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YouTube Something Went Wrong [SOLVED] – What’s Wrong With YouTube?

Many users report getting the Oops! Something went wrong error message when trying to log in to their Gmail accounts on YouTube. If you’re one of them, you must have entered your password multiple times thinking that you got it wrong.

That’s not the case, though, since the YouTube Something went wrong error can be triggered by other problems, usually involving your Google account security settings and Internet connection. Regardless of the root of the problem, you can fix it to get back to your Gmail account and enjoy your favorite content on YouTube.

fix Youtube something went wrong error

Ooops! Something went wrong on YouTube

There are multiple solutions you can try to fix the Google sign-in error on YouTube, whether you’re using Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or the YouTube mobile app.

How to Fix the YouTube Something Went Wrong Error

1. Refresh the Google sign-in page

Reload the Google account login page to try and get rid of the Something went wrong error message. Especially if the page was idle for a long time before you attempted to sign in, or if the Internet connection suddenly dropped.

Google Chrome shows how to refresh the page

Just hit F5, press Ctrl + R, click the Refresh button near the address bar, or right-click an empty area of your web browser and click Reload or Refresh.

You can also hard refresh your web browser to skip cache loading on the Google sign-in page. On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + R, Ctrl + F5, or Shift + F5. If you have a Mac, press Shift + Command + R.

2. Close other opened tabs

Too many opened tabs could hamper your web browser’s performance and even slow it down to a halt. Plus, you could experience Google sign-in errors and get stopped in your tracks by the YouTube TV Something went wrong error message.

Google Chrome shows how to close tabs to the right

To fix this problem, make sure to close all other opened tabs except YouTube. Don’t worry since you can reopen all of them after successfully logging in to your Google account by pressing Ctrl + Shift + T (Command + Shift + T on Mac).

3. Restart your web browser

Your web browser might have trouble trying to load required processes. In turn, this could affect your entire Internet navigation experience and prevent you from signing in to your accounts, including Google.

But it’s usually enough to give it a little nudge by restarting Chrome or any other web browser you’re using. When exiting the application, though, make sure to close all instances, including those opened in incognito / private browsing mode.

Otherwise, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or whatever application you have will not be able to restart its internal processes correctly.

4. Update your browser to the last stable version

If your web browser hasn’t been updated for a long time and you keep postponing this event, it’s no wonder that you’re experiencing account login issues and get errors like the Ooops! Something went wrong message.

Make sure to update Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or whatever browser you’re using, restart the application, and then try to sign in to YouTube again.

However, make sure you’re using a stable version and stay way from beta, developer, canary, or other editions. Those are experimental and likely cause problems.

How to update Chrome on Windows and Mac:

  1. Open the More menu on the top-right corner
  2. Select Help and click About Google Chrome (or type chrome://settings/help in your address bar)Google Chrome shows how to access About Google Chrome from the Help meu
  3. Chrome checks and downloads updates automatically (click Yes if prompted by User Account Control on Windows)Google Chrome is checking for updates
  4. When it’s done, click Relaunch and try to access your Google account

How to update Firefox on Windows and Mac:

  1. Click the ≡ hamburger button on the top-right corner
  2. Open the Help menu and click About FirefoxMozilla Firefox shows how to access About Firefox from the Help menu
  3. It will find and install any updates right awayMozilla Firefox is checking for updates
  4. When it’s done, restart Firefox and try to access your Google account

How to update Microsoft Edge:

  1. Click the More button the top-right corner
  2. Open the Help & feedback submenu
  3. Select About Microsoft Edge (or type edge://settings/help in your address bar)Microsoft Edge shows how to access About Microsoft Edge from the Help & Feedback menu
  4. Edge will look for updates right away and prompt you to click Restart when it’s oneMicrosoft Edge asks to restart to complete the update
  5. Try to access your YouTube account now

How to update apps on Android:

  1. Open the Play Store app
  2. Tap your Google account and select My apps & Games
  3. Locate your browser or YouTube app in the Updates area. Then, click Update
  4. If you can’t find it, then it’s already already updated

How to update apps on iOS:

  1. Open the App Store
  2. Tap Updates
  3. Find your browser or YouTube app and click Update
  4. If it shows the Open button instead, it means that it’s already updated

5. Clear browser cache

Your web browser may have trouble logging you in to your Google account due to cached data. However, you can fix this problem by clearing browser cache and restarting the application.

Then, you shouldn’t have any more trouble trying to sign in to YouTube. For example, you can easily clear Chrome cache.

