Fix 1: Turn Off Hardware Acceleration
When you enable hardware acceleration in Google Chrome, the browser uses your GPU instead of your CPU to perform specific graphic-intensive tasks. However, this feature does not always work properly and can occasionally prevent sites like YouTube from playing videos or Shorts. You can try disabling this feature to see if that helps.
Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your computer, click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner, and select Settings.
Step 2: Click on the System tab from the left sidebar, turn off the toggle next to Use hardware acceleration when available.
Fix 2: Disable Extensions
A conflicting browser extension could prevent YouTube Shorts from working in Google Chrome. For instance, if you’re using a content blocker extension, it could interfere with Google Chrome and lead to such issues.
If you are unsure which extension is causing problems, disable them all. To do so, type chrome://extensions in the address bar at the top and press Enter. Then, use the toggles to disable all the extensions one by one.
If this gets YouTube Shorts to play in Google Chrome, you can re-enable your extensions one at a time to identify the one causing the issue. Once you find the problematic extension, consider removing it from Chrome.
Fix 3: Clear Browsing Data
Although browser cache and cookies help speed up browsing, they can also cause problems. This usually happens when the browsing data becomes obsolete or corrupt. In that case, you’ll need to purge the existing browsing data in Chrome by following the steps below.
Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (on Windows) or Command + Shift + Delete (on Mac) to open the Clear browsing data panel.
Step 2: Select All time in the Time range menu. Then, tick the boxes that read Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Then, click the Clear data button.
Fix 4: Enable JavaScript
JavaScript is essential for many websites, including YouTube, as it allows videos to play and facilitates other interactive features. If you have inadvertently disabled JavaScript in Google Chrome, the browser won’t play YouTube Shorts.
To enable JavaScript in Google Chrome:
Step 1: Type chrome://settings/content/javascript in the URL box and hit Enter.
Step 2: Under Default behavior, select the Sites can use Javascript option.
Restart Chrome after this and check if the issue is still there.
Fix 5: Reset Google Chrome
Misconfigured browser settings and preferences can also cause issues with YouTube Shorts playback. So, if nothing else works, you may consider resetting Google Chrome as a last resort. This will reset the browser to its default state, erasing any custom configurations you have made.
Step 1: In Google Chrome, type chrome://settings/reset in the address bar and press Enter. Then, click the Restore settings to their original defaults option.
Step 2: Click the Reset Settings button to confirm.
Was this helpful?
Last updated on 30 June, 2024
Read Next
3 Ways to Fix YouTube Shorts Not Playing on Android and iPhone
Try These Basic Fixes Temporarily disable your VPN connection: Issues with the VPN service might prevent the YouTube app from connecting to the internet and playing videos.
How to Disable YouTube Shorts: 8 Best Ways
Things to Know Before Disabling YouTube Shorts While some regions may have the option to disable YouTube Shorts directly within the app itself.
3 Fixes for Can’t Post Comments on YouTube Videos and Shorts
Try Basic Fixes The creator may have blocked your account: YouTube gives creators the option to block specific users from commenting on their videos.
3 Ways to Fix YouTube Music App Not Playing in Background
Basic Fixes Check Internet Connectivity: Ensure your device is connected to a Wi-Fi network or cellular data with good signal strength and an active plan.
4 Ways to Fix YouTube Not Playing Videos on PC
Basic Fixes Check your network connection: Ensure your device has a good internet connection.
4 Fixes for Android Auto Not Playing Music From Spotify or YouTube Music
Fix 1: Change the Default Music Streaming Service Say you have a Spotify subscription.
3 Fixes for YouTube Not Playing 4K Videos on Apple TV 4K
Basic Fixes Check your internet connection: YouTube lets you watch 4K content in Dolby Vision and HDR.
Top 5 Ways to Fix Google Photos Not Playing Videos
Basic Fixes Check Network Connection: If you're trying to stream content backed up to the cloud, then you’ll need to use high-speed internet to sync and stream it.
The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.
