Recently, many users of older iPhones or iPads have found that the YouTube app, which was working perfectly before, has suddenly stopped opening or updating, and restarting or reinstalling it doesn’t work! The problem is that the iOS/iPadOS version is too old and no longer supports the new version of the YouTube app! If you also have an older device experiencing this issue, don’t give up yet. Quickly use the following methods to solve the problem and continue watching YouTube!
Why can’t I watch YouTube? Which devices are affected?
Why can’t older devices watch YouTube?
The YouTube app recently released version 20.22.1, and Google has simultaneously adjusted the minimum system requirements for iOS/iPadOS. Now, at least iOS 16/iPadOS 16 or later is required to update and use the latest YouTube app. If your device is still on an older version, you may encounter the following issues:
- The app crashes immediately after the update.
- Unable to open YouTube App
- The App Store displays “This app is no longer compatible with this device”.
Affected devices?
Currently, the oldest supported devices for iOS 16 are the iPhone 8 series. The following devices, which cannot be upgraded to iOS 16, will not be able to watch YouTube properly:
- iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone SE (first generation)
- iPod Touch 7
Additionally, iPads that cannot be upgraded to iPadOS 16 are also excluded from YouTube’s rollout. Affected devices include:
- iPad Air 2 (released in 2014)
- iPad mini 4 (released in 2015)
▲ iPhones or iPads that cannot be upgraded to iOS 16 / iPadOS 16 will not be able to watch videos using the YouTube app.
See the solutions all at once, and old devices can continue to be used!
If your iPhone or iPad cannot be upgraded to iOS 16 / iPadOS 16, but you frequently need to watch videos on YouTube, don’t worry! You can still solve the problem of the YouTube app not working by using the following methods, and continue to enjoy watching videos without any interruption.
Switch to the web version of YouTube
You can use browsers like Safari or Chrome to access the web version of YouTube and watch videos. While some features will be limited—for example, YouTube Premium users cannot download videos offline—you can at least continue watching YouTube on your existing device, temporarily resolving the issue of the app being unusable.
Watch YouTube using third-party applications
Besides watching YouTube through a browser, you can also consider using some well-regarded third-party applications to watch videos, such as TubePiP. While these apps may not be as feature-rich as the official YouTube app, they can still temporarily solve the problem of the app not working, allowing you to continue watching videos without interruption.
▲Even older devices can watch videos through the web version of YouTube or third-party applications.
The YouTube app not working doesn’t necessarily mean your phone or tablet is broken; often it’s just that the system version is too old and no longer provides the service. With the right solutions, such as switching to a browser or third-party application, you can still continue watching videos. If your device is truly old, for example, more than five years old, you might consider upgrading your device to enjoy a more stable and smoother video experience.