How to clear Chrome cache on Windows, Mac, and Android:

  1. Click the More button on the upper-left corner and select SettingsGoogle Chrome shows how to access the Settings menu
  2. At Privacy and security, click Clear browsing dataGoogle Chrome shows how to access the Clear browsing data option
  3. In the Basic tab, set Time range to all time
  4. Check all options: Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files
  5. Click Clear dataGoogle Chrome shows how to clear browsing data
  6. Relaunch Chrome and try to log in to YouTube

How to clear Chrome cache on iOS:

  1. Tap the More button on the bottom
  2. Go to History and tap Clear browsing data
  3. Check Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files
  4. Tap Clear browsing data

How to clear Firefox cache on Windows and Mac:

  1. Click the ≡ hamburger button on the top-right corner
  2. Select OptionsMozilla Firefox shows how to access the Options menu
  3. Go to Privacy & Security on the left side
  4. At Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data…Mozilla Firefox shows how to access the Clear Data option
  5. Check Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content
  6. Click ClearMozilla Firefox shows how to clear data
  7. Restart Firefox and try to sign in to Google

How to clear Firefox cache on Android:

  1. Tap the More button on the lower-right corner
  2. Go to Settings
  3. Tap Delete browsing data
  4. Check all options: Open tabs, Browsing history and site data, Cookies, Cached images and files, Site permissions, and Downloads
  5. Tap Delete browsing data
  6. Relaunch the Firefox app and try to log in to Google

How to clear YouTube app cache on Android:

  1. Open Settings and go to Storage
  2. Tap Apps or Other Apps
  3. Locate and tap YouTube
  4. Tap Clear cache
  5. Open the YouTube app and try to connect with your Google account

How to clear Firefox cache on iOS:

  1. Tap the ≡ hamburger button on the bottom of the screen (top-right on iPad)
  2. Go to Settings
  3. At Privacy, tap Data Management
  4. Scroll down and select Clear All Website Data
  5. Restart the Firefox app and try to access your Google account

How to clear YouTube app cache on iOS:

  1. Go to the Settings section and select General
  2. Tap iPhone Storage
  3. Find and tap YouTube
  4. Tap Offload app
  5. Open the YouTube app and try to sign in with your account

How to clear Microsoft Edge cache:

  1. Click the More button on the top-right corner
  2. Go to SettingsMicrosoft Edge shows how to access the Settings menu
  3. Select Privacy, search, and services on the left side (or type edge://settings/privacy in your address bar)
  4. At Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clearMicrosoft Edge shows how to access the Clear Browsing Data option
  5. Set Time range to All time
  6. Check all options: Browsing history, Download history, Cookies and other site data, Cached images and files
  7. Click Clear nowMicrosoft Edge shows how to clear browsing data
  8. Restart Edge and try to access your YouTube account

6. Check your proxy settings

If your web browser is wired to use a proxy server when establishing the Internet connection, faking your IP address could affect YouTube, and that’s why you keep seeing the Ooops! Something went wrong error message.

So it’s a good idea to check and validate your proxy settings. If you’re unsure, it’s a better idea to disable your proxy altogether.

How to disable proxy settings in Chrome and Edge (Windows 10):

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge use the operating system’s built-in proxy settings, which means that you have to deactivate the Windows proxy configuration.

  1. Right-click the Windows 10 Start button and select Network Connections
  2. Click Proxy on the left side
  3. Disable Automatically detect settings and Use setup scriptWindows 10 shows how to disable automatic proxy setup
  4. Scroll down and disable Use a proxy serverWindows 10 shows how to disable manual proxy setup
  5. Exit this window
  6. Open Chrome or Edge and try to sign in to your YouTube account

How to disable proxy settings in Chrome (Mac):

  1. Open the Apple menu from the top-left corner
  2. Go to System Preferences
  3. Select Network
  4. Choose your Internet connection and click Advanced
  5. Switch to the Proxies tab and disable all options
  6. Click OK
  7. Launch Chrome and try to log in with your Google account

How to disable proxy settings in Firefox (Windows and Mac):

  1. Open the ≡ hamburger button and go to Options (or type about:preferences in your address bar)Mozilla Firefox shows how to access the Options menu
  2. In the General tab, scroll down to the bottom of the page
  3. At Network Settings, click Settings…Mozilla Firefox shows how to access network settings
  4. Select No proxy or Use system proxy settings if you don’t have a system-wide proxy configuration enabledMozilla Firefox shows how to disable proxy settings
  5. Click OK
  6. Restart Firefox and try to sign in to Google

6. Try using Google Chrome

If you haven’t tried using Google Chrome by now, switch to this browser to access your Google account and get rid of the Ooops! Something went wrong error on YouTube.

