YouTube is one of the biggest video-streaming platforms available to us online today. It has everything from educational to entertainment videos, so we understand the frustration one might feel if their YouTube app doesn’t load up.
After all, what’s better than streaming your favorite content after a long and tiring day? But what if your YouTube app doesn’t work? Are you frustrated about YouTube not loading on your iPad? Many iPad users have run into a similar problem with their YouTube, and there is no one-way answer as to why YouTube would not work on your iPad. You could be facing single or multiple issues leading to this problem.
While it could be due to connectivity or software issues, sometimes it can have something to do with your device and its storage and settings. So let’s break these issues down into fragments to understand them better and resolve the problem you’re facing.
Related: Top 7 Tools to Repair iPadOS System Problems (Works with iOS too)
YouTube not loading on iPad? – Here are some Quick Fixes
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Such an issue can exist due to various problems, including your internet connection to some problems with your device. In a nutshell, you can try:
- Restarting your device or the YouTube App. This will fix any minor glitches.
- You also need to check for a stable internet connection; hence try toggling your Mobile Data or WiFi on and off. You can also use Airplane Mode for this. Also, make sure you’ve not run out of your data.
- Check for updates in both-Youtube App and your iPad OS. In case you find any updates, install them as they will support maximum optimization.
- Also, make sure that your iPad has enough free space to make sure YouTube can run smoothly. If not, try deleting some unnecessary files.
Sometimes minor glitches in the app can hamper smooth functioning. If your app has been updated to date as well, you should try restarting your YouTube app, as it would probably fix those minor glitches. To restart the YouTube app, follow these steps-
- Go to the home screen of your iPad
- Now swipe from the bottom of your screen and pause in the middle. You should now be able to see all the apps that you’ve recently used that you haven’t closed as of yet.
- Locate YouTube and then swipe it up. This will close the app.
- Now, to restart the YouTube App, go to the home screen and click on the YouTube icon.
If the issue you were facing was due to a minor glitch, it should get fixed.
How to fix YouTube not working on iPad?
Here we have listed ten reasons and solutions for why your YouTube might not be working on your iPad. Typically, these solutions should be enough to fix the problem you’re facing.
1. Check if YouTube is down
Sometimes YouTube is shut down due to some maintenance that’s to be done from the company’s end. Such a shutdown is usually to fix some bugs and glitches on the app.
The best way to check it is to ask someone else if their YouTube seems to be working or not. If their YouTube is not working as well, it is probably down. You can also use Downdetector — a great webpage that keeps track of all other websites and their working conditions.
Note that this issue affects all devices, be it iOS or Android. If this is the case, then all you can do is wait for YouTube to be up again so that you can start using it again.
2. Check your internet connection
You are required to have a stable internet connection to use any app that runs online. Without an internet connection, you will only be able to stream downloaded videos on YouTube. To check if your internet is causing issues, try opening any other website on Safari or any other app that runs on the internet. If the website or the other app doesn’t load either, your internet probably has an issue. You can try resolving this issue by-
- Turning your Mobile Data Off and then turning it back On again.
- Ensure you are not out of your Mobile Data. You can also try asking someone who uses the same internet service provider if they’re able to use YouTube to confirm that the issue is from the side of your data provider or not.
- In case you’re using WiFi, try turning it Off and back On again. You can also forget the WiFi network and connect back to it again by re-entering the password.
Hence, this should fix any basic problems with your internet connection.
3. Check content restrictions on your iPad
If your iPad was recently handled by someone else, there is a chance that the user accidentally changed some settings on your iPad, leading to restrictions on YouTube that have barred it from working now. For this, you’ll have to head to the settings menu to change Restrictions as per your need. For iPadOS 12 and above, you can follow these steps-
- Open Settings
- Click on the Screen Time option
- Go to Content and Privacy Restrictions followed by clicking on Content Restrictions
- Change the restrictions as per your need
Note: Remember to allow YouTube in the content restrictions settings.
4. Update the YouTube app
Another reason for your YouTube not working could be that you are currently using an outdated version of YouTube. Apps like YouTube release updates often to continuously adapt and improve as per the need of their users. To check whether the YouTube on your iPad is updated to-date or not, you can follow these steps
- Click on App Store
- Go to the Today tab at the bottom
- Click on the user profile located at the top-right corner. You should now be able to see your account’s details.
- Scroll down till you find YouTube and check if there is ‘update’ written next to it. In case there is, you can update YouTube by clicking on it.
5. Check your iPad’s storage and clear cache
Even though the storage on an iPad is quite generous, it can get filled up to the point it starts affecting the performance of your device. For example, if your iPad has been getting hanged often, or you’ve been having other issues with clicking photos with your camera and using other apps, there is a fair chance that your iPad’s storage is low.
