4 Ways to Fix YouTube Not Connecting to the Internet on Android and iPhone

Quick Tips

• Disable data saver mode on your phone to allow YouTube to use the internet freely.
• Ensure the date and time on your phone are correct, and check if YouTube servers are not facing an outage.
• Consider clearing the YouTube app cache data and updating the app on your phone to the latest version.

Try Basic Fixes

• Check if YouTube is down: You might not be the only one having problems with the YouTube app. If YouTube’s servers are down, the app will fail to load on your phone, no matter what you do. You can visit Downdetector to see if others are facing similar issues.
• Turn off VPN: If you are using a VPN service to bypass any region-specific restrictions, you could encounter such connection errors in the YouTube app. To check for this possibility, disable your VPN connection temporarily and then try to use YouTube again.
• Update the YouTube app: An outdated YouTube app on your phone might cause trouble. Head to the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone) to update the YouTube app and see if that helps.

Fix 1: Enable Mobile Data for YouTube (iPhone)

On your iPhone, you can configure mobile data permissions for each app separately. If you’ve accidentally disabled mobile data for the YouTube app, it won’t be able to connect to the internet unless you use Wi-Fi.

To enable mobile data permission for the YouTube app:

Step 1: Open the Settings app and scroll down to tap on YouTube.

Step 2: Enable the toggle for Mobile Data.

Fix 2: Disable Data Saver Mode

The Data Saver mode on your phone can help you reduce internet usage by imposing various data restrictions on apps. However, this feature can sometimes prevent your apps from using the internet entirely. Hence, it’s best to turn it off if you experience problems.

Android

Step 1: Open the Settings app and go to Connections > Data usage.

Step 2: Turn off the Data Saver mode.

iPhone

To disable Low Data Mode on Wi-Fi, launch the Settings app and select Wi-Fi. Tap the info icon next to your Wi-Fi network and turn off Low Data Mode toggle.

If you are using Google Drive on cellular data, go to Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options and disable the Low Data Mode toggle.

Fix 3: Correct the Date and Time on Your Phone

This may seem strange, but having your phone set to an incorrect date or time can prevent YouTube from connecting to its servers and cause problems. To avoid any inconsistencies, you’ll need to enable the automatic date and time feature on your Android or iPhone.

Android

Step 1: Open the Settings app and navigate to General Management.

Step 2: Tap on Date and time. Then, enable the toggle for Automatic date and time.

iPhone

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to General.

Step 2: Tap on Date & Time. Toggle on the switch next to Set Automatically.

Fix 4: Clear YouTube App Cache (Android)

Cache data is usually beneficial as it allows the app to load specific content and information more quickly. However, if that existing cache data goes corrupt, it can cause the YouTube app to stop working on your phone.

To clear YouTube’s app cache on Android:

Step 1: Long-press the YouTube app icon and tap the info icon from the menu that appears.

Step 2: Tap Storage and tap the Clear cache option at the bottom.