Forum Discussion

RokuMaryEF's avatar
RokuMaryEF
Community Moderator
9 months ago

[Under investigation] YouTube Playback Issue - Black Screen

Hey everyone,

We're seeing reports of the YouTube app going black during playback.  

Status Update: We're investigating this and working on a fix with our channel partner.

If you're seeing this, help us out! Please provide:

  • Roku device info: DID and OS build (Settings > System > About)
  • Tracker ID: (press Home 5x then Back 5x)
  • YouTube app version: (YouTube app > Settings > App Version - screenshot please!)
  • When it happens: (Playback? Ads? Specific times?)
  • Other apps affected? (Netflix, Prime, etc.)
  • Any workarounds you've found?
  • Does this happen when an ad starts or at another time?
  • Is there any way to recover when it happens (like exiting and reopening the app)?
  • If possible, could you record a quick video of the issue in action? That can help our team better understand what's going on.

We'll update you here when it's fixed.

Thanks for your help!

Roku Community Team

Under Investigation

93 Replies

  • Kenny99's avatar
    Kenny99
    Binge Watcher
    5 months ago

    Why is this marked "solved"? I do not see any resolved replies. I have this problem and started another post looking for answers. It would seem that you guys are very familiar with this problem. The fixes you have listed are not effective for me. There seems to be many people that are frustrated as well. Can we get some help? Please and thank you

  • Katatawnic's avatar
    Katatawnic
    Binge Watcher
    2 years ago

    My Roku Streambar OS was updated this morning.  Now YouTube will not play any videos.  The app loads, thumbnails generate, videos can be added to or removed from playlists, etc.  But not one video will play.  It tries to load, but the screen just turns black and nothing happens no matter how long I wait.

     

    I've rebooted the Streambar, uninstalled and reinstalled YouTube, unplugged the Streambar for a few minutes.  Nothing works.

     

    Hulu, Netflix, and Paramount Plus are all working smoothly.  The only problem is YouTube, and it happened immediately after the Streambar OS update.

     

    (Edit: Yes, YouTube does work on my phone and tablet.)

     

    What do I do to fix this?

    • KatinVT's avatar
      KatinVT
      Channel Surfer
      2 years ago

      We've had the same problem. Of 17 channels on our home screen -- only 5 can we access. When I tried chat I was told I had to pay for the channels through Roku. Excuse me? Most of the channels are free (news programs). three of the ones we subscribe to we can't access, but 2 we can. Go figure.

      I think this new OS needs a serious fix. ASAP!

      • Katatawnic's avatar
        Katatawnic
        Binge Watcher
        2 years ago

        Wow, I'm sorry!  That's gotta be so frustrating.  Just the YouTube issue has been driving me mad.  But I mostly watch YT, not much else, so my TV routine has been completely hijacked.  And since I'm disabled and housebound, I don't have much to do besides watch TV.

         

        I used to create and maintain web sites, and if there were glitches in updates that testing overlooked, the first thing I'd do was to roll it back to the previous version until I had the update fixed and working properly.  This is what Roku should do.

    • Jgrawe's avatar
      Jgrawe
      Newbie
      9 months ago

       Hi, this problem just became apparent last evening.  I launch youtube on my roku and acts normal,  as soon as a selection of any type is made the screen totally blacks out and no sound.  I can return to roku home and choose any other app and works fine. I've tried all suggestions remove and reinstall youtube,  restart roku, check for updates and clear cache. Youtube does work on other devices such as phone and tablet just fine. Any insight is appreciated. 

      • RokuRiamie-D's avatar
        RokuRiamie-D
        Community Moderator
        9 months ago

        Hi Jgrawe,

        Welcome to the Roku Community!

        We are glad to have you here sharing about the issue of your Youtube channel which launches then goes to black screen. We would like to coordinate this with our Roku-appropriate team.

        We would like to clarify if you're referring to the YouTube TV app or the YouTube Channel. In the meantime, please provide us with the following details so we can further investigate the issue.

