Roku is a digital media streaming device that allows you to watch several television channels on your Smart TV. Roku links to your television and allows you to stream TV shows, news, movies, and other online content.
How to Fix YouTube Not Working on Roku
When YouTube isn’t working on Roku videos will occasionally not load, freeze; other times, the YouTube app will not load at all. This might be due to a bad Internet connection, a problem with your YouTube account, or a problem with the Roku device.
You may also be unable to log in to your YouTube account or launch any YouTube videos. These problems can come at any time. But there are a couple of easy fixes to resolve these issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot when YouTube on Roku isn’t working.
1. Restart Your Roku Device
Restart your Roku device first. You may either utilize the menu’s Restart option or disconnect the Roku device from the wall, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in.
Turn it back on after a few minutes and try to reaccess YouTube. If your Roku device is having system issues, rebooting it generally solves the problem.
Allow a few minutes for the Roku to reconnect when it has finished rebooting. It shouldn’t take long, and YouTube should now be working correctly for you! If restarting your Roku doesn’t work, you might want to consider factory resetting it.
2. Perform a Factory Reset
If YouTube is still not functioning after restarting your Roku, you can attempt the Factory Reset option.
Keep in mind that a factory reset will erase all your settings, disconnect the Roku from your account, and reset the device to factory defaults.
To conduct a factory reset on your Roku, press and hold the hardware reset button for roughly 10 seconds. If it doesn’t perform a factory reset, use the procedures below.
Here’s how to restore your Roku to factory settings:
- Press the Home button on the remote control
- Click on Settings
- Click on System
- Select Advanced system settings
- Select Factory reset
- Factory reset everything
- Complete the factory reset by following the on-screen instructions.
3. Check to See if YouTube’s Servers are Unavailable
If YouTube still isn’t running on Roku, check to see if the YouTube servers are down. YouTube’s servers can go down at any time, and the reason you can’t use the app could be due to one of these outages. You can use Downdetector to check if Youtube servers are down.
If YouTube’s servers are down, you’ll have to wait until they’re fixed. While this does not occur frequently, it is a possibility. Check YouTube on other devices, such as your phone or computer, to see whether it’s available.
Also, double-check that you’re using the proper login and password. It could explain why the YouTube channel on Roku cannot connect to your account if your YouTube account has been locked.
4. Double-check Your Wi-Fi Connection
Check your Internet Speed and Wi-Fi Network. Your Wi-Fi network may have problems, and YouTube may not function properly as a consequence.
Poor connectivity might make it difficult for the device to send video to your television. If your Wi-Fi Internet connection is sluggish in general, you could have trouble accessing the YouTube channel.
The best course of action is to determine what is causing your poor Internet speed.
To begin, conduct a speed test on your Roku.
- On your remote, press the Home button.
- Go to Settings by scrolling down.
- Select Network
- Check Connection from the menu bar.
- Wait until the Roku’s speed test is completed.
If everything appears to be in order, access YouTube and see if the problem has been resolved.
Alternatively, you can disconnect the router for a few minutes before plugging it back in. The router will take a few minutes to reset completely, but it should help you get YouTube working again.
5. Adjust the Streaming Quality
Another way to fix YouTube on Roku is to reduce the quality of video streaming. You’ll want to adjust the streaming quality if the videos aren’t loading correctly or are taking a long time to buffer.
The video quality can be reduced using the following options.
- Go to the Roku home page
- Go to the settings menu
- You should be able to access the Display Type section from there.
- Reduce the video resolution to 720p or 480p and see whether you can watch a video without any problems.
You might also wish to use “Auto Detect,” which allows the device to alter the resolution without your intervention.
6. Look for Updates to the Roku OS
If the software on your Roku isn’t updated, it might cause Videos not to load correctly or to freeze, and you may have difficulty getting things to run smoothly.
Check for any Roku OS upgrades in the settings menu to resolve this issue.
If your Roku’s software is outdated, you’ll have trouble opening the YouTube channel, and the only way to solve it is to upgrade the Roku.
Although the Roku device updates itself, ensuring you have the most recent updates will typically alleviate unexpected issues.
Here is how you can manually update your Roku:
- Press the Home button on the remote to manually update your Roku.
- Click on Settings.
- Select System
- Click on System Update from the menu bar.
- To begin a manual update search, choose to Check now.
Your Roku will automatically download and install the most recent upgrades. Run YouTube once more to determine if the problem persists.
If you interrupt the update process or turn off your Roku device before it finishes, you risk corrupting the firmware and causing significant problems with your Roku.
You should also check for changes to the YouTube app while you’re at it. It’s possible that older versions won’t operate with your current Roku OS.
7. Reinstall the YouTube App
The YouTube app should be reinstalled if necessary. Reinstalling the app may resolve difficulties with the cache or data saved on your Roku.
If it isn’t working, reinstalling the YouTube app on Roku is one alternative that may help you address your problems.
To reinstall the YouTube app, follow these steps.
- Go to YouTube by pressing the Home button.
- To access the channel menu, press the [*] button on the remote.
- Select Remove channel from the drop-down menu and confirm the prompt.
- Restart the Roku TV after the app has been uninstalled.
- Go to Streaming Channels after the Roku has turned on.
- Select YouTube from the drop-down menu and click Add Channel.
- After the app has been installed, launch it to see if the problem has been resolved.
It would be best if you put it to the test right away by watching some videos. We hope this solution worked for you!
Keep in mind that Only the YouTube app should be removed, not the YouTube TV app. You won’t be able to get YouTube TV back once you’ve removed it from your Roku TV.
Contract negotiations between YouTube and Roku broke down in April 2021, and Roku eventually cancelled the agreement.
This means that Roku customers who installed the YouTube TV app before April of this year will be fine, and the app will continue to work.
You can’t download the YouTube TV app after April 2021 if you try.
8. Use the YouTube TV App
If you already have the YouTube TV app and are having trouble streaming YouTube on your Roku, use the YouTube TV App instead.
The YouTube TV app works better for many folks. If you don’t already have the YouTube TV app loaded on your Roku, you won’t be able to do so until the contract issue is resolved.
9. Troubleshoot Audio
Another common issue about YouTube not working on Roku is that the audio occasionally fails or isn’t clear enough.
You should be able to hear the audio that comes from YouTube when using it on Roku.
The YouTube app’s ‘Volume Mode’ should be turned off when sound is not available.
While you’re on YouTube, do the following:
- After loading a video,
- Press the (*) button on your remote control.
- Scroll down to ‘Volume Mode’ on that sub-menu,
- And adjust the settings to ‘Off.’
10. Request Assistance From YouTube
If you’ve tried all of the above ways to get YouTube to function on Roku and it still doesn’t seem to respond, nothing has worked, and you still can’t enjoy YouTube on Roku, we recommend contacting YouTube for help.
There could be a unique problem with your account or gadget that requires their assistance.
Conclusion
Gadgets and applications break down from time to time, and they require our assistance to get them back up and running.
If YouTube isn’t working on your Roku, it could be due to a poor or unstable Internet connection.
It’s also possible that your TV isn’t compatible with the YouTube app or that your YouTube app needs to be updated.
Another thing to think about is whether you’re trying to utilize Roku on a non-smart TV. Yes, you can connect your Roku to a non-smart TV, but you must do so correctly to gain access to YouTube.
Roku uses HDMI, which means it can send audio and video to your TV regardless of whether it’s a smart TV or not. Even if your TV lacks an HDMI port, you can connect your Roku device to it via composite video cables or a composite to HDMI converter.
