YouTube is one of the most popular video streaming platforms and hosts millions of videos across all genres, covering just about everything. That said, it isn’t perfect and keeps running into occasional bugs and glitches from time to time.
In this article, we’re looking at the “retry connection” error on YouTube, its causes and what you can do to fix the problem.
What causes this error?
Connection issues can be caused by several different problems, including but not limited to the following:
- Internet connectivity issues.
- Incorrectly configured VPN or proxy.
- YouTube server outage.
- Corrupt browser cache or data.
- Incorrect system time.
Also read: YouTube something went wrong error: 9 Fixes
How to fix the YouTube retry connection error?
Here are nine fixes you can try out.
Restart your router
Power cycling your network equipment is the fix to more issues than you can think. More often than not, connectivity issues can be caused by an underlying bug in your router and can be fixed by rebooting.
Check if YouTube is down
Next up, you’re going to have to check if Youtube itself is functioning properly or not. Google’s services have been down a few times in different parts of the world for several reasons.
You can check Youtube’s status here and here.
Enable/Disable VPN
Another possible cause for the issue could be that you’re using a VPN. Many streaming services are geo-restricted due to content copyright issues, and using a VPN can cause problems with their functionality and content availability causing the error.
Alternatively, if you’re trying to access YouTube over your school’s or office’s internet network, chances are they’ve blocked access to the site. You can try a VPN to see if you can get around any such blocks.
Disable adblockers
Another thing that you should remember is that online streaming platforms like YouTube, Netflix or Amazon Prime Video don’t play ball with any adblockers that might attempt to bypass ads that you see on said platforms. Sometimes, sites refuse to load on your browser unless you disable your adblocker.
Cross-check the date/time and region
Having the wrong date/time and region on your machine can cause issues with every site, let alone YouTube. If you’re connected to the internet, chances are these settings are already in order; however, you should cross-check them once.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Windows settings.
Step 2: Search for the date and time settings. Click on the option that pops up in the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Make sure these settings sync with your current time/date and region. We suggest enabling the Set time automatically slider.
Now restart your PC and try again.
Also read: HP Printer error codes explained
Check DNS settings
If you’ve changed DNS settings on your computer, they could very well affect your ability to visit a website.
Follow these steps to flush your DNS settings and reset them back to the default values.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R and type in cmd, and hit enter.
Step 2: Type in ipconfig /flushdns to reset DNS settings to default.
If you’re on a mac, head over to your terminal and type in sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder. Type in your password when prompted for it, and try opening YouTube again.
Clear out your browser’s cache, cookies and other data
More often than not, corrupted cache, cookies, or browser data can cause issues with websites not running as they should. If you’re on Chrome/Edge, here’s how you can clear out your browser’s data.
Step 1: Type in chrome://settings/clearBrowserData in your browser’s address bar and hit Enter.
Step 2: Select the cache and cookies options and ensure the Time range is set to All time. Click on the Clear now button to clear out all the data.
Restart the browser and try again.
Update your browser
Often an out-of-date app or browser can restrict you from visiting certain websites. Update your browser and app to the latest version to see if it resolves the issue.
Head over to chrome://settings/help and make sure you’re on the latest update. If you’re not, update immediately and try again.
Try another DNS
Multiple free DNS providers are using whom you can fix this issue. In this example, we’re going to use Google’s DNS.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Windows settings and click on Network & Internet.
Step 2: Click on Change adaptor options.
Step 3: Right-click on your active network (WiFi or LAN) and click Properties.
Step 4: Find Internet Protocol Version 4 in the list, click on it and then click Properties.
Step 5: Check the Use the following DNS server addresses radio button and type in 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 in the preferred and alternative DNS addresses, respectively.
This should resolve any errors you’re facing.
Also read: How to fix “the account is not yet eligible to use YouTube” error?