To check if this really is the case, you can check the current storage of your device by following these steps-
- Go the Settings and click on General
- Click on iPad Storage
After following these steps, you should be able to see the available storage of your device. You must have an optimum amount of storage free for your YouTube and other Apps to be able to run smoothly. In case your memory is nearly full, try uninstalling some unwanted apps to free up some space. You can also try deleting unwanted photos, videos, and files to free up some storage. You can also clear the YouTube cache files.
Caches usually contain temporarily stored data meant to help your apps or websites load faster, although sometimes it can toll on your device’s memory. To clear them on your iPad:
- First click on the Settings button on your device and then on the General option
- Head to iPad Storage and keep on scrolling down till you see YouTube. Once you see it, click on it.
- Now, tap on the option that says Offload App. This will free up some storage that your YouTube has occupied on your device so far, including the cache.
This will relieve your iPad’s memory and should also help resolve some minor issues if you’ve faced any while using the app recently.
6. Re-install the YouTube app
If your device settings, storage, app updates, and internet connection are fine and YouTube is not down as well, you might want to try re-installing the app. Sometimes, specific files that help YouTube run smoothly can get corrupted, leading to YouTube not working anymore on your device. To Re-Install the app, you need to-
- Press and Hold the YouTube Icon on your iPad’s screen
- Select the Remove App option from the menu. This will uninstall your app.
- Head to the App Store and install YouTube from there once again.
7. Update iPadOS
Just like your YouTube App needs to be updated to the latest version to run smoothly, your issue with YouTube may exist because your iPad OS has not been updated to its latest version. Most apps would cater best to the latest versions of OS; hence it’s recommended that if there are any pending software updates, you get done with them. To do so, you can follow the steps given below
- Head to Settings followed by clicking on General
- Click on the Software Update option
- In case you see any Software Update available, install it.
This process might take a bit of time, and you should not restart your iPad while it’s updating the software as it might disrupt the process altogether.
8. Reset network settings
If you believe that your device has run into specific network issues, you can try and reset your iPad’s network settings to see if the problem is resolved. Please note that doing this will remove any saved network passwords you have on your device as well. For this, you can
- Go to Setting followed by General.
- Click on Reset followed by choosing the option of Reset Network Settings
9. Factory reset your iPad
This should be one of the last options you choose in case nothing else on this list works. If you’ve been facing other issues with your iPad along with YouTube not loading, this might help you resolve all your problems as well. Factory Reset will delete all data on your iPad, so you must back up all your essential files, documents, and passwords you need to save; otherwise, the data will be lost forever.
In case you want to try this method as well, you can follow these steps-
- Go to Settings followed by General
- Click on the Reset Option and then select Erase All Content and Settings option.
- Confirm your decision
With this method, you might need to update and install your Apps once again, and restoring the data you’ve backed up might take some time as well.
10. Re-sign into your Google account
Your YouTube account is created through your Google Account and is linked to it. Hence any issue with your Google Account can interfere with your YouTube Account as well. Depending on where you’re logged in, you’ll have to sign out from your Google Account either from your Safari Browser or your Gmail App. In both the cases, you’ll need to-
- Click on the profile photo that you see in the top-right corner.
- A menu will appear from which you need to choose the sign-out option.
- You can now try signing back into your account again and see if it fixed the issue.
Bonus fix tips
If you’re still struggling to get YouTube running smoothly, try the following fixes, and you might just solve the issue:
1. Fix iPadOS update or system issues
Assuming that none of the tips above have helped you use YouTube on your iPad, here’s a fix that can help you get back on track. AnyFix is a system recovery app that works with iOS and iPadOS devices and can help you repair 40+ iPad issues.
All you need to do is install the software, connect your iPad and run the “System Repair” tool. It will scan your iPad of all the issues and then help you with a quick solution. This works by re-installing the OS on your iPad, and hence, it cleans all the files and any errors that come with it.
So, if you have tried everything and YouTube still isn’t working, this is the only solution. However, do note that the repair process will clean all the data, and we recommend you make a backup of all the essential files beforehand.
2. Download youtube offline
Finally, if you don’t want to lose your data or don’t like the long process of cleaning your iPad to the factory settings and still want to watch YouTube, well, we have the solution for you. Download the YouTube videos offline and watch them on your iPad.
SYC2 or Softorino YouTube Converter 2 is an app that can help you download and convert all YouTube videos straight from your PC or Mac to your iPad. Just download the app, install it and search for the video you want to download. It’s as simple as that.
After finding the video you’re looking for, just click on the “Convert & Transfer to iPad” button. The video will be downloaded, converted to the proper format, and then transferred over to your device over a wired or wireless connection.
Final words
Above we’ve discussed several solutions to a single problem, and typically, these solutions should work to fix the problem relating to YouTube not loading on iPad. In addition, some of these solutions should also be able to fix any other minor issues that you’ve been facing with your YouTube App lately.
Overall, hopefully, these solutions should suffice, and your problem will be fixed in no time. So, rest assured and use the fixes above to enjoy the perfect YouTube experience on your portable iPad.
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