YouTube is one of the most popular video streaming platforms that a lot of people visit as it contains various content ranging from entertainment to tutorials. Accessing the site is quite easy as you only have to use your browser to do it. Sometimes though there are issues that can occur when trying to access YouTube. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the YouTube an error occurred playback ID error issue.
How To Fix YouTube An Error Occurred Playback ID Error Issue
Before performing the recommended troubleshooting steps for this particular problem I suggest that you try restarting your computer first. This will refresh the operating system as well as remove corrupt temporary data and is quite effective in fixing most software related issues.
When trying to play a YouTube video and you might encounter this message “An error occurred. Please try again later. Playback ID”. This error message is caused by several factors and to fix this you will have to follow the troubleshooting steps listed below.
Clear the cache and data of your browser
One of the most common reasons this error message occurs is because of a corrupt cached data in your browser. If this is what’s causing the problem you will have to clear the cache and data of your browser.
Chrome
- At the top right, click More (three vertical dots or arrow icon pointing up, depending on your browser version)
- Click More tools
- Click Clear browsing data…
- Select a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
- Check the boxes for Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data
Edge
- Click the Hub icon (star with three horizontal lines)
- Click History in the left panel
- Select Clear History
- Check the boxes for Cookies and saved website data and Cached data and files, (it’s ok to leave everything else unchecked)
- Click Clear
Firefox
- Click the Firefox menu (found in the top right corner)
- Select History
- Select Clear Recent History…
- In the drop down for “Time range to clear:” select Everything
- Check the box for Cache, (it’s ok to leave everything else unchecked)
- Click Clear Now
- Restart or refresh Firefox
Safari
- Click Safari in the menu bar
- Select Preferences
- Select the Privacy tab
- Choose the Manage Website Data
- Click Remove All
- Click Remove Now to confirm
Check if the YouTube an error occurred playback ID error issue still occurs.
Restart your modem or router
Another factor that can cause this issue is when your computer does not have any internet connectivity. Try to open another browser tab then visit any website. If you can’t open the website then you can try to reboot your modem or router to fix the problem. Just turn the device off and wait for a minute before turning it back on.
Check if the YouTube an error occurred playback ID error issue still occurs.
Flush the DNS Cache
A DNS cache is a database stored in your computer which contains information on all of the websites you visited. This cache can sometimes become corrupted resulting in you not able to access a website. If this is what’s causing the problem you will have to flush the DNS cache.
- Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box.
- Type “cmd” and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open up an elevated Command Prompt. If prompted by the UAC (User Account Control), click Yes to grant administrative privileges.
- Inside the elevated Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter to flush your DNS cache: ipconfig/flushdns
Check if the YouTube an error occurred playback ID error issue still occurs.
Try using Google’s Public DNS
Your ISP will typically set your DNS to one which they have chosen. Sometimes changing this to Google’s public DNS will fix this problem.
- Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box.
- Type “ncpa.cpl” and press Enter to open up the Network Connections window.
- Select the connection that you want to configure the Google Public DNS for.
- Inside the Wi-fi/Ethernet Properties screen, go to the Networking tab and go to the settings box under This connection uses the following items.
- Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click the Properties button.
- Inside the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties screen, go to the General tab.
- Select the toggle associated with Use the following DNS server address and replace the Preferred DNS server and the Alternate DNS server with the following values: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
- Save the changes, then repeat steps 3 and 4 with Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), but this time, use these values for the Preferred DNS server and the Alternate DNS server: 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844
- Restart your computer.
Check if the YouTube an error occurred playback ID error issue still occurs.
Reinstall your browser
There’s a possibility that your browser has some corrupt files which is causing this problem. To fix this you will need to download and install a fresh version of your browser.
- Press Windows key +R to open up a Run dialog box.
- Type “appwiz.cpl” and press Enter.
- Scroll down through the list to locate the browser that is causing error.
- Right-click on it and choose Uninstall.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to remove the browser from your computer.
- Once your browser has been uninstalled, restart your computer.
- When the computer starts use the built-in browser (Internet Explorer or Edge) to navigate to the download page of the 3rd party browser that you previously uninstalled and download the installation executable.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to reinstall the browser.
Check if the YouTube an error occurred playback ID error issue still occurs.