How to Play YouTube Videos

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 23, 2022 Tested

To play a video on YouTube, go to youtube.com in your we browser → Enter a video name/subject → Click Search → Click a video to begin playback. Similar steps can be taken to view using the mobile app.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Web Browser

1
Open your web browser.
2
Navigate to www.youtube.com.
- This method can be performed on both mobile devices or computers.
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3
Enter a video title or subject into the search field. Try entering a song name, movie title, youtuber, or other criteria to help you find what you are looking for.
4
Click Search. This button is represented by the magnifying glass icon to the right of the text field.
- Hit Enter on the keyboard to perform this action.
- Click Trending in the top menu bar or left sidebar to view a list of popular videos.
- Click Browse Channels button to see a list of recommended channels for you that usually have a consistent theme or creator.
5
Click a video. The video will begin playback automatically.
- If you have a slow connection, the video make take some time to buffer before playback begins.
- Click a video after playback begins to pause it.
- Click and drag the bar at the bottom to skip forward or backwards in the video. You can also click different points of the bar to skip to that point.
- Click the Settings button (gear icon) in the corner to access video settings, like quality, captions, or playback speed.
- Click the square icon in the corner to go full screen. You can exit full screen at any time by hitting Esc.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Mobile App

1
Open the YouTube app.
- If you do not already have it, you can download it from the Play Store or App Store.
2
Tap the Search button. This looks like a magnifying glass.
3
Enter a video title or subject into the search field.
4
Tap Search.
- You can also tap the Trending tab (flame icon) to view a list of videos that are currently popular.
5
Tap a video. Video playback will begin automatically.
- If you have a slow connection, the video make take some time to buffer before playback begins.
- You can rotate mobile devices to quickly view videos in fullscreen.
- Tap a video after playback begins to pause it.
- Tap and drag the bar at the bottom to skip forward or backwards in the video. You can also click different points of the bar to skip to that point.
- Tap the Settings button (gear icon) in the corner to access video settings, like quality, captions, or playback speed.