fix this action isnt allowed on youtube

Do you want to fix the error message “This action isn’t allowed” on YouTube? Well, we’ve got you covered.

If you’re experiencing the unknown error “This action isn’t allowed,” we know how annoying it is not knowing how to deal with it. 

We will explain fixes you can use on your computer, mobile device, and TV.

Let’s get right into this!

Methods to fix “This action isn’t allowed” on YouTube

There are several reasons this issue might occur, as well as several ways to solve it.

Below, we will explain why “this action isn’t allowed” might happen, and all the possible ways to fix it. 

Also, we will include fixes for your mobile device and computer as well.

Check your internet connection

Even though many problems can be why “This action isn’t allowed” keeps showing up, the most likely one is the easiest to fix. Do you have a reliable internet connection? 

Another way to check if you have a stable internet connection is to try another app that requires internet to work. For instance, you can see if you can send an email or play a video from another streaming service, like Netflix. 

If this fix doesn’t work, go for the next solution.

Clear cache

If you’re using the YouTube website, then clearing the browser’s cookies and cache may help fix the problem.

Also, if you don’t know what they are, cookies store the user’s choices, and the cache will store some website content to help optimize the user’s experience.

So, clearing the cache will refresh everything and will hopefully stop the error message from appearing.

Clearing the cache and cookies is an easy process, but the steps will vary depending upon which browser you are using. Usually, you will clear them in the browser’s settings.

If you’re using a mobile device, then you can clear them in the device’s settings.

Disable your VPN

If you are using a VPN (virtual public network) then this may be causing the problem.

A VPN will stop your internet service provider from seeing what websites you’re visiting and what you are searching for.

But, some websites dislike them because it means you’re hiding your real IP address and it makes it hard to identify who’s who.

So try disabling it and see if it makes any difference.

Log out and log in again on YouTube

An easy fix to try is to just try logging out and logging in again on YouTube.

This should refresh and re-load things solving the problem.

In order to log out on YouTube on your computer, click on your profile picture in the top right of YouTube and then click on “Sign out”.

youtube sign out button on desktop

Then, you can log back in.

Here’s how you can do it on your mobile device:

So, tap on your Profile in the top right of YouTube and a menu page will load.

youtube profile picture top right of youtube mobile

Next, you need to tap on the channel/account you’re currently using at the top of the page.

account button on youtube menu

Then, you will get taken to a page called “Accounts”. You will see a panel with a few different options. You need to tap on “Manage accounts on this device”.

manage accounts on this device on youtube

Now, you will see all of the Google accounts on your device. Tap on “Remove from this device” to log out.

remove youtube account from this device button

After you have removed the account, you need to sign in again.

Check for the error again once you’ve applied the above steps. 

If you’re using YouTube on your TV then you can log out on there as well.

Force close the YouTube app

The issue can sometimes be solved by force closing the app and re-opening it to reload everything.

To force close the YouTube app on iPhone, you need to open the App Switcher.

So, if you gently swipe up on your screen while in an App, the App Switcher will open.

But, if you swipe too fast, then the app closes. In the App Switcher, you will see all of the apps you have open.

Once you’re in the App Switcher, find the app you want to close, in this case, YouTube, and swipe up on it. This will completely close it.

To force close the YouTube app on Android, go to “All Apps” and choose “YouTube App.” There, you will find two options, “Disable” and “Force Stop.” 

Select “Force Stop” and restart your Android device. 

Then, you can re-open the YouTube app and check if the problem has been resolved.

If you’re using YouTube on your TV, just close the app and re-launch it. Also, restart your TV as well.

Update the YouTube App

To benefit from the latest features and bug fixes, the YouTube app should always run the latest version. 

To update the app on iOS, open the App Store, tap on the Search button in the bottom navigation bar, and search for “YouTube”. It will then appear in the search results. if it says “Update”, then tap on the button.

However, if it just says “Open”, this means you have the most up-to-date version.

To update the app on Android, open the Play Store, tap on your profile icon, and select “manage apps and device.”

Then, select “Updates pending” and tap “Update” if YouTube is there.

If you’re using YouTube on your TV, you may need to read the instructions on updating apps as every operating system will be slightly different. But, open the app store on your TV and see if there’s an update page.

Uninstall and re-install YouTube

If updating the YouTube app did not fix the problem, then try uninstalling and re-installing YouTube.

In order to do this on an iOS device, hold your finger on the YouTube app, and a few options should appear.

You will need to tap on “Remove App”.

Next, open the App Store and re-download YouTube.

In order to do this on an Android device, go to “Application Manager” and uninstall the YouTube App.

Then, reinstall it from the Play Store.

You can do this on your TV as well.

Final words

We hope you managed to fix the error message and can get back to using YouTube as usual!

Now that you’ve got the issue fixed, here’s how you can shuffle your YouTube playlist on different devices.

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