How to Play YouTube Videos: Complete Beginner's Guide

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Find and watch videos on YouTube

Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: February 3, 2026 Tested

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Using the Mobile App

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Using a Web Browser

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Video

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Tips

New to YouTube? This streaming website has a variety of short-form and long-form content for you to enjoy. For the best experience, make sure to create a YouTube account and log in. Here's how to use YouTube whether you're using your computer, iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

Playing Videos on YouTube

To watch videos on YouTube, go to the YouTube website or open the YouTube mobile app. Select the magnifying glass and enter words or topics to search. You can also browse the home page and popular categories. Click or tap a video to play it instantly.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using the Mobile App

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1
Open the YouTube app. This looks like a white play button in a red rectangle.
- If you don't already have the YouTube app, you can download it for Android from the Play Store or for iPhone/iPad from the App Store.^{[1]
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- If you have a YouTube account, make sure you're signed in for personalized recommendations, saved watch history, and more.
2
Tap the magnifying glass icon and enter a video title or subject. This is in the top-right corner.
- If you don't know what you want to watch, scroll down to browse the YouTube home page. If you're signed in, you'll see recommendations based on your past watch history and interactions.
- You can also tap Shorts at the bottom to watch YouTube shorts, or you can tap any of the categories at the top to view related videos.
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3
Tap Search. This will send your search. The results will load based on relevance.
- If you want to change the filters, select the Filters button in the top row and customize your search filters. You can choose to view a certain type, duration, upload date, and more.
4
Tap a video. Video playback will begin automatically. If you have a slow connection, the video may take some time to buffer before playback begins.
- You can rotate mobile devices to quickly view videos in fullscreen.
- Tap a video to open the playback buttons, and then tap it again to pause it.
- Tap and drag the bar at the bottom to skip forward or backwards in the video.
- Tap the cog icon in the corner to access video settings, like quality, captions, or playback speed.
- If you want to continue watching the video while outside of the YouTube app, you'll need to have YouTube Premium.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using a Web Browser

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1
Go to youtube.com in a web browser. You can use a desktop or mobile web browser.
- If you have a YouTube account, make sure you're signed in for personalized recommendations, saved watch history, and more.
2
Enter a video title or subject into the search field. Try entering a song name, movie title, YouTuber, or other criteria to help you find what you are looking for.
- If you don't know what you want to watch, scroll down to browse the YouTube home page. If you're signed in, you'll see recommendations based on your past watch history and interactions.
- You can also click Shorts on the side to view YouTube shorts, or you can browse any of the sections underneath the Explore header.
3
Click the magnifying glass icon. This will send your search. The results will load based on relevance.
- If you want to change the filters, click the Filters button in the top row and customize your search filters. You can choose to view a certain type, duration, upload date, and more.
4
Click a video. The video will begin playback automatically. If you have a slow connection, the video may take some time to buffer before playback begins.
- Click a video after playback begins to pause it.
- Click and drag the bar at the bottom to skip forward or backwards in the video. You can also click different points of the bar to skip to that point.
- Click the Settings button (gear icon) in the corner to access video settings, like quality, captions, or playback speed.
- Click the square icon in the corner to go full screen. You can exit full screen at any time by hitting Esc.

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Tips

You can adjust the quality of a video by clicking/tapping the gear icon in the video player to open the video settings.

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An internet connection is required to play videos on YouTube. If you are having network errors on YouTube, you may want to check your internet connectivity. If no WiFi network is available, phones will automatically use cell data to stream videos.

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