You plan to watch your Favorite Youtube channel and when you open it, you see a black screen. Nothing loads. Youtube shows a black screen instead of the video. You are able to hear everything but there’s nothing you can watch? Even if this lasts for just a few seconds, this bothers you a lot, doesn’t it? YouTube Black Screen is a very common problem among users who watch Youtube on their PC.
So, What is this YouTube Black Screen? And more importantly, How to Fix Youtube Black screen error? All this will be answered in this guide.
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Why does this error occur?
While there isn’t an exact reason for this error, there are a few problems that lead to this issue. It can take place due to bad browser extensions, ad blockers, hardware problems, bad video driver or an incorrectly configured browser.
This can also happen from their end. The user isn’t always at fault. However, if the YouTube Black Screen continues to appear, there might be some problem on your end.
While you may be thinking about this problem, we have the solutions for it. There are a few methods by which you can watch your videos in peace without any Black Screen error.
How fix YouTube Black Screen error
We shortlisted these methods to fix this error. Hence, follow the given steps accordingly.
1. Log Out your Account
There are many instances where people noted that this issue no longer exists once they log out of their Google account. Just by logging out, the issue can be solved. Check if you can still play the videos without having the YouTube Black Screen.
2. Clear Everything
Your browser’s cache that might be causing problems. You must clear your cookies and cache in order to get rid of the YouTube Black Screen. After you delete your cookies, log back into all the websites you were previously logged into. If you are on Google Chrome, follow these steps to delete the cookies:
Step 1: Go on Google Chrome, Menu and click on Settings.
Step 2: Scroll down a little where you will find Show Advanced Settings. Click on it.
Step 3: In the Privacy tab, select Content Settings.
Step 4: In the Cookies section, click on all cookies and site data.
Step 5: Press Remove All and then choose Done.
If you are on Firefox, follow these steps to delete the cookies:
Step 1: Click on the menu button which is in the top right corner.
Step 2: Select Options.
Step 3: Go to the Privacy & Security tab.
Step 4: Scroll down a bit till you find Cookies and Site Data tab.
Step 5: Click on Clear Data and make sure that you tick both the boxes.
Step 6: Click on Clear and restart Firefox.
After you are done removing your cookies and clearing your cache, try checking if the YouTube Black Screen still exists.
3. Disable your Adblockers and Browser Extensions
Adblockers and other browser extensions are usually the main cause for the YouTube Black Screen problem on Chrome. It is advisable to disable all of them altogether and check if they still cause any problems or not. If it is successful, you can enable them slowly and check which one was the root cause for your black screen. Follow these steps to disable extensions in Google Chrome:
Step 1: Open Google Chrome, select the icon with three dots in the top right corner.
Step 2: Choose More Tools and go on Extensions.
Step 3: Untick the Enabled part.
You can also do it from Google Chrome’s address bar: “chrome://extensions” which will lead to the extension page. Untick every extension and you are good to go. This is how you disable Add-ons in Firefox:
Step 1: Click on the menu button which is in the top right corner.
Step 2: Select Add-ons.
Step 3: Click on either the Extensions or Themes tab.
Step 4: Choose an add-on.
Step 5: Click on the Disable section.
Step 6: Repeat this method for every add-on.
Step 7: Restart your Firefox.
In order to reverse this process, just go back to the add-on page where you can re-enable the disabled add-ons.
4. Disable the Hardware Acceleration
Hardware acceleration usually assigns tasks that would go from your CPU to GPU. This is a feature that is used to boost your performance in a variety of tasks but it can also cause some blunders. Try disabling your hardware acceleration on Google Chrome and check if the problem still persists. Follow these steps to do so:
Step 1: Open Google Chrome, select the icon with three dots in the top right corner.
Step 2: Click on Settings.
Step 3: Scroll down and go to Advanced.
Step 4: Find a tab named System and click on it.
Step 5: Untick “Use hardware acceleration when available”.
Step 6: Select the Relaunch button.
If you’re using Firefox, follow these steps:
Step 1: Click on the menu button which is in the top right corner.
Step 2: Select the Options button.
Step 3: Choose the Advanced tab.
Step 4: Untick “Use hardware acceleration when available”.
Step 5: Restart your Firefox to check to see if the problem still exists.
Step 6: If you still experience the YouTube Black Screen problem, you can reverse your changes since they might be hardware related.
5. Update your GPU Drivers
Graphic cards that are outdated or corrupted can prevent you from watching YouTube videos. All you have to do is go to your GPU provider website. You need to find your GPU model and download the newest. You can find out which GPU you have by follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to the Start menu.
Step 2: Type “dxdiag” and enter.
Step 3: The DirectX Diagnostic Tool opens.
Step 4: Click on the Display tab.
Step 5: Go to the Device section where you will see the name of your graphics card.
The Bottom Line
These are the various problems that can cause your Black Screen error on Youtube. By following these fixes, you will be able to solve it without any hassle. If you are facing any problem, comment us in the comment section given below.