Top 8 Ways to Fix YouTube Black Screen Issue on Android TV

Watching YouTube videos is a favorite past time for many people. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world, people are now posting more online video content than ever before. However, several users are encountering black screen issues in the YouTube app for Android TV. This issue prevents the video from displaying when the Android TV screen goes black. Some users have reported hearing non-visual audio.

The problem is not limited to a particular Android TV model or brand. Users of the YouTube app for PC are highlighting the same issue. Sometimes a simple reboot does the trick.

In this article, we have listed the possible causes of YouTube black screen issue on Android TV and the most effective methods to fix it.

Let’s dive into the article.

Reasons Behind YouTube Black Screen Issue on Android TV

First, let’s take a look at the possible reasons why YouTube is showing a black screen on your Android TV.

There is no specific reason causing this issue. Here is a list of possible causes:

• Minor glitch due to hours of content streaming.
• Due to an old version of the YouTube app.
• Because of RAM (Random Access Memory).
• Due to the old Android TV firmware version.
• Due to issues with Android TV itself.
• Due to server side issues.

The above list gives you a fair idea of ​​the immediate reasons behind the black screen issue in the YouTube Android TV app. Now, apart from that, let’s check out the fixes.

1. Restart Your Android TV

The first thing anyone will do if they encounter such problems on their device is to restart the device. Here it is recommended to restart your TV if no images are playing for you in the YouTube app.

Restarting puts Android TV on a kind of hiatus without constantly working. So, restart your Android TV and check if that fixes the problem.

2. Check Internet Connection

Another important thing that people overlook when checking is whether their internet is running smoothly. Frequently, the YouTube app misbehaves due to a strained internet connection.

Moreover, if the internet connection is not good, YouTube will not load the video content and will usually show you a black screen. Therefore, you should check your Internet connection speed and reliability when YouTube encounters hiccups.

3. Sign In Again

Android TV users reported that re-logging into the YouTube app worked for them. With the YouTube app open, select your profile picture (top left) to visit your account page. Next, select your account and click on it to see the Sign Out option.

After logging out, go to the main screen of the YouTube app. Go to the far left of the screen and click Sign in at the top.

4. Check If YouTube Is Working on Other Devices

Checking if YouTube is working on other devices including your smartphone, tablet, laptop is another option you should consider. If YouTube is having problems running on these devices, it may be because the YouTube servers are experiencing some issues.

A few websites like DownDetector, Outage Report, Is It Currently Down can tell if a service is currently experiencing any issues.

5. Reset YouTube App

Resetting the YouTube App can also help resolve this issue. The app’s cache or temporary files sometimes conflict with the app’s performance. Fortunately, the YouTube Android TV app has a Reset feature built in.

Note that resetting the YouTube app will clear your settings, your connected devices, and log you out of the app. Here are the steps to reset the YouTube Android TV app:

Stage 1: Go to the left menu and press Settings.

Step 2: Scroll down and find the Reset app option.

Stage 3: Double-click the Reset button to perform an app reset.

6. Reinstall the App

The YouTube app cannot be completely removed from Android TV as it is a system app. But you can try to uninstall the app updates and reinstall the latest version of the app. This will force the YouTube app to fix certain issues that may occur due to incorrect installation.

7. Update Android TV’s Firmware

Similar to updating any app, you should keep your Android TV’s firmware up to date. While Android TV doesn’t get that many updates, it does get a few security patch updates. So beware of such updates as they may carry fixes for such issues.

Stage 1: Go to the settings menu.

Step 2: Then click on Device Preferences.

Stage 3: Now select About.

Step 4: Finally, select the System Update option.

Android TV will start searching for new updates on its server. If a new update is available, simply download and install it.

8. Reset Android TV

As a last resort, if none of the methods listed above fix the problem, you can try resetting Android TV. In particular, this will save all your personal preferences, accounts, devices, etc. It will remove it from the TV.

Stage 1: Go to Android TV’s Settings menu and select Device Preferences.

Step 2: Scroll all the way down and select Reset.

No More Black Screen

Now that you know the different methods to fix the problem, try it on your Android TV. After that the YouTube app on your Android TV will work without any glitches. Just like Android apps on your phone, it also needs some troubleshooting when faced with such a problem.