YouTube Keeps Pausing on Android? (Try these Fixes!)

It’s frustrating when YouTube keeps pausing on Android, as you cannot watch your favorite videos without interruptions.

There are a couple of reasons why this may happen. Fortunately, this can be a relatively easy problem to fix.

We’ll go through all the possible reasons why YouTube keeps pausing on your Android phone and how to solve the problem.

Why Does YouTube Keep Pausing? 

Many reasons can make YouTube keep pausing on your Android phone. Most of the time, the main reason why YouTube keeps pausing is a faulty or slow internet connection.

But this is not the only reason behind this common YouTube buffering issue. We’ve listed below the most common reasons:

• As mentioned before, the first major culprit behind a YouTube video’s sudden pause is a slow or faulty internet connection. 
• If you are using faulty headphones for watching videos, it can cause problems too as they will frequently get disconnected. Streaming apps tend to get paused when external devices are disconnected. 
• Insufficient storage space on your Android phone can prevent the YouTube app from running properly.
• There’s also the cache problem. If too many files have accumulated, the app can go haywire. 
• Last but not least, it’s the outdated YouTube app. If you are not too keen on updating the applications, you might face terrible issues in the future.   

Tips to Fix the YouTube Keeps Pausing Issue on Android 

1. Reboot Android

A simple reboot can fix most problems with an Android device. It is simple, but it is also the most common and effective fix for an electronic device. 

So, without any hesitation, just hold the Power button. Hold the button for a second or two and the Power Menu will appear on the screen. Tap on the Restart option.

For most users, the problem will be fixed after the restart. But for the rest of the users who aren’t so lucky, we have listed a few more diverse solutions.    

2. Check Internet Connection 

If you restarted the Android device but failed to fix the YouTube pausing issue, it’s time to check the internet connectivity. 

Watching or streaming videos on YouTube depends solely on the individual’s internet connection. If you have a slow or inconsistent internet connection, you will have problems with YouTube. 

In severe cases, this can lead to videos getting paused or extensive buffering of videos on YouTube. So, if you are still facing this problem, check your internet connection. Test its speed, open other websites; stuff like that. 

3. Headphone Issue

This fix is only for users who tend to watch YouTube videos using headphones, which most people do.

Most of us like to watch YouTube videos at home, at work, or while commuting to pass the time. It is convenient and very enjoyable. But using headphones can cause problems. 

If the headphones get disconnected or removed while watching videos, the YouTube app will pause. This is a common built-in feature. In most cases, you are disconnecting or removing the headphones intentionally. 

But there’s no guarantee for a defective or loose connecting headphone. If your headphones are defective, it’s no wonder YouTube is pausing while watching videos. You still need to be sure of this issue.

So, try watching the videos without your headphones, or you can use different headphones for watching videos. If the headphones are found defective, replace them immediately for an uninterrupted session on YouTube.   

4. Disable Remind Me to Take a Break 

Remind me to take a break is a YouTube feature used mostly by people who binge-watch videos. If this feature is enabled, YouTube will pause automatically after a certain time. 

So, if you are getting interrupted constantly, disable this feature from YouTube settings, and you won’t be interrupted anymore. 

1. Launch the YouTube app and tap the Profile Icon in the top-right corner to access the Settings Menu. 

2. Select General Settings. 

3. Be sure to toggle the switch off beside the Remind Me to Take a Break option.   

After disabling this feature from YouTube’s settings, things will go back to normal again. You won’t be interrupted while watching videos anymore. 

5. Turn Off Battery Saver

Battery saver mode is a great feature that can help you save battery life on your Android phone. It reduces the amount of power that your phone uses when the battery gets low.

When you turn it on, it throttles your phone’s performance, limits background data usage, and reduces certain features in order to conserve juice. 

So if you have a battery saver turned on, it might cause YouTube videos to keep pausing randomly.

Go ahead and turn that off by scrolling down the Notification Panel and tapping the battery saver icon.

6. Clear Cache & Data for YouTube App  

Similar to all Android applications, the YouTube app also stores app data. Storing app data and cache isn’t an issue by itself.

If the app accumulates too much data, then it will start running slow and start behaving oddly; like pausing every now and then. So, you just have to clear app data and cache 

1. Launch the Settings app on Android and tap on Apps.
2. Locate the YouTube app and tap on it. 
3. On the App Info page, tap on Storage. 

4. At the bottom of the following page, you will find Clear Cache and Clear Data options side-by-side. Tap on them.  

Now, you should be able to enjoy YouTube without any interruptions.  

6. Free Up Storage Space 

As you may already know, apps need enough storage on your phone to run smoothly. And YouTube is no different.

YouTube needs space to store downloaded videos and its cache so that you can stream videos without interruptions.

When your phone runs out of sufficient space, it can cause issues such as YouTube keeping you from watching videos.

Try to free up space on your Android phone and run the YouTube app again. This might help fix the problem.

7. Update the YouTube App

Your final option is to update the YouTube app. If you don’t update Android apps often, this is the time to do it. 

Outdated apps can cause certain issues, and the issues are very unpredictable. So, theoretically, YouTube keeps pausing can be caused by the app being outdated. So, we recommend updating the app from the Google Play Store.   

Wrapping It Up 

As you can see, there are many factors that might contribute to YouTube keeps pausing, from network issues to certain browser settings.

Hopefully, we’ve given you the information you need to fix any YouTube video buffering problems you come across in the future. If none of these solutions work for you, we would love to hear from you in the comments below!