If a video spins on loading or starts at low quality, the server you picked is almost always the reason. Change location and refresh the subscription profile in the app, which is usually enough.
What to do
- Open the server status page and pick a location with moderate load and the lowest latency.
- Refresh the subscription in the app so it pulls the current server list.
- Turn the connection off and on again: an old session can stay on the previous node.
- On a mobile network, try a Hysteria2 node. It runs over QUIC/UDP and copes better with the packet loss that sends video into buffering.
On a phone
- Close the YouTube app completely and open it again with the VPN already on.
- On Android, clear the app's cache if video will not start even on another location.
- Check that the system VPN profile is up: the active-connection icon should be in the status bar.
- Turn battery saving off for the VPN client, or the system evicts it and the connection breaks mid-video.
On a computer
- Check in a private window: if the video plays there, disable browser extensions one at a time.
- In HAPP on Windows and macOS, make sure the right mode is selected. In Proxy mode only the browser and proxy-aware programs go through the VPN; anything else needs TUN mode.
- Do not run two VPNs at once.
On a TV
Check that HAPP shows an active connection. After changing location, restart the YouTube app: TVs often hold the old connection and keep showing the error.
If the video plays but the quality jumps
That is a question of speed and distance to the server. Pick the nearest uncongested location: some servers sit on a 1 Gbit/s channel and some on 10 Gbit/s, but the result also depends on your ISP and the time of day. We promise no particular figures. While you are at it, check that no downloads or updates are running in the background, and confirm on the payment page that the subscription is active.