Is YouTube Lagging? Try These 14 Most Effective Solutions to Fix the Issue

Do YouTube videos keep lagging while playing on Chrome? Oh, we know how frustrating it is! It ruins the entire streaming experience by lowering the video quality or continuous buffering. In this case, the culprit can be excessive cache, interrupted internet connection, obsolete browser, installed extensions, etc. that interfere with Chrome’s or your device’s function and generate YouTube lagging issues. 

And to solve this problem permanently, we’ve come up with 14 best solutions in this guide so that you can happily stream your favorite videos on YouTube without compromising quality. 

Reasons Behind Laggy YouTube Issue

Are you confused as to why YouTube has been very laggy recently? There can be multiple reasons behind this. Before heading to the solutions, it is necessary to figure out the root cause and take necessary measures accordingly. Some of them include the following:

• Network Connectivity Issue

  Poor or fluctuating internet connection may trigger the lagging problem with YouTube, which restricts the browser from loading the video or sometimes generates glitches. 

• Piled-up Browser Cache

  If the browser is filled with so many cache files and cookies, it may interrupt your streaming experience and make YouTube videos keep pausing. Also, the outdated cache is problematic in some cases. 

• Extension Interference

  Often ignored installed extensions and plugins might be the powerhouse of YouTube’s laggy issues. They may be incompatible with the YouTube functionality and can create errors.

• Outdated Browser or Related Drivers

  If your device is running with an outdated browser or display and network drivers, then you’re inviting trouble. Keeping all of them updated makes your watching experience better and uninterrupted. 

Once you find out the cause, you can continue with the troubleshooting methods mentioned further. 

14 Best Solutions for YouTube Lagging

Now, you don’t have to deal with slow loading or buffering issues while watching videos on YouTube. Here, 14 basic to advanced solutions are described below to enhance your experience:

The first solution is refreshing the page, as it helps to retrieve the cache resources and fix the YouTube lag issue. For this, simply click on the refresh icon from the top-left corner of the page before the search bar. The page will take some time to reload and will probably eliminate the error.

Alternatively, you can press the Ctrl + R keys on your Windows keyboard and the Command + R keys on your Mac.

If there are some cache or other software-related glitches with the browser, you can try to hard-restart it. Just close all the opened tabs and windows by hitting the cross icon from the top right corner >> wait for a few seconds >> reopen Chrome >> revisit YouTube and check if the lagging issue is fixed. 

Your browsing history and cookies may also interrupt your browser performance. You can try to visit YouTube in incognito mode to deal with this by using the given steps:

1. Click on the Vertical Ellipsis (⁝) from the top right corner of the page. 

   

2. Select the New incognito window option.

   

3. Visit YouTube’s official site and play the video to see if the issue is resolved. 

Alternatively, you can press the Ctrl + Shift + N command to directly navigate to the incognito window. 

Poor internet connection is one of the most common reasons for laggy YouTube. This creates hurdles while watching or downloading YouTube videos. To fix the trouble, you need to check for several things, including:

• Restart the Modem and Router

  The first thing you should do to fix the network-related trouble is to check your modem and router connectivity. You can just unplug them, wait for 30 seconds, plug them back in, and see if the device is getting stable internet. 

• Check Your Network Settings

  Make sure your network settings are okay. And if there is any issue with the connected network, you can fix it simply by disconnecting and reconnecting to it as follows:

  1. First, navigate to the device’s Settings and select Network & Internet from the left side panel.

     

  2. Then, click on Wi-Fi. 

     

  3. Now, hit the Manage known networks option.

     

  4. From the list, locate the connected network and click on the Forget button next to it to disconnect.

     

  5. Then, go back to the Wi-Fi window and select Show available networks.

     

  6. Finally, reconnect to the network by entering the security key. 

     

• Run Windows Network Troubleshooter

  You can also try to run a Windows network troubleshooter to determine the potential error and diagnose it accordingly. The steps for the same are as under:

  1. Start by heading to PC’s Settings >> System from the left side panel. 

     

  2. Now, scroll down and go to Troubleshoot. 

     

  3. Select the Other troubleshooters option. 

     

  4. Click on the Run button for Network and Internet. 

     

  5. Now, the system will take some time to find out the potential network issue and if there is any, continue with following the on-screen instructions to solve it. 

In case the issue is related to the internet connection and you’re unable to fix it, try to connect with some other network or contact your service provider. But if the internet is not the cause, check out the other solutions discussed ahead that may help with why is YouTube lagging on Chrome. 

Sometimes, due to a slow internet connection, the video doesn’t play seamlessly. If you don’t have any solution to increase the network speed, consider reducing the video quality. High resolution needs a better network and more memory. You can decrease the quality as follows for seamless playing:

1. Click on the gear icon from the right corner of the playing video. 

   

2. Then, click on Quality. 

   

3. Finally, select a lower resolution from the available options. 

   

You can adjust the video quality from the bottom right corner and switch to a lower resolution. 

The next possible troubleshooting method that you can try is clearing the cache files and cookies. This data helps Chrome load previously visited websites faster. But if you haven’t deleted them for a long time, a lagging issue may occur. You can follow the given process to do so: 

1. In the browsing window, click on the three dots from the top right corner.

   

2. Scroll down and select Settings. 

   

3. Now, select the Privacy & Security option from the left side panel. 

   

4. Next, click on the Delete browsing data.

   

5. Hit the ‘Cookies and other site data’ and ‘Cached images and files’ checkboxes and then the Delete data button from the bottom corner. 

