YouTube is undoubtedly the world's most popular video streaming platform, with close to 122 million daily users. With its huge content library, you can find videos on almost any topic. Whether you're looking to learn how to replace your bike's tire or catch up on the latest news, the video streaming platform has you covered.

Most users nowadays rely on the YouTube app to access content on the platform, since it is extremely convenient and fast. However, if you're an Android user, you may occasionally run into issues like lagging videos, which can ruin the experience. In such situations, here are a few solutions you can try out to deal with this issue.

1. Force Stop the App

The simplest solution to fix lagging videos on YouTube is to force-stop the app and start it again.

  1. Open your phone's settings and go to the 'Apps' or 'Apps and Notifications' section.
  2. Next, tap on the 'See All Apps' option to view all the applications on your phone.
  1. Scroll down through the apps list until you find YouTube. Tap on it to open the app settings.
  2. On the next page, tap the 'Force Stop' button to stop the YouTube app.

Now, you can relaunch it from your home screen and hopefully, the lagging issue will have been resolved.

2. Clear the Cache

If the above method does not fix the video lagging issue on your Android device, consider clearing the cache. While the steps to clear the cache can vary depending on your device manufacturer, the main process is as follows.

  1. Open your phone's settings and then go to the 'Apps' page.
  2. Tap to select YouTube from the apps list, as explained above.
  3. Next, tap on the 'Storage and Cache' option to access the app storage page.
  4. From here, tap on the 'Clear Cache' button to clear it and remove all cached files downloaded by the app.
  1. Relaunch YouTube and check whether the videos are still lagging.

3. Change the Video Resolution

Sometimes, the reason why YouTube videos might be lagging on your Android device is that the video resolution is too high. Higher-quality videos take longer to load, and you may experience buffering. So, the ideal solution would be to lower the video resolution.

  1. Open the YouTube app on your device and tap on your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
  2. Tap on the gear icon in the top right corner to go to the settings page.
  1. In the settings page, tap on the 'Video Quality Preferences' option. From here, you can control the resolution of the videos streamed on the app.
  2. By default, it is set to 'Auto'. Tap on the 'Data Saver' option for both mobile networks and Wi-fi to select it. This option uses less data and lowers the resolution, which can help fix your lagging problems.

4. Turn Off Data Saving Mode

YouTube's Android app has an inbuilt data-saving mode that prevents it from using a lot of bandwidth and can help you save data. Unfortunately, when you turn it on, your video quality goes down, and the app can also start lagging. Turning it off might help deal with the video lagging problem on your device.

  1. Open YouTube and go to the settings as explained above.
  2. Tap on the 'Data Saving' option on the settings page.
  1. On the data-saving page, check whether the data-saving mode is turned on. If it is, tap on the button next to it to turn it off.
  2. Alternatively, you can change individual settings that affect video quality and try playing a few YouTube videos to check.

5. Reboot Your Device

This is one of the simplest solutions that can fix the problem of YouTube videos lagging on your Android device. Turning your device off and then turning it on again can help you out, and may even fix other apps that were loading slowly.

  1. Press and hold the power button on your device for a few seconds until the power menu shows up.
  2. Tap on the 'Restart' button to reboot your device. Once it restarts, launch YouTube and check how videos are playing.

6. Use Wi-Fi Instead Of Mobile Data

The YouTube Android app relies on a good network to play videos smoothly. So, essentially, using a Wi-Fi connection instead of mobile data can prevent issues like lagging. If you can access a Wi-Fi network, here are the steps to connect to it.

  1. Swipe down from your home screen to view the quick settings panel.
  2. Tap on the 'Internet' button to access both mobile data and Wi-Fi settings.
  1. The first section controls all mobile data settings, and below that lies the Wi-Fi section. Tap on the Wi-Fi button to turn it on.
  2. When you turn on the Wi-Fi, your device will scan for all available networks in the area. Tap on the name of your network.
  1. Enter the password when required and tap on the connect button.
  2. If the password is correct, your device will be connected to the network.
  1. Launch the YouTube app and play your videos. They should play without any lag now.

7. Update the App

It is also possible that your YouTube videos are lagging because of issues with the app. The best way to fix those issues is to update the app to the latest version.

  1. Open the Play Store and type YouTube in the search bar.
  2. Tap on YouTube when it appears.
  1. If any update appears, you will see an 'Update' button. Tap on the button to update the app.
  2. When the app finishes updating, open it and play a video to check whether the lagging issue has been resolved.
  1. If you're already on the latest version, you may need to uninstall the updates and update again. To do that, tap on the YouTube app when it appears in the Play Store.
  2. On the app page, there will be an 'Uninstall' button. Tap on it to uninstall all updates to the YouTube app.
  1. Now, you can update the app and test the video playback speed.
Note: YouTube is a pre-installed Android app, so tapping the 'Uninstall' button will not remove it from your system. It will only remove updates installed later on.

8. Update Your Device

If updating the YouTube app does not work, your device might be missing important updates, which is causing the problem. In such a situation, try to download and install the latest updates available from the manufacturer.

  1. To update your phone, open the settings page and go to the 'System Updates' option.
  2. On the 'System Updates' page, tap the 'Check For Updates' button. If updates are available, your device will download and install them.

Finally, restart your device and check your YouTube videos to see if they are playing without lag now.

9. Install an Older Version of the App

Another possible reason YouTube videos are lagging on your Android phone is that the app might not be optimized for it. Google often releases app updates that are incompatible with certain devices or even specific models. In such a situation, the ideal solution is to search for an older version and install it after disabling the installed version.

  1. Open your device settings and go to the 'Apps' section.
  2. Locate YouTube and tap on it to view the app details.
  1. On the YouTube page, tap on the 'Disable' button to disable the app.
  2. You will get a warning message when disabling YouTube. Tap on 'Disable App' to proceed.
  1. Now, you just need to visit this link and download an older version of the YouTube app.
  2. After downloading it, tap on it to install it. Your device will ask for permission when installing an app from any source other than the Play Store.
  1. After installing the app, open it and play a few videos. If the videos were lagging due to app incompatibility, this should fix the problem.

10. Disable the Battery Saver

When you turn on the battery saver on your device, it will prioritize battery life at the cost of performance. This can cause your YouTube videos to lag. To test whether this is the reason for the issue, turn the battery saver off.

  1. Go to your device settings and tap on the 'Battery' option.
  2. Next, tap on the 'Battery Saver' option which allows you to turn the feature on or off.
  1. If the battery saver is turned on, tap on the button next to it to turn it off.
  2. Similarly, if you have set a schedule for it to turn on automatically, consider turning it off from the 'Set a Schedule' option.
Note: The Battery Saver may be available as Power Saving Mode or under some other name, depending on your device manufacturer.

11. Download YouTube Videos

If all else fails, the only solution is to download YouTube videos and play them on your device instead of streaming them online.

  1. Launch the YouTube app and go to the video you want to download.
  2. Tap the three dots that appear below the video, and you will see a few options.
  3. To download the video, tap the 'Download Video' button from the list.
  1. This will bring up some options that will let you choose the quality of the video you want to download. Tap on the 'Download' button to start downloading.
  2. Once you've finished downloading the video, you can watch it on your device without needing any network connectivity.
Note: Some videos can only be downloaded through a Premium account using this method. You may need to rely on third-party tools to download them via a free account.

There are several possible reasons why YouTube videos might be lagging on your device. Since it is not easy to determine the exact cause, we suggest trying out the above methods one by one. Hopefully, one of these will help you fix the problem. In case it does not, you can always download the videos to your device and view them at any time without needing to be connected to the internet.