How to Prevent YouTube from Pausing Automatically

Most of the time, YouTube offers uninterrupted video watching. However, even the world’s largest video streaming platform fails to deliver sometimes. In fact, many users report YouTube pausing issues on their devices. If you’re experiencing the same problem, you’ve come to the right place.

This article will help you understand why YouTube pauses videos and provide actionable tips for resolving the issue. Fear not; the problem is likely not as serious as it seems. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Why Does YouTube Keep Pausing?

If you’ve been on YouTube for a while, chances are you’ve experienced some kind of issue with the app at one time or another. Occasional video pausing is rarely a cause for concern. However, if the issue happens too often, the problem may need further investigation.

There are many reasons why your video may pause, from YouTube’s default settings or browser problems to outdated software or a slow internet connection.

Let’s take a more detailed look at the most common reasons for YouTube video pausing. After that, we’ll list the steps to help solve the issue regardless of the cause.

YouTube Default Settings

The principal reason your YouTube video may pause is that the Auto-Pause feature is set by default. This feature is designed to pause the videos if you’ve been inactive on the device for a while and prevent you from missing important details in the content you were watching.

If you’re trying to watch a YouTube video while cooking, working, or cleaning, the auto-pause feature can ruin the experience. While YouTube doesn’t give us the option to disable auto-pause, there are third-party solutions that we’ll cover below.

Network Issues

If you experience network disruption, your YouTube video may pause. Maybe the video is buffering, or there’s a temporary server error. YouTube’s in-built algorithm pauses the video every time there’s a network issue (excluding downloaded videos).

Browser Issues

Other than internet issues, certain browsers can cause YouTube to pause videos. There can be a glitch caused by the cookies or cache files, or some extensions may interrupt the video from loading properly.

YouTube Faults

As fantastic as YouTube is, it’s not entirely resistant to technical faults or bugs. If you’re sure there’s nothing wrong on your end, it’s worth checking YouTube’s Help Center or the Known Issues page for ongoing technical issues on the platform itself.

Remind Me to Take a Break Is On

Do you use YouTube’s latest “Remind Me to Take a Break” feature? If so, it may be one of the reasons why your video pauses at a certain time.

An Issue With Your Headphones

Some headphone/phone combinations have an auto-pause function if the YouTube app thinks you disconnected your earbuds. Pay close attention to when your video pauses. If you’re moving, your wireless headphones have low battery, or you have a faulty headphone jack, YouTube will pause.

How to Stop YouTube From Auto Pausing?

Now that we listed the most common reasons why a YouTube video may pause, it’s time to move to the main part – solving the issue.

Tweak YouTube Auto-Pause Settings

If YouTube pauses a video and asks if you want to “Continue watching?” then the Auto-pause feature is enabled.

You can turn this feature off by using an extension. There are plenty of options out there, and not all work for all browsers. For example, “AutoTube – YouTube nonstop” is available for Chrome and Firefox.

To install AutoTube on Chrome, follow the steps below:

  1. Download the AutoTube extension by clicking on “Add to Chrome.
  2. Continue by clicking “Add extension.”
  3. The extension will install automatically, and you can watch YouTube videos without auto-pausing.

To install AutoTube on Firefox, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to AutoTube on Mozilla Addons.
  2. Click on “Add to Firefox,” then “Add.”
  3. The add-on will install and be active immediately.

The next time the “Continue watching?” tab appears, the extension will immediately resume the video.

If the auto-pause feature is not the problem, continue with the steps below.

Check Your Internet Connection

If you run into a playback issue with one video on YouTube, try playing another one. If it takes longer to load the page or the video buffers for longer than seems normal, you may have a connection issue.

You can run a speed test to verify your upload and download speeds. If your speeds are too low to support YouTube playback, try switching to mobile data, restarting your router, or contacting your ISP.

Clear YouTube Cache

YouTube cache stores some of your previously watched videos and loads them faster when you play them again. Too many videos in the cache can slow down the app, resulting in videos pausing too frequently.

Here’s how to clear the YouTube cache:

  1. Open the “Settings” page on your mobile device or browser.
  2. Find the “YouTube” app on your mobile device or navigate to “Storage and Memory” in the browser settings.
  3. Find the “Clear cache” option and apply it. Be careful not to select “Clear Data,” as this will remove all your YouTube data.

iOS users don’t have the option to clean an app’s cache. But, you can offload the app’s data, effectively clearing the cache. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Settings on your device and tap General.
  2. Tap Storage.
  3. Tap on the YouTube app.
  4. Tap Offload Data. Then confirm you’d like to offload the app’s data.

Offloading an app’s data won’t erase your login information or any other important data. After offloading, restart YouTube and try watching your video.

Disable Your Antivirus

Third-party apps or extensions can conflict with your YouTube service. If your antivirus software or other app perceives YouTube as a threat, it can prevent you from finishing the video. Shut down any software you believe may interfere with your YouTube experience, especially the antivirus program.

Turn Off the “Remind Me to Take a Break” Feature (Mobile App Only)

Follow the steps below to turn off this feature:

  1. Open the YouTube Mobile app and tap on your profile icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Navigate to YouTube settings.
  3. Head to the “General” section.
  4. Turn the “Remind me to take a break” option off.

If this is the issue, your YouTube videos won’t pause anymore.

Update the App

Does your YouTube app keep pausing videos even after you cleared the cache and rebooted the app? Make sure you’re running YouTube’s latest version. Just find YouTube under the “Apps” section in your phone settings and check if there’s an update available.

