YouTube Not Working on Mac
From its humble beginnings as a place to post 'home videos,' YouTube has turned into an entertainment behemoth. Nowadays millions upon millions of people probably can't even imagine going a single day without opening the site. As such, any issues that prevent YouTube from opening could turn into major frustrations quickly. Luckily, there are a couple of quick fixes that might be able to resolve the problems.
Try a different browser
If you seem to be unable to open YouTube on your current Mac browser, then consider trying a different one such as Safari, Chrome or Firefox. Doing so serves multiple purposes. First, if the site fails to open once more, it may be a sign that something is wrong with your Internet connection. Try loading a different page and see if it opens successfully.
On the other hand, if YouTube loads as expected, then the problem lies with your previous browser and you can focus your efforts there.
Close any unnecessary tabs
If your system is running low on resources, it could impact its ability to open additional browser tabs. One common cause that leads to such an outcome is if the user already has a significant amount of tabs open. Multiple pages running video or audio content could take up a sizeable portion of Mac's RAM and CPU cycles quickly. So, close some tabs that you don't need currently and see if it manages to fix the issue.
Restart the browser
Although it may seem an obvious choice, closing and starting the browser again can help fix a myriad of different issues. A quick method for doing so is to press Command + Q on your keyboard to close the browser. Simply, start it back up after that and check if YouTube now opens normally.
Clear browser data
Web browsers store different data to facilitate faster loading of already visited pages or to store auto-fill details such as usernames or passwords. However, sometimes the stored data could cause issues on saved cookies and cache files, specifically. In these cases, users may need to clear the browser data. The process differs for each browser so locate the one you need from the list below.
Safari
- Go to the Safari menu and open 'Preferences.'
- Select the 'Privacy' tab.
- Press 'Manage Website Data.'
- Click on 'Clear all.'
Chrome
- Select Chrome's URL field and paste chrome://settings there.
- On the new page, locate the 'Privacy and Security' section.
- Now choose 'Clear Browsing Data.'
- Select the files you wish to be removed. We recommended checking the boxes for 'Cookies and Other Site Data' and 'Cached Images and Files' at least.
- Click on 'Clear Data.'
Firefox
- Click on Firefox's address bar and type/paste about:preferences there.
- Go to 'Privacy & Security.'
- Locate 'Cookies and Other Site Data.'
- Click 'Clear Data.'
- Confirm that both boxes are checked and click 'Clear.'