How to unfreeze your YouTube video in Firefox

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Videos may be used for various purposes these days, including entertainment, and education, which is why YouTube has become one of the most popular websites on the internet. Sadly, videos can occasionally pause or freeze, and it’s not always clear why.

Sometimes, you may even experience videos playing for a brief spell without sound, even after tweaking your volume settings. So how do you go about fixing it?

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of what you need to know to resolve this problem on the Firefox browser. If you use Chrome, you may want to read our guide on fixing the Youtube freezing problem on Chrome.

What should I do when YouTube freezes on Firefox?

1. Refresh your browser

1. Hold down the control key and hit F5, or click on the reload icon on the top left corner of your browser.
   

Occasionally, the YouTube player will have a fundamental issue that may be resolved by simply reloading your page. Shutting down and relaunching the page is an alternative. 

2. Check your internet or broadband

Verify the issue isn’t due to a slow internet connection. This might be the case if people in your network play games, watch Netflix, or perform other data-hogging activities. 

Speed testers like Speedtest.net will be an easy way to determine how fast your internet connection is. A single HD video stream will need at least a few MB per second, and more when multiple people simultaneously use the same internet connection.

If your internet speeds are slow, move on to the next solution.

3. Try an alternative browser

An effective method to fix YouTube freezing issues is to switch your browser to a better one.

There are multiple choices out there, but Opera takes the stage with a modern-looking UI and useful benefits.

You have more online security with ad-blocker or VPN support integrated right into the browser. Plus, you can use the player in the sidebar and watch YouTube videos without interruptions.

That being said, you can forget about Firefox navigation problems and access anything x2 faster.

⇒ Get Opera

3. Reduce the video quality

1. Click on the gear icon on the lower right of the frozen video.
   
2. Click on quality.
   
3. Select a lower-quality display from the options and wait for the video to resume playing.

4. Restart your computer

1. Click on the start menu, click on the power button, and select the Restart option.
   

Restarting your computer keeps it functioning smoothly and can improve efficiency if you have problems. This process clears the RAM and deletes temporary processes and files, helping prevent computer cobwebs from collecting and allowing your PC to run at optimal performance.

5. Disable hardware acceleration

1. On the top right corner of your browser, click on the three horizontal lines and select the Settings option.
   
2. Select General in the left pane, then scroll down to the Performance menu and uncheck Use recommended performance settings, and also uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.
   
3. Close the browser and relaunch it.

My YouTube is freezing but the sound keeps going

This is a variant of the YouTube freezing problem discussed. Sometimes, the sound may keep going for up to 10 seconds before it stops. It is helpful to note that the solutions discussed above will be equally very helpful to resolve this problem.

In most cases, turning off hardware acceleration will stop the problem, and this should be your first call before moving to the other discussed solutions.

YouTube freezing on TV, Firestick, and Roku

Here again, is another variant of this YouTube problem. Different things could trigger this video issue depending on the gadget.

Regardless of the device, you should pay attention to restart the device, then proceed to update it if the freezing issue persists.

Updating software components is an essential practice in maintaining your devices. The updates come with security patches and upgrades that help your devices keep up with the pace of many third-party solutions you interact with.

This article has provided solutions to resolve YouTube video freezes on Firefox. We always recommend starting from the most basic steps and walking your way down to more complex solutions. A simple program relaunch or a computer restart should always be your first call.

We love to hear from you in the comments. Please tell us which of these solutions fixed your video issues.

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