Troubleshooting Guide: YouTube Not Working on Roku

YouTube not working on Roku? We have the fix! Roku is a great, affordable TV stick. It competes with Google’s Chromecast in terms of features and price. Much like other TV streaming sticks, it supports popular services like Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube. But sometimes it just doesn’t work the way we want it to.

Keep reading for insight on why YouTube’s not working on Roku and some things you can try to fix it. Most of these solutions take no more than a couple of minutes to complete.

Common Problems with YouTube on Roku

YouTube and Roku are totally separate companies, so an issue doesn’t have to be shared by both to cause streaming problems. Although there are lots of moving pieces that could be to blame, here are some of the most likely reasons YouTube’s not working on Roku:

YouTube is having streaming problems
Roku is disconnected from the internet or its connection is too weak
There’s a temporary bug with the Roku hardware or with YouTube
Roku hasn’t yet installed an update to fix a known bug

7 Solutions for Resolving YouTube Issues on Roku

With several possible causes for why YouTube is not working on your Roku TV, walk through these potential solutions one by one until it’s fixed:

Check YouTube’s Status

This should be your first step because if YouTube is down for everyone, following the rest of these steps will be a waste of time.

Visit Downdetector.com and check the graph for recent outage reports.
Alternatively, check YouTube’s X/Twitter account for any mention of streaming issues.
If there are issues on their end, simply wait until they fix them. If it’s widespread, you can bet it won’t take long.

Close and Reopen YouTube

Before we get into the rest of these solutions, you’d be wise to try this simple fix. This is similar to restarting a software program on your computer when it’s not working right.

Press the Home button.
Find YouTube in your list of apps.
Select the app and try to play the video again.

Restart the Roku

Restarting the Roku device can fix difficulties with YouTube much like restarting any other device can fix network connectivity issues. Grab the Roku remote and then follow these steps:

Press the Home button on the remote.
Press the Home button again 5 times.
Press the Up button once.
Press the Rewind button twice.
Press the Forward button twice.
Wait for the device to turn back on.
Try to play a video on YouTube.

We also have fixes for when your Roku remote is not working.

Reinstall YouTube

Sometimes apps misbehave. A reinstall is a quick way to get things back to normal, at least sometimes. Try this:

Press the Home button on the remote.
Use the arrow buttons to select the YouTube channel.
Press the button with the Asterisk to open the menu.
Select the Remove option and confirm you want to remove the channel.
Restart the Roku device by going to Settings.
Once the device restarts, press the Home button on the remote.
Select Streaming Channels.
Select YouTube.
Click Add Channel.

Install updates

Roku runs on firmware which gets updates from time to time, like when the device restarts. If an update is pending, it may cause problems with streaming. Install any pending updates.

Press the Home button on the remote and select Settings from the menu.
Select System and then select System update.
Select Check now.
If an update is pending, select Download/Install.
Allow the update to install and restart the device.

Unplug the Roku

Powering off our devices is sometimes essential during a repair process. This will close all the apps and purge everything from memory (don’t worry, nothing will get deleted!).

If your Roku is a dongle or set-top box, unplug it from power. If the Roku is built into the TV, unplug the TV.
Wait 30-60 seconds.
Reattach the Roku streaming stick or the TV’s power cable, then check if YouTube works.

Check Your Internet Connection

One of the major contributing factors to streaming issues is poor network access. Rokus are wireless, so they need a solid connection to your router in order to reach the internet to access the streaming videos you’re after. For most people, moving the TV/Roku isn’t possible, so here are some tips to see if this is why YouTube is not working on your Roku and some likely solutions:

Does YouTube stream correctly from your phone? If not, reboot your router.
Are you streaming content elsewhere, like from another TV or computer? Turn those activities off to see if YouTube starts working on your Roku. If it does, consider upgrading your internet speed or minimizing how many devices use the internet at once.
Did you recently move something large between the TV and router? Move it out of the way to see if Wi-Fi improves.
If you have an HDMI extender, use that with the Roku stick to bring it out from behind the TV, hopefully improving Wi-Fi connectivity in the process.

Conclusion

The YouTube app doesn’t have an option to clear the cache which is why it runs into problems occasionally. That’s also why you’ll have to reinstall the app to fix the problem. Make sure you restart your Roku device between uninstalling and reinstalling YouTube.

If YouTube still doesn’t work on your Roku, other free movie streaming apps might work better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does YouTube keep crashing on Roku? This is most likely due to instability in the app or on the Roku itself. Restart both to see if that fixes it.
How do I update YouTube app on Roku? Reboot the TV or Roku to trigger app updates, or delete and reinstall YouTube to not only update the app but clear out any issues that could exist in the previous installation.
Why won’t my YouTube app open on my Roku TV? Instability problems can stop the YouTube Roku app from opening. Reboot the device to clear the memory and check for updates that could address software bugs.