Why does Youtube keeps pausing on my phone

Updated at 22 Aug 2022

Do you want to watch a fascinating YouTube video, but it keeps stopping? Unfortunately, many stimming platforms face similar problems, and YouTube is no exception in this case.

Puzzled drawn man sitting at laptop

Many YouTube users face this annoying problem every day. YouTube playback stops randomly every few seconds. This is very worrisome.

You have searched the Internet for an answer but cannot find it. This article explains why YouTube videos keep pausing and how you can fix it. Let's start!

Here is another exciting article How to share Youtube video on Instagram story.

YouTube keeps pausing

YouTube can pause for a variety of reasons. Poor Internet is the most common problem. The app will constantly buffer as it pre-downloads the cache of the video you are watching.

There are many reasons this can happen, as shown below:

  • Turning on the "Remind me to Take a Break" feature.
  • Insufficient Storage space
  • Corrupt Cache
  • Bugs in the YouTube app
  • Poor Internet connection
  • Using old versions of YouTube
  • Problems with YouTube servers
  • The excessive placing of ads by the Creator
  • A high number of users
  • Faulty headphones

We now know why YouTube keeps stalling. Let's look at the solution. Also you can download YouTube videos to your computer for offline viewing.

YouTube Keeps Pausing Issue

Photo of a hand holding a phone showing YouTube not working

Here are some ways to prevent YouTube from crashing.

Check Your Internet Connection

Videos cache must be pre-downloaded (buffered) to ensure seamless viewing of YouTube videos.

In case of your internet connection is slow or poor, you will experience frequent pauses in YouTube playback.

  • So first, make sure your internet connection/WiFi is fast. For example, Fast.com offers a speed test.
  • Open other apps and check if they are slower.
  • Restart your internet connection if it is slow.
  • You can also lower the quality of your streaming video. Instead, you can stream higher-quality videos such as 480p or 720p. Video quality changes such as 360p and below.

Pay attention: To ensure that the problem with your Internet connection is the cause of the stopped video, read our detailed article How to tell if your Internet was shut off.

Headphone Jack

Photo of a phone lying on a laptop next to wireless headphones

Sometimes the problem may be because your headphones are not correctly fitted/do not fit, or simply broke. Even if the AirPods are not correctly placed in your ears, YouTube may pause playback.

If your wires are damaged or faulty, you can replace them and see if the issue is resolved. You can also clog your computer's headphone jack with dirt and other materials that can cause problems with your headphones. Either use a blower or take it to an expert to fix the problem.

Learn also How to fix Instagram story not uploading.

Disable the "Remind me to take a break" option

YouTube's " Remember Me to Take a Break " feature helps limit excessive platform usage.

This feature tells YouTube to remind you to close the app or to take a break based on the time.

While this feature is useful, it can cause YouTube to pause randomly and disrupt your streaming experience.

How to turn off the "Remind me to take a break" feature:

  • Open the YouTube app.
  • Press on the Profile Icon at the top right corner.
  • Select Settings.
  • Tap General.
  • Toggle Off The Remind Me to Take a Break button.

Now open YouTube to check if the problem has been resolved.

Clear YouTube Cache

The cache is temporary files used by apps to ensure proper and fast running. For example, YouTube saves the videos that you have viewed previously as cache.

Cache accumulation can cause slowdowns, freezing, and other performance problems. For example, YouTube's inability to pause for a few seconds can be caused by corrupt cache files. Clearing them can resolve the issue.

To Clear cache:

  • Head To Setting.
  • Apps/Apps & Notifications.
  • Select YouTube Apps from the List.
  • Tap Storage & cache.
  • Tap Clear cache.

If you continue having issues after clearing the cache, tap clear storage.

You can also read Why is my download speed so slow.

Third-party App Conflicting

Youtube logo and a drawn video camera are placed in the drawn text box

Some apps are not compatible with other applications. Conflicting apps on your device could cause frequent errors and disrupt your YouTube streaming experience.

It could be an application you recently installed or even an antivirus or VPN.

Uninstall any suspicious apps or restart your phone to close all running services

Open YouTube when your phone is back on. Then, check to see if it's still randomly pausing videos.

Update Your YouTube App

Older apps can cause performance and security issues for your phone. In addition, older apps are incompatible with the most recent services and can cause glitches or bugs. Update an old YouTube app.

Go to the Play Store and update. This will fix auto-pausing playback.

Insufficient Storage Space

Apps require sufficient storage space to function properly.

