How to solve the Youtube error “You’re offline. Check your connection.”

Are you familiar with this Youtube error message “You’re offline. Check your connection.”?

You are offline Check your connection error
You are offline Check your connection error

There are many forums where people ask about this error:

  • Reddit User (r/youtube): Youtube (on PC) is telling me “You are offline. Check connection.” The app works fine. If I turn on the VPN it loads normally. what’s going on?
  • Google Support (YouTube Help): I’m online since I can access other internet-based apps and websites without issue, but YouTube still says “You’re offline. Check your connection”.
  • Apple (Mac Monterey): Youtube error “you’re offline check your connection” I can’t find a solution for Mac. I’m in Mac Monterey.

Believe me, many users are facing this quite annoying issue. But no worries, soon you will find out how to get rid of it after reading this article.

Whether you are using Chrome (or any other browser) on your Windows or Mac PC, smart TV, streaming stick (Apple stick, Firestick, or Roku stick), or console (Xbox or PlayStation), you will find a solution that applies to you.

Why Does YouTube Say, “You’re Offline. Check Your Connection.”

Before I show you how to fix the error message, let me quickly mention some of the common reasons why this error message comes up.

  1. Poor or unstable internet connection – This is the most common cause of this issue. YouTube will display the “You’re Offline. Check Your Connection” error message, when your device is not connected to the internet, or the connection is unstable.
  2. Network connectivity issues – Your network or Internet Service Provider (ISP) would also lead to the ERRO. Sometimes, issues with your router or firewall settings can cause this error message to appear.
  3. Corrupted cache data – Corrupted cache or cookies in your browser can also cause the error message to appear.
  4. Outdated YouTube app – If you’re using an outdated version of the YouTube app on your device, the “You’re Offline. Check Your Connection” error message may appear.
  5. An outdated browser – If you are using an outdated version of Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge, this could also lead to the “You’re Offline. Check Your Connection” error message.
  6. Mobile data – If your mobile data runs out, it’ll immediately disconnect you from the internet. This means you can’t access YouTube, leading to the YouTube offline error.
  7. VPN or Proxy Server – If you’re using a VPN or proxy server, the connection may be interrupted, resulting in an error message. In most cases, a VPN or proxy will slow down your connection, which causes large data like videos to load slower or not at all.

Now, let me show you how to fix the problem.

How to Fix You’re Offline Check Your Connection Error? (Quick & Advanced Ways)

Quick Fixes

Here are some easy and quick things you can do to fix the “Offline Check Your Connection” YouTube error:

  1. Close your YouTube and reopen it.
  2. Sign out of your YouTube account, then sign back in.
  3. Try a different browser.
  4. Refresh the YouTube website.
  5. Turn ON & OFF Airplane Mode.
  6. Restart your Network Router.
  7. Update YouTube App on your streaming device.

Advanced Fixes

After trying the quick solutions above, check if YouTube is still giving you an internet connection error. If so, you can move on to more advanced fixes below.

  1. Check Your Internet Connection

The first thing to do when encountering the “Offline Check Your Connection” error on YouTube is to check your internet connection. Make sure your device is connected to the internet and that your connection is stable. You can try resetting your router or modem if you’re having trouble connecting.

If you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, ensure that it’s stable by checking the signal. Nearly all modems and routers have LED status lights. The WiFi lights will be on your router or somewhere below the internet connection light if you have a modem/router combo unit. Labels for Wi-Fi lights vary but usually will read “2.4G” and “5G,” “WLAN,” or “Wireless.” These lights should be on and are usually blinking. If the Wi-Fi lights are off or red, your router isn’t broadcasting a signal.

If you’ve verified that your Wi-Fi connection is stable, then you can move on to the next step. Try connecting to another Wi-Fi network if possible. Additionally, make sure that your internet connection is not being used by other devices or programs in the background.

There is another way to differentiate signal issues from Wi-Fi issues. If you’re on Wi-Fi, try plugging your computer directly into your router with an Ethernet cable. Connect the Ethernet cable to the port on your computer, and plug the other end into one of the LAN ports on your router (these are usually yellow). Connecting the computer directly to the single port on a modem bypasses essential security measures built into the router. You need to connect to a router or modem/router combo unit to remain protected online. If your internet comes back when you use a wired Ethernet connection, then you have a Wi-Fi problem.

If you’re using mobile data, try switching to Wi-Fi and see if the error message disappears. If it does, there may be an issue with your cellular network provider. You can also try restarting your device, as this can sometimes fix network issues.

If there are multiple devices and computers connected to the same network, it might slow down the connection. Try disconnecting all other devices or computers from the network and see if this resolves the problem.

