YouTube is a great platform where you can stream your favorite content all for free. Another great thing about YouTube is that you can upload videos and earn from them. If you have a good following, then you can earn more than a normal 9-5 job.
All the greatness aside, YouTube has a very annoying error known as YouTube Error 400 multiple reasons can cause this error to occur. This error prevents you from watching any video, and it constantly shows Error 400.
Mostly this error is caused by YouTube only, or if there are some issues on the server of YouTube, the fixes to this error are pretty easy, and you will enjoy watching YouTube again in no time. These fixes don’t include any external software, all fixes can be done easily.
What Causes YouTube Error 400?
Multiple reasons can cause this error, but mostly this error is caused by YouTube that is on your device either you are using from your browser, or you are using its app it can occur on both.
This error is also not limited to one device but can occur on mobile phones, computers, and Smart TVs.
YouTube sometimes doesn’t respond to the server this causes the video to stop, thus giving you the error.
Sometimes if your internet is not configured properly, it can cause this error too, even if your internet on other apps and browsing works fine.
There are multiple fixes to this error which all are easy, and you can do that easily. But if these fixes don’t work for you, then try contacting your ISP about this issue, and they will surely fix your problem.
How to Fix the YouTube Error 400?
I will show you different methods that you can apply on different devices there are multiple methods for one device, so if one doesn’t work, you can always try another one.
These fixes include: resetting your browser settings, clearing caches, clearing data of YouTube from your mobile phone, and many other fixes.
1- Clear The Cache And Cookies From Your Browser
- Open the Google Chrome browser.
- Press the ⋮ button on the top right of your Google Chrome. A menu will open that will contain many options.
- Select the settings options on that menu, it will be at the bottom of the list.
- After opening the settings, click on the Privacy & Security button on the left side.
- Now, on the right side, you will see an option named Clear Browsing Data.
- Click on that after select the Lifetime option on the time range.
- Make sure you have checked clear the cookies option. It will delete all the cookies.
- And you are done, you have clear your browsing data and cookies.
2- Logout And Login To YouTube Again
Sometimes your account can cause error 400 as if it is login for a long time, you might need to log in again. You can try logging out from YouTube and try playing a video. If it works, then it’s your account causing your error.
You can then again login to YouTube and check if it still works. If it doesn’t, then you need to create a new account and then access YouTube, or if you want to use that same account, you can contact YouTube support, and they will assist you with your account.
Related: How To Become A YouTuber In 2022 – The Ultimate Guide!
3- Restart your phone (Android)
If this YouTube error 400 is causing n your android mobile phone, there are different methods that you can try to fix it.
The most common fix for all the problems is restarting your device, you can do that by pressing the power button and select the restart option.
Restarting can help clear the unnecessary cache of your mobile phone, and it makes your phone process all the memory again. It can help YouTube to clear its unnecessary cache, and your error might be gone.
Only just by restarting you can clear all your problems on your phone.
4- Uninstall YouTube App Updates (Android)
Most of you have enabled automatic updates. It’s a great feature because you don’t have to worry about updating all the apps from time to time.
It is done automatically. If YouTube has been updated recently on your device, then most probably the update is causing this error.
You can uninstall updates of YouTube by going in settings, select apps & features, select YouTube from the list of apps, click the three-dot option it will be on top of the screen, and then select uninstall updates.
Now your YouTube has been downgraded to its previous version.
5- Clear YouTube App Data And Cache (Android & Smart TV)
Clearing app data can help you in getting rid of error 400. Clearing data fixes most of the problems with any app, as it clears the data which is causing the problem.
Smart TV also uses android as its operating system so clearing the data on both Android and Smart TV is the same. You can do that by:
- Go to settings and select the Apps & feature option.
- Find YouTube from the list of apps and select it.
- There will be two options there, clear cache and clear data.
- Clear cache first and then clear data.
6- Check Your Network Settings
- Open Network and Internet Settings by searching it on the search bar or by right-clicking on the Wi-Fi or Network icon on the taskbar and selecting Network & Internet settings.
