BrowserWorks
Will not play any youtube videos - only get spinning circle
What happened?
On Sunday, 3/9/25 I was using waterfox 6.5.5 and youtube was working like normal. However, on Monday, youtube stopped working. Any video I try to play just gives spinning circle and never plays. I tried troubleshooting mode, no joy, then tried refresh, no joy, then tried fresh install of older portable version of waterfox, still no joy.
Firefox version 135.0.1 plays them fine.
Reproducible?
- [x] I have checked that this issue cannot be reproduced on Mozilla Firefox.
Version
Other
What platform are you seeing the problem on?
Windows
Relevant log output
Sadly that's normal. I've experienced that with Mozilla Firefox and Fennec too. Just refresh until it plays. I use uBlock Origin though. I don't know whether that increases or decreases Youtube being fucky.
No amount of refreshing gets it to play. Like I said in OP, worked fine on Sunday and then took a complete shit on Monday. Even portable waterfox with NO addons won't play them. I NEVER had this problem before.
It MUST be a waterfox issue.
Waterfox Classic version 2020.09 with ublock and ghostery addons plays them fine as well.
I use the newest version of Waterfox and watch Youtube. Maybe it's an issue with your installation. Have you tried deleting your waterfox profile (make a backup of it before)? I'm just some random guy. Sorry if I can't help you and it wasn't useful.
I'm on the latest version of Waterfox with uBlock Origin, and I've never had this issue.
Are you guys behind a VPN? I'm having same issue reported here https://www.reddit.com/r/waterfox/comments/1j54doz/youtube_does_not_work_w_nordvpn/ trying to figure out if I should open a new ticket
Are you guys behind a VPN? I'm having same issue reported here https://www.reddit.com/r/waterfox/comments/1j54doz/youtube_does_not_work_w_nordvpn/ trying to figure out if I should open a new ticket
Ok, glad you posted this. That is the problem. However, I've used a vpn for years and never had this problem until now. Waterfox classic, firefox, edge, older portable waterfox version all work WITH firewall like it should. The only thing that doesn't is the latest Waterfox version (6.5.5).
Does this require a new ticket?
If you're also using a VPN then it sounds like the same problem to me, should stay on the same ticket.
So I opened up the network inspector for Waterfox on and off VPN, and very oddly when on VPN, it looks like WF is reporting a NS_ERROR_FAILURE (attached some screenshots) when the youtube video stream requests are being made. Reproducible by turn on-off my VPN provider NordVPN.
Highly doubt it's a VPN issue as all other browsers/apps don't have this problem, we need some help from a maintainer as to what types of logging to attach to help investigate further.
Screens: Using VPN - NS error
No VPN - all works
Lol, just as I posted that, I see the answer was posted in the reddit thread and now it's all working again https://www.reddit.com/r/waterfox/comments/1j54doz/comment/miq8xlh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Turns out the 'increased protection' under DNS settings is messing with the VPN DNS - using the 'default protection' level makes everything work (doesn't mess with VPN settings if you are on a VPN).
That must have gotten changed in a recent update, probably should reset the default settings here.