Disable Data Saver (Mobile App Only)

YouTube has a Data Saver feature that uses lower video quality and aims to reserve your mobile data to keep users from going over their mobile data allotment. These days, most carriers offer unlimited data plans. If YouTube keeps pausing, try disabling the Data Saver feature. Here’s how:

  1. Open the YouTube app and tap on the profile icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Tap on Settings.
  3. Tap on Data Saving.
  4. Toggle the switch next to Data Saving Mode, so it turns grey.

Now, try playing your videos again to see if the pausing stops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep reading this section if you still have questions about YouTube.

Does YouTube have technical support?

Unfortunately, no. At least not in the traditional sense. There isn’t anyone you can call or chat with for help with technical issues. Users who are having problems with YouTube can visit the support page to submit feedback and read through help articles.

Can I play YouTube videos with my screen locked?

The company has taken great strides to ensure YouTube videos stop playing when you lock your phone, or the screen goes to sleep. Fortunately, as with most unpopular app features, there are workarounds and third-party services to help bypass certain restrictions.

If you want to play YouTube with your phone’s screen locked, check out this article.

Watch YouTube Without Interruptions

Having your YouTube video pause is never a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, it’s a relatively common issue. The good thing is that it’s easily solvable. Most often, the problem lies in the auto-pause feature, or your internet connection needs a double-check.

This article listed the most common reasons YouTube may pause your videos automatically and provided some easy fixes. If the auto-pause feature isn’t the problem and your YouTube video keeps pausing, it’s worth trying the alternative steps listed above.

Which method helped you solve the problem? Share your experiences in the comments below.

12 thoughts on “How to Prevent YouTube from Pausing Automatically”

DJ M says:
I use an android 10/11 phone and access youtube thru firefox browser. i do NOT use any you tube app, as i dont trust their shit in my phone, since they DO keep track of everything you do! whenever i try to play music at youtube and than try to minimize the browser to do anything else, the music instantly stops, how can i minimize firefox, but still hear the songs? nobody seems to have a fix or workaround for that!
Steve Larner says:
I don’t think there is one, honestly.
Caleb Mavar says:
I use Brave and access YouTube through the website. In Brave, there is a setting to play in background which allows you to play videos while your screen is off. I use this feature for many videos, not only in YouTube. Honestly it works fantastically! I still have yet to get rid of the auto pause that happens when you’re listening to a playlist but I am at least able to listen to songs with my phone screen off. Also don’t tell anyone I told you but brave blocks the advertisements on YouTube as well so there’s a plus!
Ruben C. says:
You Tube AND KTLA 5 News in Chrome were pausing continuously every 5 seconds for a couple of days in my tablet. The fix was as simple as unchecking the “Desktop Site” radio button in Settings, which somehow I activated accidentally.
Jennifer says:
All these solutions seem designed to help if you are using YouTube on a PC. What if I am using it on a Roku TV? I like to leave videos on for my cats when I’m at work. They are supposed to run for 10 hours but when I get home they have always stopped. I know this is the inactivity issue but there doesn’t seem to be any way to turn it off.
Michelle Näsi says:
I use brave and I know that there is chrome extention too non stop youtube but there is reason why I don’t use chrome, I very much dislike google! Sadly I do use however youtube a lot because at the moment there aren’t really anything like youtube I tried odyssey but it don’t have hours of meditation music so I use youtube but youtube pauses these videos for me, no other video, there is a reason why I put on a long video don’t want it paused but I also don’t want to log in chrome, to get this non stop extention, why can’t brave in itself have a feauture like this? I don’t understand why youtube just get worse and worse, why add these in meditation music videos? Many of them are meant to be played while you are sleeping this defets the whole purpose of these videos, also asking me while I try to fall asleep is hindering me possible to fall asleep.
snuggles says:
Autotube Nonstop doesn’t work anymore. (Latest FF/W11)
Nicole says:
Ok, but any ideas for when YouTube TV has been added to a TV (not a laptop, tablet, phone, etc.)? Thanks!
Ricky says:
Any idea for how to solve this problem on mobile app?
johny why says:
“Head to the “General” section.”

There’s no “General” section.

Steve Larner says:
There was on my Moto G Fast Android 11 phone.
asaf says:
how do I stop auto pause feature on Opera GX browser?
shelly says:
I cleared my YouTube cache but I can’t find the “remind me to take a break” setting anywhere in YouTube settings – any idea where it is?
Steve Larner says:
It appears on my Moto G Fast Android 11 phone. What phone and Android version do you have?
Wez says:
Any hints for how to solve it on xbox (latest series) app? Would nice to be able to use YouTube for streaming music for parties etc, or simply in background when doing other stuff in the house. The benefit of machines to my mind is that you set them to do something and they keep doing it until you tell them not to. Having that facility removed begins to make machine tech work against one of its major features. We used to have to turn over tapes, or replace a CD when finished. Modern tech is supposed to leave these inconveniences in the past, but instead reintroduces them. I’d be OK if it asked me at the end of a playlist, but interrupting one is extremely unhelpful. Any resolution for this on an xbox is highly appreciated.
DJM says:
I think you missed his question. He wants the streaming to not stop, not multi stream. unfortunately you have to tap that annoying “video paused, are you still watching” because youtube IS built and run by geeky dickheads!
Steve Larner says:
The response was intended for a different comment that must have disappeared.
Md Saifur Rahman says:
Hello sir, I have been watching videos on youtube for years without any problem, today for a few days sometimes 30 seconds and sometimes one minute sometimes 2 minutes youtube video automatically pause. Give me the solution, but I’m going to the settings and clear and then it is not working.

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