YouTube Not Playing on iPhone 5? Here’s How to Fix It

Trying to watch YouTube videos on your iPhone 5 but nothing plays? Whether the app is crashing, videos won’t load, or you’re stuck with a spinning wheel, it’s usually a software or network issue that’s totally fixable.

Here’s what you can do to get YouTube working on your iPhone 5 again.

1. Force Close and Reopen the YouTube App

If the app has glitched out or crashed in the background, a quick reset can help.

Double press the Home button to open the app switcher.
Swipe up on the YouTube app to close it.
Open YouTube again and try playing a video.

Also, close any other apps running in the background to free up system memory.

2. Restart Your iPhone

A reboot clears out temporary glitches that may affect YouTube playback.

Hold the Power button until the “slide to power off” slider appears.
Slide to shut down.
After a few seconds, hold the Power button again until you see the Apple logo.

Open the YouTube app again and test playback.

3. Disable Screen Time or App Restrictions

If restrictions are enabled, they might be blocking the YouTube app.

Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Enter your passcode, if prompted.
Either toggle Content & Privacy OFF, or
Go to Allowed Apps and make sure YouTube is enabled.

4. Update the YouTube App and iOS

An outdated app or system can cause compatibility problems.

To update YouTube:

Open the App Store.
Tap the Updates tab.
Tap Update next to YouTube.

To update iOS:

Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
If available, download and install the latest update.

After updating, restart your iPhone and test YouTube again.

5. Reset Network Settings

Bad network settings could be preventing YouTube from loading properly.

Go to Settings > General > Reset.
Tap Reset Network Settings.
Enter your passcode and confirm.

Your phone will reboot. Reconnect to Wi-Fi, then open YouTube and try playing a video.

6. Delete and Reinstall the YouTube App

If the app is corrupted, reinstalling is your best bet.

Press and hold the YouTube icon until it jiggles.
Tap the X, then Delete.
Open the App Store and search for YouTube.
Tap the Download icon to reinstall.

Open the freshly installed app and sign in again if needed. Then test video playback.

Still Not Working?

Here’s what else you can try:

Test a different video or channel – The issue may be with the specific video.
Try YouTube in Safari – Go to youtube.com and see if videos play in your browser.
Test another device – If YouTube doesn’t work there either, the issue might be with your network or YouTube’s servers.
Check if YouTube is down – Visit Downdetector to see if there’s a widespread outage.