Last updated on 2022-09-08, by Vinho

Why Does YouTube Keep Pausing? How to Fix?

As the second most visited video sharing platform on earth, YouTube is where you can find creative content, the latest TV shows, movies, and entertainment of all sorts. Despite its popularity, YouTube seems to keep pausing during playback, which has been reported by many users. So why does YouTube keep pausing, how to fix the issue? This article is the most complete answer that works. Just make sure to continue reading.

Part 1: Why Does YouTube Keep Pausing and Fix?

Your YouTube can keep pausing when you watch videos or enjoy music. So why does YouTube keep pausing? Here we’ve concluded all possible causes and fixes to help you sort out the problem.

Poor internet connection

Why does my YouTube keep pausing? It could be that the connection is too slow to support YouTube video playback. Technically speaking, you are required to have at least 500Kbps network speed to play any YouTube video.

How to fix it?

Step 1: Move closer to the router to get a better signal or switch to 5GHz for better speeds. You can use a Wi-Fi extender if you can’t move close to the router.

Step 2: Restart your router to remove short-term memory/cache so the overall performance can be improved.

Step 3: If your internet speed is slower than 500Kbps, adjust YouTube video quality to 144p, 240p, or 360p because they have less data consumed per minute.

Step 4: You can download YouTube videos to your devices to avoid network problems.

YouTube auto-pause settings

Why does YouTube keep pausing? The auto pause feature can be the main reason. The feature is designed to pause the videos when you are inactive.

How to fix it?

Unfortunately, you can’t disable the feature on YouTube. The only way to fix this is to resort to third-party solutions, for instance, the “AutoTube – YouTube nonstop” extension for Chrome and Firefox. Once you install the extension on your browser, it can stop YouTube from frequent pausing.

Improperly attached headphones

Why does YouTube music keep pausing? Your headphone could be the culprit. When you watch YouTube videos or listen to YouTube music on mobile, YouTube will automatically pause the video if your headphones are not properly connected. It also happens when your Bluetooth headphones are out of power.

How to fix it?

Unplug the headphones and clean the headphone jack. You can change to another pair of headphones to see if the problem persists.

Cache related issues

Another primary reason for the “why does YouTube keep pausing” error is the cache related issues. It could be that your YouTube app has accumulated overloaded caches that stop the app from properly functioning.

How to fix it?

You can clear the YouTube app cache to fix the problem. Here’s how to clear the cache on different devices.

• iOS(iPhone & iPad): Go to Settings > General > Storage > YouTube app. Delete the app and install it again from the App Store.


• Android: Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps > Storage and cache > clear storage and clear cache.


• Apple TV: You can’t clear cache and data on Apple TV unless restarting the device. Just press the Menu and Home buttons at the same time, then go to Settings > System > Restart
• Fire TV: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > YouTube > Clear cache > Clear data.

Browser cache & data

If you are watching YouTube with a browser, the cache and data on the browser could also stop YouTube from loading. The cookies and files that have been stored for a long time could be corrupted which might result in different YouTube playback errors.

How to fix it?

You need to clear all the cookies and chase on your browser. Here’s how to do it on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.

• Google Chrome: Go to the three-dot menu in the upper right > More Tools > Clear Browsing Data


• Firefox: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Data


• Safari: Go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced > Tick the “Show Develop menu in the menu bar.” Then go to Develop > Empty Caches.

YouTube ads interruption

As an ad-supported platform, YouTube provides videos for free. But users have to bear with the running ads for free videos. The frequent loading of ads sometimes might lead to playback errors.

How to fix it?

You can use an ad-blocker to watch YouTube without ads. Alternatively, you can download YouTube to MP4 with a downloader to avoid annoying ads and fix the playback error.

Lack or no storage device

Another common reason YouTube keeps pausing is that you don’t have enough storage on your device. The error is more likely to happen on devices with a storage capacity between 16 and 32 GB.

How to fix it?

You might need to remove the unwanted app to make room for YouTube streaming. Restart your phone and see if the error persists.

The “Remind me to take a break” option is enabled

Why does YouTube keep pausing? Check if you have enabled the “Remind me to take a break” option. The feature is designed to give you a break when you spend too much time on YouTube. Once you’ve reached the time limit, the app forces a stop.

How to fix it?

You can disable the feature or set the limit for longer hours. To disable the feature, simply go to Settings > General and turn the toggle off for the “Remind me to take a break” option.

Outdated YouTube app

Updates are meant to fix bugs and improve the app’s performance. When your YouTube app is not up to date, it can cause many playback errors. So if you haven’t updated the YouTube app for a while, the bugs might cause the app to crash or pause from time to time.

How to fix it?

You can update the YouTube app to the latest version and try again. Here’s how to reinstall YouTube on different devices.

• Android: Go to YouTube app > Long press the icon > Uninstall. Reinstall the app from Google Play Store.
• iOS: Find the YouTube app on the Home screen > Long press the icon > Delete. Reinstall the app from the App Store.
• PC: Go to Start > Settings > Apps and Features > Find the YouTube app > Uninstall. Reinstall the app from Microsoft Store.

YouTube’s server problem

Why do my YouTube videos keep pausing? Sometimes the problem is on YouTube, not you. When YouTube servers are not working they might cause the app to halt.

How to fix it?

Just refresh the application or page. If you are on your phone, just close the app and try again. You can also check YouTube’s website to see if the servers are down. In addition, you can restart the router and see if that helps.

Part 2: Watch YouTube Without Troubles

Why does YouTube keep pausing? The previous part has introduced all possible causes for the error and the solutions to fix it. Just follow the guide and you are good to go. However, the streaming issue might still pop up from time to time and the best way to watch YouTube without trouble is to download videos with CleverGet Video Downloader, a professional YouTube video downloader that can help you save everything on YouTube easily.

The downloader offers a wide range of resolutions for you to choose from, and you can download YouTube videos without quality loss. With CleverGet Video Downloader, you can save multiple YouTube videos with 480p, 720p, 1080p, 4K, and up to 8K UHD video quality simultaneously. Once you download the YouTube video for offline playback, you won’t have any playback errors because they are largely relevant to network problems.

Want to download a whole YouTube music playlist? CleverGet Video Downloader can also help you download YouTube audio easily. So you won’t encounter any pausing issues when enjoying YouTube music. In addition, CleverGet Video Downloader supports downloading YouTube live streams. You can easily save the live videos with a single link, which can effectively avoid streaming issues of all sorts. Supporting multiple websites like Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, and more, CleverGet Video Downloader is simply the best tool that can help you save any video online!

Now let’s see how to download YouTube videos with CleverGet Video Downloader.

△Step 1. Launch CleverGet Video Downloader

CleverGet Video Downloader is a module of CleverGet. Free download and install CleverGet on your computer.

△Step 2. Set Output Directory

Click on the Settings icon to enter the setting panel and set the output directory.

△Step 3. Locate YouTube Videos

Click the YouTube icon to enter YouTube and log in with your account. Find the video you want to download.

△Step 4. Download YouTube Videos

Choose preferred quality and format. Click on the “Download” button to download the video.

Please mind that you can download 3 videos in total for free with CleverGet Video Downloader. If you hope to download more videos with the best video quality, you can upgrade CleverGet Video Downloader to enjoy premium services.

Wrap Up

Why does YouTube keep pausing? Just troubleshoot the problem with the guide above. Meanwhile, don’t forget to download YouTube videos with CleverGet Video Downloader, so you can avoid playback errors of all sorts!