Forum Discussion

RokuMaryEF's avatar
RokuMaryEF
Community Moderator
6 months ago
Solved

[Under investigation] YouTube Playback Issue - Black Screen

Hey everyone, We're seeing reports of the YouTube app going black during playback. We're on it and working with YouTube to get a fix. If you're seeing this, help us out! Please provide: Roku ...
Under Investigation
  • RokuMaryEF's avatar
    RokuMaryEF
    4 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

Katatawnic's avatar
Katatawnic
Binge Watcher
9 months 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?

Wren1998's avatar
Wren1998
Reel Rookie
6 months ago

I have a Roku Express and every time I go to the YouTube app, I go to navigate to the search bar and it immediately goes black. I tried removing the app and downloading it again but now when I download the app and hit open app, it immediately goes black. 

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

    Hi Wren1998,

    Welcome to the Roku Community!

    We understand that when you're trying to play a YouTube channel on your Roku Express, it goes to a black screen. Our Roku-appropriate team is already aware of this issue.

    To further investigate this matter 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 (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 response.

    Cheers,
    Riamie

    • Wren1998's avatar
      Wren1998
      Reel Rookie
      6 months ago

      Hi there!

       

       

      Roku Device model: 3960CA - Roku Express 

       

      Serial number: X02600W6S3X9

       

      Device ID: S0KE3476S3X9

       

      OS version: if you mean software version (there's nothing called OS version) then it's: 14.1

       

      Now the good news is that when I went to get you the tracker ID, YouTube opened and worked as expected. But if this happens again I will update with tracker ID! Giving you the other info so it's all ready to go if this happens again, or if it might be useful for investigations into the issue/prevention. 

       

       

      Thank you!

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

        Thanks for getting back to us, Wren1998!

        I have already forwarded your device details to the appropriate Roku team for further investigation. Rest assured that we'll keep you posted on any progress on this issue. 

        We're grateful for your participation and cooperation on this matter. We really appreciate it. 

        Stay tuned for more updates.

        Best,
        Emman