YouTube 360 Degree Video Not Working On Android – How To Fix?

360 degree videos have been supported on YouTube for some time now. YouTube started supporting 360 degree videos in 2015. It brought a new dimension of content creation to YouTube. The immersion videos or 360 degree videos are video recordings shot in every direction at the same time with an omnidirectional camera or a collection of cameras.

Generally, these videos are best experienced on a VR headset, but it can also be viewed on smartphones and PCs. However, recently many users have reported that Youtube 360 degree video not working on Android and their PC. In this article, I have discussed what can cause this issue and how to fix it.

Why YouTube 360 Degree Video Is Not Working?

There can be several different reasons why YouTube 360 degree video is not working on your phone or PC. Here are some of the potential causes:

1. Faulty Or No Gyroscope: Many users that report that ‘360 videos don’t work on my phone‘ don’t check if their phone supports gyroscope or not. A faulty or no gyroscope Android won’t be able to play the 360 degree videos.
2. Incompatible Browser: If you are using an internet browser to play the 360 degree video on YouTube rather than using the YouTube app, then the browser can be incompatible to play such videos.
3. Browser doesn’t support HTML5: If the browser you are using doesn’t support HTML5, then it won’t be able to play the 360 degree videos.
4. Outdated YouTube app: YouTube frequently rolls out updates for its Android app. It is possible that you have forgotten to update it, which is why it won’t play 360 degree videos.
5. Hardware acceleration is disabled in Windows: If hardware acceleration is disabled in your Windows PC, then it may not be able to play the YouTube 360 degree videos.
6. Outdated Graphics drivers: Graphics drivers play an important role in playing 360 degree videos on YouTube. If your drivers are outdated, it can be the cause behind the 360 video not working on YouTube.

What To Do When YouTube 360 Degree Video Not Working On Android?

If you are unable to play 360 degree videos on your Android, then try the following troubleshooting to find and fix the issue.

Solution 1: Check If Your Phone Supports Gyroscope

The first thing you need to check when you are unable to play 360 degree videos on your phone is whether it has a gyroscope sensor or not. A gyroscope sensor is required for playing the 360 videos on Android. You can check the specification sheet of your phone, or you may install the 3^rd party software CPU-Z from Google Play Store and have it check your smartphone.

Solution 2: Calibrate The Gyroscope

If your smartphone has a Gyroscope but is still 360 videos don’t work on my phone, then try calibrating the gyroscope. To calibrate your gyroscope sensor, follow the steps given below:

(As every smartphone has different options in settings, this is just a general guide)

1. Open the Settings of your Android smartphone.
2. Look for the Accessibility option, or something similar, and open it.
3. Find the Gyroscope calibration option and select it.
4. Follow the instructions on your screen to calibrate the Gyroscope.

After Gyroscope is calibrated, check if still YouTube 360 degree video not working on Android.

Solution 3: Force Stop YouTube And Run It

One thing that may fix this bug is to force stop the YouTube app and restart it. This fixes many minor bugs and errors related to the app. To force close the YouTube app, follow the steps given below:

1. Touch and hold the YouTube app icon on your screen until a small menu pops up.
2. Select the App info option.
3. Now, locate the Force stop option with a cross icon and select it. Confirm any prompt that may appear.
4. Now, open the YouTube app again.

Check if now you can play the 360 degree videos on YouTube or not.

Solution 4: Update YouTube

The last thing you can try is to update YouTube. Open Google Play Store on your Android and open the My apps page. Select YouTube and check if any update is available. If yes, then update it and see whether it fixes this issue.

What To Do When YouTube 360 Degree Video Not Working On PC?

If you are unable to play the videos on your PC rather than android, then try the following troubleshooting.

Solution 1: Use A Compatible Browser

When you face this issue, the first thing you should check is whether you are using a compatible browser or not. Not all browsers support the 360 degree videos on YouTube. Popular browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera all support 360 degree videos. So, try playing them on these browsers and see if it works or not. You can also visit this link to check if YouTube supports your browser or not.

Solution 2: Enable Hardware Acceleration In Windows 10

If you are using a compatible browser already and still the 360 degree video won’t play, try enabling the hardware acceleration in Windows 10 and see whether it fixes this issue or not. To enable hardware acceleration in Windows 10, follow the steps given below:

1. Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings app.
2. Select the System option.
3. Click on the Display option in the left panel.
4. Locate and select the Graphics settings option.
5. In the Graphics settings, enable Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling toggle.
6. Restart your PC.

Now, check if this allows you to play the 360 degree videos on YouTube.

Solution 3: Update Graphics Drivers

Graphics drivers play an important role in playing 360 degree videos on YouTube. If your drivers are outdated, it can be the cause behind the 360 video not working on YouTube. To update your graphics drivers, follow the steps given below:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and select the Run option.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open the Device Manager.
3. Expand the Display adapters tree and right-click on the graphics driver.
4. Select the Update Driver option from the right-click context menu.

5. Click on the Search for updated drivers option.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
7. Restart your PC.

After your PC restarts, check if still the 360 video not working on YouTube.

Wrapping Up

So, there you have it. Now you know what to do when YouTube 360 degree video not working on Android and PC. The above troubleshooting solutions should help you fix this issue. If you have any questions regarding this topic, ask them in the comment section below.