iPad YouTube app doesn’t start playing video or stalls in the middle

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Level 1

4 points

iPad YouTube app doesn’t start playing video or stalls in the middle

I’ve got two WiFi iPads, Air2 and a 10th gen. Both have the latest version of the YouTube app and the latest version of iPadOS (the Air 2 hasn’t been getting new iPadOS updates for a while).

I’m using Oticon More 2 hearing aids for listening.

The Air2 wasn’t always

starting playing a video or it sometimes stalled in the middle. The phenomenon has become more common over last couple months.

I just purchased the 10th gen, restored a backup of the Air2 onto it and then updated the apps and iPadOS. Now it’s been doing the same in YouTube app.

I uninstalled the app and installed it back, but sometimes the videos still stall or don’t start at all.

What could be causing this? If I pick up my iPhone 16+ right after the iPad didn’t work and try to play the same video it works fine.

I’ve got a reliable WiFi connection and a 1000M fiber Internet connection, so it’s not about that.

I started wondering if there is something different between iPadOS and iOS with regards how the hearing aids are working and the YouTube app doesn’t work as expected.

should I ask this from YouTube support too?

iPad, iPadOS 18

Posted on Jul 25, 2025 1:00 AM

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Answer 1

markwmsn

Level 6

16,655 points

Jul 28, 2025 8:59 PM in response to Jaaba

Is the "Wi-Fi Assist" option enabled on your iPhone? (It's in Settings > Cellular below the "Cellular Data" block.)

If you do, the problem may be specifically in your Wi-Fi network rather than in your internet connection in general. The phone may "automatically use cellular data when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor" as per the description of the Assist option. The Wi-Fi-only iPads don't have the option available, so they would suffer from the poor connectivity while the phone did not.

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Answer 2

Jaaba Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 28, 2025 11:53 PM in response to David M Brewer

Yea, in the room I’ve been using the iPads the WiFi signal looks like it would be good at the time I’m using iPads (I mean WiFi strength bars on the iPadOS). And as I said, my iPhone 16+ has a good stream from the YouTube app.

I’ve got two pieces of Asus RT-AX56U in AP mode (one upstairs, one downstairs) in my 1 Gb home Ethernet. And yes, I boot them once in a while. But during my 30 years in IT business I’ve seen unlikely things happen, so I cannot rule out that the Wifi network would be the reason for my problems.

However, at the moment I’m turning towards that the problems are due to using my Oticon hearing aids for listening. I guess they’ve changed something in the YouTube app and that interrupts the video.

That wouldn’t be the first app having such problems. Some of my music creation apps have different kinds of annoyances with the hearing aids (crashing, minimizing in the background etc) and I need to turn off Bluetooth before I open the app and then turn Bluetooth back on.

I’ve also noticed in other streaming apps how changing the sound destination from one source to another pauses the stream. I know that it’s normal, but could be related to my problems. Perhaps the YouTube app somehow loses the information of the audio destination and gets into some sort of loop.

Although Apple offers a dedicated iOS/IpadOS compatibility for certain hearing aids as mine, it’s not foolproof and works sometimes differently than normal Bluetooth headphones.

But anyway, many thanks to both of you trying to help me with this issue 👍

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Answer 3

Jul 26, 2025 4:10 PM in response to Jaaba

Since it happening on two iPads. The problem is your internet provider. Go to a place that has free internet and try it there and see if you still have this problem. (Try YouTube in the Safari app.)

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