users will need to do the following:

Step 1: Press and hold the iPhone’s Power button if you own an iPhone 6, 7, 8, or SE. Alternatively, press and hold both the Power button and one of the Volume buttons if you’re using newer iPhones, like iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Step 2: Drag the slider and shut down your iPhone.

Step 3: Once completely turned off, press and hold the iPhone’s Power button again to power it on.

Bonus Tip: How to Repair Downloaded YouTube Videos

Even if all of the abovementioned solutions fail and you’re still experiencing a black screen when playing YouTube videos, there is a way of repairing them and enjoying your favorite content again. You can achieve that by downloading these YouTube videos and using a dedicated video repair tool, like Wondershare Repairit.

This app can effortlessly repair your downloaded YouTube videos, and the entire process is incredibly straightforward, only requiring a few steps and a few minutes of your time.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Download and Launch Wondershare Repairit, click Video Repair on the left side, and then Add to import the downloaded and corrupted YouTube videos.

Step 2: Click Repair to let the app handle your downloaded YouTube videos.

Step 3: Preview the now-repaired YouTube videos and click Save.

Conclusion

Black-screen YouTube videos can be incredibly frustrating and day-ruining. They’re a widespread problem on the YouTube platform and can be caused by browser-related issues, a poor internet connection, or faulty display hardware.

To resolve this issue, you’ll have to troubleshoot your monitor or TV with a different one, ensure your connection is up to par, and dive deeper into your browser’s settings. That involves clearing your cache and browser data, removing extensions, updating or reinstalling the app, logging out of your YT account, etc.

If all else fails, you can always download the problematic YouTube videos, use a dedicated video repair tool like Wondershare Repairit, and eliminate the annoying black screen issue.