YouTube requires space to store a cache that is preloaded while you stream videos. This allows you to view the video without interruption.

Space is also required to store downloaded videos.

If your phone runs out of space, it could cause problems and cause YouTube videos to pause randomly as you attempt to watch them.

Clear out any files taking up space, and then run the app again. This could help you solve your problem.

Use an Adblocker

You may have seen ads placed between video segments. To ensure seamless viewing without any pauses or breaks, you can use an adblocker.

Chrome browsers offer a built-in ad blocking feature, as well as plugins and standalone apps. However, be careful when installing random ad-blocking programs, as some may come with viruses.

AdGuard is recommended to protect against excessive YouTube ads and other websites, browsers, apps, games, and apps. This application is compatible and suitable for installation on Windows, Mac OS, iOS and Android.

We are sure that you will be interested to know How to fix Amazon Fire TV critically low on storage.

Check Device Settings

Photo of a hand with a phone with the YouTube logo on the screen

Other issues could be due to your phone's settings.

Setting your device settings, such as battery optimization and limiting background data usage by applications, can affect the playback experience of videos.

Restricting Background Data Usage

Limiting background apps helps to save data on mobile devices.

Are you able to block apps running in the background?

Only YouTube (or other apps you choose) can use background data without restrictions.

YouTube allows unrestricted background use:

  • Head over to the phone settings.
  • Tap Network & the Internet > Data Use.
  • Tap Data Saver.
  • Tap Unrestricted data.
  • Scroll down to YouTube from the apps list and toggle ON by clicking the button to the right.

This will allow unrestricted background information usage for the app.

Learn also How to fix corrupted data on PS4.

Battery Saver

YouTube videos might also stop working if a power or battery saver is turned on.

Turn off the battery-saver:

  • Scroll down to the Notifications Panel.
  • Find the icon for the battery saver and turn it off.

Check Your Browser

Cache accumulation in browsers is a common problem. Clearing your browser cache is a simple solution.

To clear browser cache:

  • Open the Google Chrome browser.
  • In the address bar, input chrome://net-internals/#dns and hit Enter.
  • Click Clear host cache button.
  • Close and re-open Google Chrome.

If the problem persists after clearing your browser cache, you can switch to another browser to see if it is still there. Try other browsers like Mozilla, Opera, or Bing to see if the problem persists.

Read also Fixing the "this channel cannot be displayed" error on Telegram.

Auto-Pause Feature

YouTube default settings include an Automatic-pause feature that pauses videos if you are inactive for a while.

This helps you to not miss out on the content you were watching.

This can happen while using your phone for other purposes, such as working out or taking a break from your phone.

Disable Extensions

Photo of a hand with a phone with the YouTube logo on the screen

Extensions can be useful that allows you to edit grammar and take screenshots from your browser. In addition, these extensions add additional functionality to your browser.

YouTube may also stop displaying videos if you have extensions. This could be caused by a new extension that is incompatible or an accumulation of extensions that causes problems in your browser.

Disable or remove extensions temporarily to see if you still have issues.

To disable browser extensions:

  • To open the menu , click the three-dot icon in the top-right corner.
  • Select More Tools.
  • Select Extensions.
  • Disable Extensions.

Close all tabs, and then re-open Chrome. You can now open YouTube to check if the issue is resolved.

Surely it will be useful for you to know How to create a secret chat in Telegram.

Browse YouTube Later

YouTube may be experiencing traffic overload because it is busy. As a result, the app may pause or stop working. If this is the case, you can try to browse YouTube at a later date and time than that moment.

Frequently Asked Question

My YouTube keeps crashing?

YouTube keeps stalling because you have "Remind me to Take a Break" on, insufficient storage, corrupt cache, bugs with YouTube, poor Internet connection, or using an outdated version of YouTube. YouTube servers are also having issues. These can cause YouTube to stop working for a few seconds every time.

What can I do to stop YouTube from crashing?

To prevent YouTube from crashing, you must turn off the "Remind me to take a rest" feature. Now is the time to check that you have enough storage space left. Clear your YouTube cache and browser cache. Check for conflicts with third-party apps. Update the YouTube app.

We are convinced that this article was helpful and was able to help you solve the YouTube freezing problem.



See also other articles:

How to get free PS4 gamesFixing the "this channel cannot be displayed" error on TelegramThe most frequent questions about TelegramHow to see who shared your Instagram postHow to start a YouTube channel for beginners