YouTube TV is a great way to enjoy content from various TV channels, be it news, sports, or entertainment. However, the YouTube TV app has always been plagued by the black screen issue that goes away, but comes back again to annoy the user.
Many users have reported that whenever they play content via the YouTube TV app on their devices, be it a smartphone or a smart TV, the app simply has audio output and no video playback. So, if you are someone who has this issue or is worried that you might get this issue since you use the YouTube TV app on a regular basis, you’ve come to the right place.
How to Fix YouTube TV Black Screen Issue
Before we dive into the various troubleshooting methods that you can follow to solve the issue of the YouTube TV app displaying a black screen, let’s take a look at why this happens in the first place.
Why Does the YouTube TV App Display a Black Screen?
There are many reasons why the YouTube TV app might be displaying a black screen. There can be issues either with your device or it could be an issue with the YouTube TV platform itself. Here are a number of probable reasons why the YouTube TV app might be displaying a black screen.
Internet Connectivity Issues
Unstable or poor internet connectivity can cause any streaming service, including the YouTube TV app, to not function properly. This can happen when the internet speeds are very slow or your device is performing some heavy tasks, which require more internet usage.
Outdated YouTube TV App
Having older versions of the YouTube TV app can also bring a black screen and, at times, cause the app not to function or even load or launch properly. Older versions of the app may contain bugs, which can hinder its normal functioning.
Web Browser Problems
As a Google service, YouTube TV will work best if you use a Chromium-based web browser or simply Google Chrome itself. There have been many reports where many Google services, including YouTube TV, have not been functioning properly on non-Chromium-based browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Safari.
A YouTube Server Side Issue
Even if you have the best internet connection and are using a proper device or web browser to access YouTube TV, and still see the black screen displayed, at this point, it’s more of a YouTube issue, and in this case, your best bet is to wait it out until YouTube addresses or pushes out a fix for the issue.
Now that you have a good idea of why the YouTube TV app displays a black screen, it’s time to take a look at the various troubleshooting steps that can help solve this issue.
Troubleshooting Tips to Fix YouTube TV Black Screen
Here are a number of troubleshooting steps that you can follow to get rid of the black screen issue with YouTube TV.
Restarting Your Devices
Yes, this is a pretty basic troubleshooting method, but it has worked many times. Depending on what device you are using to access, you will have to restart the device by using the remote that comes with it or the power menu option to perform the restart.
Alternatively, you can also choose to switch the device off and leave it unplugged for a while. Thai is the perfect troubleshooting step for those who stream YouTube TV on a smart TV, a plug-in streaming device, or even a gaming console.
Restarting your Smart TV
Restarting your smart TV is a simple process. Just grab the TV remote that came with the smart TV and long-press the power button on the remote. Your TV screen will display various options on the screen. Select Restart.
Once you have restarted your specific device, launch YouTube TV on your device and see if the issue has been resolved. Most of the time, the issue should go away, and you should have a normal functioning YouTube TV experience.
Checking Your Internet Connections
As we stated earlier, poor or slow and unstable internet connections can also cause issues with the regular functioning of YouTube TV. First, test your internet connection by using any of the popular internet speed testing websites or apps. Fast.com and Ookla’s Internet Speed Testing services are a great way to see if your internet is stable or not.
YouTube TV also recommends that you have a particular internet speed when streaming in specific qualities. Here is a small list of what your internet speeds should be for different streaming qualities.
- SD 360p: 0/7 Mbps
- SD 480p: 1.1 Mbps
- HD 720p: 2.5 Mbps
- HD 1090p” 5 Mbps
- 4K UHD: 20 Mbps
These requirements will also be followed if you plan on watching content from YouTube itself.
Reboot your Internet Router
Now, if you have determined that your internet speeds match the table we have listed above, but you still see a black screen on YouTube TV, now is the time to restart your router. Simply unplug the router from its power source, wait for a few minutes, and plug it back in. Once the router boots up and begins broadcasting the Wi-Fi, connect your TV to the Wi-Fi network and launch the YouTube TV app. The YouTube TV app should load correctly and no longer have the black screen issue.
Power Cycle Your Devices
While restarting your devices can help solve the issue, performing a power cycle on smart TVs is ideal. A power cycle for a smart TV can simply be considered as a soft reset for your TV. To perform a power cycle on your smart TV, power off the TV, and unplug the TV’s power cord from the power outlet. Let the TV be unplugged for two to five minutes.
This action resets the smart TV’s RAM and can also help clear away any temporary bugs, and at the same time, help clear away the corrupted cache files for YouTube TV and the other apps. Plug into the TV and power it on. Make sure to test the YouTube TV app to see if the issue has been resolved.
Sign Out and Sign Back In
Temporary issues with the YouTube TV app can sometimes glitch out the streaming section, which can result in a black screen. To solve this, you can try signing out of the YouTube TV app and then signing back in again. This can be done on all devices, smartphones, smart TVs, and even on your web browser.
Clear the YouTube TV App Cache on Android and iOS
Clearing the cache of the YouTube TV app on your smartphone can help get rid of cache files that are either missing or corrupted. And no, you will not lose any data when clearing the cache of the YouTube TV app. Follow these steps to clear the cache on your Android or iOS device.
Clear App Cache on Android
- On the home screen of your device, long-press on the YouTube TV app.
- Tap on the little i icon from the pop-up menu.
- Tap on Storage and then tap on Clear Cache.
- Launch the YouTube TV app now, and it should work fine.
Clear App Cache on iOS
- Open the Settings app and tap on General.
- Now, tap on iPhone Storage and select the YouTube TV app from the app list
- Tap on Offload App. This action will now clear the app cache of the YouTube TV app.
On iPhones, you might be logged out of the YouTube TV app if you offload it. So make sure to sign in to the YouTube TV app and test out if the black screen appears now.
Update the YouTube App
Make sure that the YouTube TV app is always up-to-date. Having an outdated YouTube TV app will simply cause problems for you. You might encounter issues such as missing features, errors with logging in, or simply no video playback when you select a live TV channel, resulting in a black screen.
Launch the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store on your device and check for updates if available for the YouTube TV app.
Reinstall the YouTube TV App
If the YouTube TV app is up-to-date, or you have just installed a new update and that hasn’t fixed the issue of the black screen, then maybe uninstalling the app and reinstalling outback can help sort the issue out. So, do give this method a try and see if it has solved the issue of the black screen for you.
Waiting It Out
Now, if you have determined that the issue of the black screen is a YouTube issue, then your best bet is to wait it out. Server-side related issues can only be solved by YouTube itself. However, you can always confirm and see if this is a YouTube side issue by logging into social media platforms such as X/Twitter, browsing the forums like Reddit, or even contacting YouTube TV support to see if this is a known issue that they are working on.
Closing Thoughts
This concludes everything you need to know about how you can solve the issue of the black screen appearing on YouTube TV. Have you faced the issue of the black screen with YouTube TV before? If so, was there any workaround to it, or did you have to simply wait and let YouTube fix the issue itself? Share your thoughts about the black screen issue on YouTube TV in the comments below.
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