Try seeing if any of these apply to your current situation and implement the fix to return to watching YouTube.

  1. Turn OFF Adblocker

You may face this issue “YouTube you are offline, check your connection” because of Adblocker. So if you have used this adblocker on your PC, then the first thing to do is to remove all the adblockers. One way to get rid of this is to go to the extension of adblocker if you have extended it, and go and remove or disable it from Chrome or Windows.

Once the adblocker extension is removed, go back to your YouTube and open it to see if your video is playing or not.

  1. Clear YouTube Cache and Data

If you are still getting the error message after doing all I’ve mentioned so far, then you are probably having a cache issue.

If the saved version of the cache files has an error message or becomes corrupt, you continue to get the same error message even though the issue no longer exists. So, you need to clear the cache file.

One way to do this is to clear all cache and data for your browser (which will also do the same for other websites).

A better way will be to only clear the cache for YouTube (if that’s the only place you are getting the error message). Here’s how to do that:

On Chrome browser:

  • Go to Settings
  • Click on ‘Privacy and Security’
  • Click on ‘Site Settings’
  • Under ‘Recent activity’, click ‘View permissions and data stored across sites’
  • Search ‘youtube.com’
  • Click on the delete icon next to YouTube, then click on ‘Clear’

Once cleared, it should no longer be on the list of the stored data.

Now, open YouTube again and you should no longer see the error message.

If you are seeing the error message while trying to stream using YouTube app on your phone, then you need to clear the data and cache for the app. Here’s how to do that on Android phones and iPhones/iPads:

Android Phone:

  1. Open Settings and click on Apps.
  2. Look for Paramount Plus on the list of installed applications on your device and select it.
  3. Select Storage and click ‘Clear Data‘ and ‘Clear Cache‘.

iPhone or iPad:

  • Open Settings
  • Tap your name/device name
  • Select iCloud
  • Select ‘Manage Storage’
  • Look for the Paramount Plus app, and click on it.
  • Click on ‘Delete Data’, then click on ‘Delete’ to confirm.
  • Once done, the problem should be fixed.
  1. Switch DNS Server to Google DNS

Here we are telling you another option to get rid of the issue “YouTube you are offline, check your connection”. The method is switching your DNS server.

Google has one of the fastest DNS servers, which when connected to, can help fix streaming issues like this one. In addition, YouTube is already owned by Google.

That said, here’s how to change your DNS servers on Windows computers:

In this case, I will be showing you from a Windows 10 PC, but the procedures are similar for Windows 11 and 7 as well.

(1)Go to Control Panel > View network status and task

(2)Click on the connected network

(3)Select ‘Properties’

(4)Now, tick the box that shows ‘use the following DNS server addresses’. Next, enter 8.8.8.8 under ‘Preferred DNS server’, and 8.8.4.4 under ‘Alternative DNS server’.

(5)Click on ‘OK’ to save it. Once done, check if your computer now connects from the new DNS servers.

  1. Turn OFF VPN

By the way, if you are using VPN, sometimes your VPN can work against you and also be harmful to you, and that time you receive the error. You can disable your VPN to determine whether or not this problem goes away.

  1. Try Using a VPN

When you want to watch content that is not available in your country on YouTube, but you don’t use any VPN, then you may face the ” YouTube you’re offline check your connection” error. So to get rid of it, try using a VPN.

  1. Check the Configured Date and Time on Your Device

Connection issues can arise as a result of misconfigured date and time on your streaming device.

Whether you are trying to access YouTube on your mobile phone or computer, you need to check and ensure that the date and time are correct.

If misconfigured (even if it’s not by you), you may continue to see the error message “you’re offline check your connection” on YouTube no matter how fast your internet is.

Here’s how to do that on Windows:

Right-click on the date/time on the bottom right corner of the menu, then click on Adjust date/time.

 

Then, toggle on the ‘set time automatically’ option. You may also choose to set the date and time manually.

 

Now, check and ensure that the set time and date are correct.

Once done, go ahead and open YouTube again. The error message should no longer be an issue.

  1. Contact Google Support

If you could not solve the ” YouTube you’re offline check your connection” problem through any of the methods mentioned above and are still facing this problem. We will give you one last suggestion that goes to Google Support and share your problem. And get rid of this problem.

Google Support will always help you and they will always know the best way to get to the reason for your problem. They will help with any issues related to your Google and YouTube accounts.

Conclusion

There are several reasons why you might see the error message “you’re offline check your connection” on YouTube.

By following all the methods mentioned in the guide, you should be able to get rid of the error message.

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