        • Roku device model, serial number, device ID, and OS version. (this can all be found in Settings > System > About)
        • Tracker ID (when you see this issue occur, press the Home button 5 times, followed by the Back button 5 times, and provide us with this ID)
        • Channel build version (highlight the channel and press the star (*) button of your Roku remote)

        We look forward to your update.

        Cheers,
        Riamie

    • Katatawnic's avatar
      Katatawnic
      Binge Watcher
      2 years ago

      Streambar model 9102RW

      Serial number YL003L666089

                        (or YL003L666089)

      Device ID B110A3666089

      Software version: 14.0.4
      Build: 12221

       

      YouTube version 2.23
      Build 115025174

       

      Tracker issue ID 89-411-513

       

      I'm not sure how relevant the tracker issue timestamp is. This has been ongoing since immediately following the OS update at 10:24am EDT.

      • Katatawnic's avatar
        Katatawnic
        Binge Watcher
        2 years ago

        No one from YouTube or Roku has updated me.  I don't know if anyone is even looking into this.

  • RokuMaryEF's avatar
    RokuMaryEF
    Community Moderator
    9 months ago

    Hey everyone,

    We know some of you are having trouble with the YouTube app – it's going black during playback. 

    Update 1/20: We're looking into it right now.

    If you're experiencing this, could you tell us:

    • Your Roku device info (DID and OS build) - found in Settings > System > About
    • Your Tracker ID (press Home 5 times, then Back 5 times)
    • If possible, record a short video of it happening
    • The YouTube app version

    To improve visibility and reference, we'll mark this post as resolved.

    Your info will help us fix this!

    Thanks,

    The Roku Community Team

    • nibbler26's avatar
      nibbler26
      Newbie
      9 months ago

      Device ID S0J734AVMLEL

      Software Version 14.1

      Tracker ID EL-049-167

      YouTube Version 2.25 build 93

      When on the YouTube start screen or playing any video the screen goes black (no audio, no video) until a button press on the remote.  

    • Jay56's avatar
      Jay56
      Binge Watcher
      2 months ago

      Yes, we are. Do something about it and make us happy again

    • RokuRiamie-D's avatar
      RokuRiamie-D
      Community Moderator
      8 months ago

      Hi MS90,

      Welcome to the Roku Community!

      Our Roku team is already aware of this issue. To help us investigate the issue further, please provide us with the following:

      • Roku device model, serial number, device ID, and OS version. (this can all be found in Settings > System > About)
      • Tracker ID (press the Home button 5 times, followed by the Back button 5 times)
      • Channel build version (highlight the channel and press the star (*) button of your Roku remote)

      We look forward to your response.

      Best,
      The Roku Community Team

  • RokuMaryEF's avatar
    RokuMaryEF
    Community Moderator
    8 months ago

    Hey everyone,

    We know some of you are running into an issue with the YouTube app – it’s going black during playback.

    Status update (2/27): We're investigating this and working on a fix with our channel partner.

    If you're having this issue, could you help us out by providing the following details?

    • Your Roku device info (DID and OS build) – found in Settings > System > About
    • Your Tracker ID (press Home 5 times, then Back 5 times)
    • The YouTube app version (Open the YouTube app > Settings > App Version; send us a screenshot)
    • Exact behavior & when it happens (Does it happen during playback or when an ad starts?)
    • Is this happening on other apps like Netflix or Prime?
    • Is there any way to recover or fix the issue on your own?
    • Does this happen when an ad starts or at another time?

    Note: We'll mark this post as solved for visibility and as a reference for other users.

    Your info will help us get this sorted!

    Thanks,
    The Roku Community Team

    • bobpetti's avatar
      bobpetti
      Reel Rookie
      7 months ago

      Any updates on this? I also suffer the black screen problem on my Roku Soundbar streambad - very very annoying. 