- Now, a new window will open containing different options. Go to the Status tab.
- Now scroll to the end of the page, and you will see a button named Network Reset, click on it.
- A new page will open, explaining what will reset. You will see a button called Reset now. Click on that button.
- Now, all your networks will reset, and your computer will restart.
P.S. Resetting will reset all your WIFI saved passwords, so make sure to take a backup of your passwords.
7- Replace The Direct Link To The Video With Video ID
Replacing the direct link with the video id you are trying to play can help bypass the error, and you might play that video again.
A video id can be found on any YouTube video easily. The video id is after the = (equal sign) for example:
If the URL of the video is this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyz4856ytur
Now the character after the = sign is its video id. In this case, the video id is (xyz4856ytur).
You can find the video id of any video by that method easily, now you just have to replace the URL with the id, and you can bypass the error. It is not the ideal method as you will have to replace all the video IDs separately, but it is a good workaround if you are constantly getting that error.
8- Clear The YouTube History
The error 400 is mainly caused by YouTube itself, even if your internet and all the other applications are working fine.
To remove this error, you will have to try different methods. A common method is that you can clear the history of YouTube and try playing the videos again that are causing the error.
If you don’t want to remove the history, there is another workaround you can browse YouTube in incognito mode, what this will do is that it will not record any search, browsing, playing history of you.
These methods have previously worked for other users. If YouTube is working fine in incognito mode, then you will have to clear the history, to access YouTube with your account.
9- Resetting the Browser Settings
I am taking the Google Chrome browser as an example, but the settings are almost the same for different browsers.
- Open Google Chrome by double-tapping its icon on the desktop or by clicking it once in the taskbar.
- Press the ⋮ button, then from that menu select the settings option.
- Now click on the Advanced button on the left side of the settings tab.
- Now select the Reset and clean up option.
- Click on the option called Restore settings to their original defaults
- A prompt will open. Click on the Reset settings button.
- And you are done. Your Google Chrome has been restored to original settings.
The Bottom Line
YouTube is an amazing platform, it can be extremely useful if you use this platform correctly, but it can get distracting as well because the algorithm of YouTube is strong, and they suggest videos in that field that you are interested in.
These fixes are extremely useful as most users have used them, and these fixes have fixed their problem, surely these solutions will also be useful for you, and you can enjoy YouTube back again on your favorite device.
If this error is appearing on all your devices and devices that are connected to your internet, then you will have to contact your ISP to fix your IP address that will surely fix your problem.
There are some other fixes that you can try before contacting, such as changing your DNS to Google DNS. Try this method, and if this doesn’t work, then contact your ISP.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1- How do I get rid of Error 400 on YouTube?
Ans: There are multiple methods you can try to fix this error, such as clear your browsing data and cookies. Reset app settings if you are using it on an android phone or smart TV. These fixes are easy, and you can do it easily on your device.
Q2- Why am I getting an error on YouTube?
Ans: If there is an error on the YouTube server or if your device is causing interference while it is connecting to the YouTube servers, then this error is caused. It can be a device-only error, but if the issue is with your internet, then you will get this error on all devices that are connected to your internet.
Q3- How do I fix Error 400 on my smart TV?
Ans: You can try to clear the cache and data of YouTube. You can do that by going in the settings of your Smart TV, then select apps & features, then find YouTube from the app list and select it, then clear the cache and data of the app. It is the most useful fix for Smart TV.
Q4- Why does my YouTube not work?
Ans: It can happen if your YouTube app is broken, and if that is happening after you have installed an update, then most likely, the new update is causing that error. Try uninstalling the new updates and launch YouTube again. If the error is on your browser, try resetting the settings of your browser.
Q5- How do I fix the YouTube app not playing videos?
Ans: You can try resetting the app by clearing its data and cache. You can also try to uninstall new updates of YouTube. If any of the methods doesn’t work, reinstall YouTube, and surely it will work again.