   

The process may take some time depending on the amount of data you are erasing. Once done, try to replay the video on YouTube and see if the issue is resolved. 

To get a better browsing experience and enjoy some additional features, we install several plugins and extensions on our browser. These add-ons may sometimes corrupt the internet capability or interfere with your YouTube streaming. In such a case, it is suggested to turn off these extensions by following the given steps: 

1. Begin by hitting the Vertical Ellipsis on the corner of the webpage. 

   

2. Hover over the Extensions and select the Manage Extensions option.

   

3. Lastly, disable the extensions that are related to video playback, ad blocking, or media downloading by toggling them off. 

   

Now, restart Chrome and see if the issue is no longer persisting. Later, you can turn on the extensions one by one and find out the particular one that’s being the culprit behind YouTube lagging. 

It is found that compatibility issues, bugs, and other vulnerabilities with the outdated version of the browser often lead to lag on YouTube. That’s why it is suggested to keep your browser updated for a faster and better experience. Here are the steps that you can follow for this:

1. First, click on the Vertical Ellipsis from the top-right corner. 

   

2. Now, scroll down >> hover over Help >> select About Google Chrome.

   

3. Wait for a few seconds until Chrome is checking for the updates. Finally, download and install if available. 

   

Otherwise, your browser will say it has already updated to the latest version. In such a case, either try to reinstall Chrome on your device or continue with other fixes. 

Watching videos on Chrome is extremely laggy? Have you checked for the outdated display and network drivers? 

Display drivers support resolutions, refresh rates, and color quality, while network drivers set up communication between the system and the network. It is highly necessary to keep them updated for better streaming on YouTube and other platforms. For this, consider the mentioned procedure:

1. Click on the Search bar from the bottom >> enter Device Manager >> select it from the results.

   

2. Now, locate Display Adapters and select it to expand. 

   

3. Right-click on the graphics driver and hit the Update Driver option. 

   

4. Then, select the Search automatically for drivers option and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process. 

   

5. Similarly, from the Device Manager window, click on Network Adapters to expand it.

   

6. Look for the connected Wi-Fi or LAN driver >> right-click on it >> select the Update Driver option. 

   

7. Again, hit the Search automatically for drivers option and continue with the on-screen instructions.

   

This way, Windows will automatically search for the best available display and network drivers and install them on your device. Once the processes are completed, restart your PC and revisit YouTube to check if the lagging issue is resolved. 

Hardware acceleration makes your experience better and faster by using the device’s graphic card. But sometimes, it may cause trouble or compatibility issues that might be the reason why YouTube is lagging on Chrome. In this case, prefer to enable graphic acceleration, which will automatically disable hardware acceleration. Follow the given procedure to do so: 

1. Click on the Vertical Ellipsis in Chrome >> scroll down >> select Settings. 

   

2. Now, navigate to the System tab from the left side panel. 

   

3. In the end, turn on the Use graphic acceleration when available feature by toggling the bar. 

   

Many users face YouTube lags on Chrome sometimes because of the background processes running and occupying the resources. So, check for them, and if they are not useful, then you can close them as follows:

1. Hit the three dots from the top right corner >> hover over More Tools >> select Task Manager. 

   

2. This will display a list of processes with their memory footprints. Just locate the process that is consuming high memory >> click on it >> select the End process button from the bottom right corner. 

   

In Chrome, you can also try to activate the Memory Saver function to run YouTube and other sites effectively and faster by freeing the memory from inactive tabs. For this, continue with the simple three-step process: 

1. Click on the Vertical Ellipsis >> Settings from the appeared options.

   

2. Now, select Performance from the left side panel. 

   

3. Turn on the toggle next to Memory Saver under the Memory Head and select the type as well.

   

This will release the memory used by inactive tabs, and then those tabs will get active again when you revisit them. 

Tips!

You can also add some particular sites that you want to keep always active by hitting the Add button below the Memory Saver toggle bar. 

If these methods are not favorable to you, then it might be possible YouTube is facing downtime. This can be due to an excessive crowd on the platform or some technical glitch from the server’s end. To check for it, you can try some free software like Downdetector or Down For Everyone or Just Me where you just need to enter the site’s URL to confirm if it is working normally. 

In case the platform is down or under maintenance, you can only wait and visit it later. Otherwise, you can try to contact the YouTube help team to get help. 

The last possible thing that you can try is resetting your Google Chrome settings to resolve the YouTube lagging error. This will set all your browser settings to their default and, hopefully, eliminate the problematic configuration. Here are the steps that you need to follow for this: 

1. Click on the three dots and head to Settings. 

   

2. From the left side panel, select Reset Settings.

   

3. Now, click on the Restore settings to their original defaults option. 

   

4. Finally, confirm the process by hitting the Reset Settings button. 

   

However, please remember that this method will also delete all your personalization, password, and bookmarks saved with Chrome. 

Final Words

Now, you’ll no longer have to deal with YouTube videos not playing or continuously buffering issues. In most of the cases, the above-mentioned measures are enough to solve the YouTube lagging. But if the error persists, ensure the platform is not blocked in your area, and if this is so, you can use a reliable VPN to bypass the geo-restrictions. 

So, just follow this guide, give a fresh start to Chrome, and replay high-quality videos on YouTube without lag!