It might seem unfair to some users. However, since both YouTube and Chrome are operated by Google, it’s safe to assume that the sign-in error is caused by a desync problem.

Once you install Chrome and sign in to your Google account, the sync issue should be resolved, and you will get automatically logged in to YouTube.

7. Remove Chrome extensions

Too many extensions installed in Google Chrome that have control over various browser settings could have a serious impact on Google account login, resulting in errors such as Ooops! Something went wrong on YouTube.

To resolve this matter, you should uninstall all unnecessary Chrome extensions before trying to log in to your Google account on YouTube. Pay particular attention to security extensions like free VPN services and proxy tools, as well as YouTube Flash Video Player.

How to uninstall Chrome extensions on Windows and Mac:

  1. Click the More button on the top-right corner
  2. Open the More tools submenu and go to Extensions (or type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar)Google Chrome shows how to access Extensions from the menu
  3. Click Remove for every non-essential or untrusted extensionGoogle Chrome shows how to remove extensions
  4. Relaunch Chrome and try to sign in to Google

8. Reset Chrome settings to default

If you have configured too many options in Google Chrome, you might have altered some critical settings that are now causing syncing problems in your web browser. As a result, YouTube is not able of logging you in and shows the Ooops! Something went wrong error message instead.

To fix this issue, you just have to restore the Chrome configuration to default. Here’s what you need to do.

How to reset Chrome settings on Windows and Mac:

  1. Click the More button on the upper-right corner
  2. Go to Settings (or type chrome://settings/ in your address bar)Google Chrome shows how to access the Settings menu
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Advanced
  4. At Reset and clean up, click Restore settings to their original defaultsGoogle Chrome shows how to access the option for restoring browser settings to default
  5. Click Reset settings to confirmGoogle Chrome shows how to reset settings to default
  6. Restart Chrome and try to log in to your Google account

9. Use Google Public DNS servers

If you have an automatic DNS configuration that’s assigned by your ISP, it could take too long to process your DNS queries, resulting in browser performance issues and the Ooops! Something went wrong YouTube error.

But you can set up custom DNS servers on your operating system, which will influence all Internet-enabled applications, including Chrome or another web browser you’re trying to use for YouTube. Better yet, you can use the Google Public DNS servers.

How to set Google DNS on Windows 10:

  1. Make sure you’re logged in to Windows 10 with the administrator role
  2. Right-click the Start button and select Network Connections
  3. Click Change adapter optionsWindows 10 shows how to change adapter options
  4. Right-click your Internet connection and go to PropertiesWindows shows how to access an Internet connection's properties
  5. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click PropertiesWindows shows how to access IPv4 properties
  6. Select Use the following DNS server addresses
  7. Set Preferred DNS server to 8.8.8.8
  8. Set Alternate DNS server to 8.8.4.4
  9. Click OKWindows 10 shows how to set Google Public DNS servers
  10. Launch a web browser and try to access your Google account

How to set Google DNS on Mac:

  1. Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences
  2. Go to Network
  3. Click Advanced
  4. Select the DNS area
  5. Click the + sign to add a new DNS server address
  6. Enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
  7. Click OK
  8. Open a web browser and try to sign in to your Google account

How to set Google DNS on Android:

  1. Access Android settings
  2. Go to Network & Internet
  3. Select the Advanced section and tap Private DNS
  4. Select Configure Private DNS and enter dns.google
  5. Launch the YouTube app and try to sign in

How to set Google DNS on iOS:

  1. Go to Settings and tap Wi-Fi
  2. Tap the i icon next to your Wi-Fi connection and tap DNS
  3. Enter 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4 and save settings
  4. Open the YouTube app and try to log in

10. Check for malware and incorrect system settings with Chrome

If your operating system has a virus that’s powerful enough to affect your Internet connections, this could interfere with the Google sign-in procedure on YouTube.

However, Chrome has an integrated feature capable of locating and eliminating harmful software from your computer. It also checks for malfunctioning system settings that may hamper your browsing experience.

How to find and remove harmful software with Chrome:

  1. Click the More button on the top-right corner
  2. Select Settings (or type chrome://settings/ in your address bar)Google Chrome shows how to access the Settings menu
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Advanced
  4. At Reset and clean up, click Clean up computerGoogle Chrome shows how to access the Clean Up Computer
  5. Click Find and wait until the checkup is completeGoogle Chrome shows how to use the Find harmful software option
  6. Restart Chrome and try to sign in to your Google account

11. Manage your Google devices

YouTube may have trouble signing you in to Google as a security measure, because you are logged in to too many devices. To fix this, you should remove Google from all unknown devices and the ones you don’t use anymore.

