Fixing Youtube White Screen Issue on Android

YouTube is probably the only service that’s unparalleled in its market. It truly doesn’t have any competitors. And, these days, the majority of people use their handheld devices to browse through YouTube’s vast library of videos. And the app itself? It’s not bad although it can be better. And, when issues arise, they are usually major ones, completely breaking the app.

One issue which falls in this category is luckily not common but we run into a few reports. It seems that YouTube shows only a white screen on Android for some users. This happens when they try playing a video. If you are among these users, check the steps we listed below.

Table of contents:

1. Check the network
2. Clear local cache and data from YouTube
3. Sign out and sign in again with your Google Account
4. Reinstall YouTube
5. Rollback to an older version via APK

Why is my YouTube Screen White?

There are multiple reasons for this to happen but it’s really rare on devices that are not meddled with. If your device is rooted or you are running some third-party app that mimics YouTube, these issues can be more common. If that’s the case for you, these instructions won’t be of much use.

What you need to do to fix the issue (on a stock Android skin and regular YouTube) is to check the network, clear local data, or reinstall the app. Finally, you might consider rolling back the app to an older (hopefully, more stable) YouTube version. Everything is explained below.

1. Check the network

The first thing to do is to check the network. Usually, you’ll be notified if YouTube is offline, but some glitches might cause a white screen instead of an offline prompt. So, make sure that you are connected to a stable network. Also, try disabling VPN and proxy if you are running any on your Android handset.

In case you are indeed experiencing connectivity issues, check the steps we listed in this article. In addition, make sure you are not running any system-wide ad blocker like Blokada or AdAway. If you do, change the configuration or lists as some are rather aggressive and affect how certain apps perform.

2. Clear local cache and data from YouTube

The next thing to try is clearing the local data from YouTube. If it piles up, it can render the app unstable and slow. Which is exactly the opposite of what locally stored data should do with Android apps.

Here’s how to clear local cache and data from YouTube on Android:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Expand to see a full list of all apps installed on your device.
4. Open YouTube.
5. Tap Storage.
6. Clear data and restart your device.

If YouTube still shows a white screen on Android, check the next step.

3. Sign out and sign in again with your Google Account

Although an unusual approach, it might help. Some users managed to address the problem by removing and adding their Google Account on their handsets. YouTube is, like all other Google apps, automatically signed in to your Google Account. The one that you used to set up your device. And, sometimes that process doesn’t go as it should so sign out/sign in sequence might help.

Important note: If you don’t know the password for your Google Account and don’t have any means to reset it or retrieve it, don’t do this. It will be really hard signing in again.

Here’s how to remove and add your Google Account again on Android:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Accounts.
3. Select your Google account and tap Remove to delete your Google Account.
4. Sign in again and look for improvements.

4. Reinstall YouTube

Reinstallation is the next obvious step in case the issue persists. On some Android skins, YouTube comes as the system app and you can’t remove it. What you can do is uninstall its updates and reset it that way. On most Android skins though, YouTube is like any other app and you can remove it and install it again from Google Play Store.

Here’s how to reinstall YouTube on Android:

1. Open Play Store and search for YouTube.
2. Expand the app and tap Uninstall.
3. Now, after you restart your device and get back to Play Store, you’ll have either the option to Update or to Install YouTube.
4. Tap Install/Update and look for improvements.

5. Rollback to an older version via APK

Finally, if none of the previous steps worked for you, try rolling back to an older version of YouTube for Android. Everything you need to know about this procedure can be found in this article.

To summarize, you need to go to the Play Store and disable automatic updates for YouTube. After that, navigate to APK Mirror and download an older (not too old, a month-two months release will do). Download it and allow installation from unknown sources when prompted. That should work and your problem with the YouTube white screen on your Android will be a thing of the past.

That should do it. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.