Why Does YouTube Keep Pausing? Quick Ways to Fixit

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There is nothing more frustrating than when YouTube keeps pausing when you’re trying to stream a video. There are a number of possible reasons that YouTube could be pausing, and luckily, a few solutions you can try to improve playback and enjoy smooth, uninterrupted video streaming.

Internet Connection Speed

One of the most common reasons that YouTube pauses is that the internet connection is too slow to keep up with the demands of high-resolution video streaming.

If your internet speed is not fast enough to download and buffer the YouTube video in real-time, YouTube will pause the video to allow time for further buffering before resuming again.

There are a few things you can do to minimize the demand on your internet connection, which should help to fix the issue. Closing other browser tabs or other software or programs that might also be using the internet will reduce the demand on your connection, allowing YouTube to speed up. You can also select a lower playback quality for the video, by clicking the gear icon in the lower right side of the window and choosing a lower resolution.

Or, you can run a speed test on your connection to compare your actual download speed against the one promised to you by your internet provider. If you’re watching YouTube on a mobile device, it could be an issue with your mobile phone carrier.

Browser Problems

Another cause for YouTube to keep pausing could be related to problems with your browser or an issue with a browser extension or add-on. One way to check this is to try watching the video in a different browser. You can also try deactivating any browser extensions that might be interfering with your video playback.

Using an older version of a browser can impair YouTube’s performance, so check for any new updates. Check that you’re using the latest version of Adobe Flash Player too.

If both your browser and Flash are up to date, run any updates on your browser extensions and add-ons too. This will reduce the likelihood of any incompatibilities.

Another thing that can help to reduce the chance of YouTube pausing is to clear out your browser’s cookies and cache.

YouTube Server Faults

Sometimes the problem can lie with YouTube’s own systems and servers, with technical faults that can cause video playback to pause. Try waiting a moment and playing again or reloading the page. You can also check the Known Issues page in the YouTube Help Centre for any current faults or problems/issues.

Other Programs

If you’ve considered everything above and YouTube is still pausing, your computer could simply be overloaded. If you’re running other programs at the same time, you could be putting too much demand on your system. Quitting other applications will free up memory and processing power and may fix the problem of YouTube pausing. It’s also worth checking for any malware, as that can also impair YouTube play back and cause your browser to slow down.

Conclusion

The most likely cause of YouTube pausing is your internet connection. If it’s not that, try using a different browser, or app. If all of that doesn’t work, try watching the video later—it may work better after a day or so.