How to disable unknown or old Google devices:

  1. Visit your Google account page and sign in
  2. Go to Security on the left side
  3. Scroll down to Your devices and click Manage devicesGoogle Account shows how to access the Manage Devices option
  4. Review the devices where you’re currently signed in with your Google account
  5. For every old or unknown device, click the More button on the top-right corner and select Sign outGoogle Account shows how to sign out of devices
  6. Click Sign out again to confirm
  7. If you don’t recognize a device from which you already signed out, it’s recommended to change your Google password because another person might know it and use it to sign back in
  8. Go to YouTube and try to log in

12. Review your Google security settings

Maybe you haven’t shared too many personal details with Google when you created your account. Or too much time has passed since you last reviewed your Google security settings.

Whatever the case may be, Google can take precautionary measures and keep you locked out of YouTube until you update your account security features. Receiving numerous notification messages about this issue is a telltale sign.

Don’t postpone this any longer because you will keep getting the Ooops! Something went wrong message until your account’s security is cleared. The previous solution with managing your Google devices was only the first step toward resolving the problem.

How to update Google security settings:

  1. Go to the Google account page and log in
  2. Select Security on the left side
  3. If you spot the Critical security issues found message, click Take actionGoogle has found critical security issues with your account and urges you to take action
  4. Go through Google’s recommendations one by one, like changing any compromised passwords or enabling 2-step verification
  5. Save the new settings
  6. Go to YouTube and try to access your account

13. Update your operating system

Google sign-in problems could also be caused by missing or poorly designed operating system features that will likely get fixed in the next release.

All you have to do is make sure that your OS is updated to the latest version. Normally, it should auto-update itself. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check it manually in case something went wrong.

How to update Windows 10:

  1. Press the Win key, type Check for updates, and hit EnterWindows 10 shows how to check for system updates
  2. Click Check for updates and wait until the search is completeWindows 10 shows how to check for updates
  3. If there are any pending updates, click DownloadWindows 10 shows how to download system updates
  4. Restart your computer once the updates are installed
  5. Open a web browser and try to access your YouTube account

How to update Mac:

  1. Open the Apple menu and go to System Preferences
  2. Click Software Update
  3. If there are any available updates, click Update Now
  4. Enter your admin username and password to confirm
  5. Restart your Mac
  6. Open a web browser and try to sign in to YouTube

How to update Android:

  1. Ensure that your Android device has full power. Otherwise, plug it in for recharge
  2. Access the Settings section
  3. Go to System > Advanced > System update
  4. Wait until Android checks for updates
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to finalize the update
  6. Open the YouTube app and try to connect with your account

How to update iOS:

  1. Make sure your iPhone or iPod is fully charged or plugged into power
  2. Visit the Settings area
  3. Go to General and tap Software Update
  4. Tap Download and Install
  5. If it asks you to temporarily remove apps and make room for the update, tap Continue. They will be automatically reinstalled by iOS after the task
  6. Tap Install to proceed with the update right away
  7. Enter your passcode to authorize the iOS update
  8. Launch the YouTube app and try to sign in to Google

14. Check your Internet connection

If everything on this list failed to get rid of the Ooops! Something went wrong error message, you should double-check your Internet connection to see if everything is in working order.

  • Perform an Internet speed test
  • Reboot your router
  • Try connecting to another network
  • Switch from Wi-Fi to 3G/4G (or the other way around)
  • Close all other apps except the one you use to access YouTube (YouTube app or web browser)
  • Run the Internet Connections troubleshooter on Windows 10
  • Flush your DNS server cache
  • Update your network driver

Ooops! Something went wrong – Conclusion

To recap, the Ooops! Something went wrong error message appears in YouTube when attempting to log in to your Google account. There’s nothing to be scared of since you can fix this issue by trying the solutions presented here.

You should refresh the Google sign-in page, close other opened tabs besides YouTube, restart your web browser and update it to the latest version, clear browser or app cache, check your proxy settings, and switch to Google Chrome.

It’s also a good idea to remove unwanted Chrome extensions, reset Chrome settings to default, use Google Public DNS servers, check your device for harmful software with Chrome, and manage your Google device.

Plus, you should review your Google security settings, update your operating system, and check your Internet connection. If everything fails, keep in mind that it be a server problem with YouTube, which will eventually get resolved on its own, so you just have to wait.

How did you manage to finally get rid of the Ooops! Something went wrong error message on YouTube? Let us know in the comment section below.

1 Comment

  1. If you are using Brave browser while trying to block “All Cookies”, not cross-site only, youtube will stop you from accessing anything.

    That is what fixed it for me.