      • RokuRiamie-D's avatar
        RokuRiamie-D
        Community Moderator
        7 months ago

        Welcome bobpetti!

        Thanks for bringing to our attention that you're having a black screen issue on your YouTube app using your Roku Streambar. No worries, we are here to assist.

        Please provide us with the following information that was listed on this page by our Roku moderator. It will help us to investigate your issue further.

        We will wait for your response.

        Thanks,
        Roku Community Team

  • Songbard's avatar
    Songbard
    Reel Rookie
    7 months ago

    Your "fix" does not work! And I've tried it several times since youtube stopped working 6 days ago. I click on YouTube and just get a black screen. If I try to cast it from my phone I still get a black screen but with sound. This is the 2nd time this has happened, and it was like that for over a week. I want this issue fixed! Please take care of this now.

    Ken Peltier

     

    • Jay56's avatar
      Jay56
      Binge Watcher
      2 months ago

      It does not fix at all whether you trie it 100 times in different days and settings

  • Songbard's avatar
    Songbard
    Reel Rookie
    7 months ago

    Model 65R6+

    Serial number X001002GN7U1

    Software version 14.1

    Device ID S05VF13GN7U1

    Tracker ID  U1-123-776

    Version 2.23 • build 115025180

  • RokuMaryEF's avatar
    RokuMaryEF
    Community Moderator
    4 months ago

    Hey everyone,

    Just to help narrow things down, can you check if you're connected directly to the TV, or are you going through a hub or AVR (audio/video receiver)?

    Thanks,
    Roku Community Team

    • bobpetti's avatar
      bobpetti
      Reel Rookie
      4 months ago

      I have a streambar directly connected to the television via HMDI. The television is also connected to the streambar with an optical cable for audio when watching cable programming on the television. Youtube is still going black on me frequently - and it always seems to be at a point where an advertisement would interrupt the program. 

      • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
        RokuEmmanuel-D
        Community Moderator
        4 months ago

        Hey, bobpetti​.

        Thanks for the update!

        We'll pass this to the right team for additional details. Please stay tuned for more updates.

        Roku Community Team

    • Jay56's avatar
      Jay56
      Binge Watcher
      2 months ago

      Same problem either directly to the TV or AR 

  • AkashaLionheart's avatar
    AkashaLionheart
    Reel Rookie
    3 months ago

    This issue started for me today.

    Device ID: 9S67AD526794
    OS Build: 9914-30
    Tracker ID: 94-288-253

    Youtube: Version 2.20 Build: 110005163
    Immediately goes to black or immediately goes back to home screen

    Netflix: Version 5.1 Build: 130079003
    Shows Netflix logo and freezes

    Prime Video: Version 15.4 Build: 2025052909
    Immediately goes black and then goes back to home screen

    • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
      RokuEmmanuel-D
      Community Moderator
      3 months ago

      Thanks for reporting, AkashaLionheart​!

      It seems like you're having trouble with some apps on Roku, and we'd like to know more.

      Did this happen after an update? If so, can you share the latest software version of the Roku device? Also, any troubleshooting steps you have tried so far?

      We'll wait for your response!

      Roku Community Team

  • RokuCarly's avatar
    RokuCarly
    Community Moderator
    2 years ago

    Hi, mohnkern.

    Greetings from the Roku Community!

    Thanks for informing us about the playback issues you've encountered within the YouTube app after your device received the latest software version. We'd be happy to suggest some steps to help you troubleshoot this app.

    Kindly follow the steps precisely to help troubleshoot this app:

    1. Remove the channel: navigate to your Home screen, move to the right, highlight the app, press Star*, then select Remove channel
    2. Perform a system reboot: navigate to your Home, select Settings > System > Power (skip if unavailable) > System restart
    3. Re-install the channel: navigate to your Home, scroll and select Store, look for the app, then press Add channel

    Here's the support article for reference: How to resolve a channel playback issue

    Keep us posted!

    Warm regards,
    Carly