FreeTubeApp
[Bug]: [BAD_HTTP_STATUS: 403] Potential causes: IP block or streaming URL deciphering failed
Guidelines
- [x] I have encountered this bug in the latest release of FreeTube.
- [x] I have encountered this bug in the official downloads of FreeTube.
- [x] I have searched the issue tracker for open and closed issues that are similar to the bug report I want to file, without success.
- [x] I have searched the documentation for information that matches the description of the bug I want to file, without success.
- [x] This issue contains only one bug.
Describe the bug
When I try to play a video as of today it says:
[Bug]: [BAD_HTTP_STATUS: 403] Potential causes: IP block or streaming URL dechipering failed
And does not play.
Expected Behavior
Play without error
Issue Labels
content not loading
FreeTube Version
0.23.0
Operating System Version
Windows 11
Installation Method
.apk (Alpine Linux Package)
Primary API used
Local API
Last Known Working FreeTube Version (If Any)
No response
Additional Information
No response
Nightly Build
- [ ] I have encountered this bug in the latest nightly build.
I have the same problem. Ubuntu 24.04 Flatpak v0.23.0 Beta. I'm not using a VPN.
The search on this platform doesn't work as intended since searching for my issue doesn't give that duplicate topic (or any) as a result.
Also the other topic seems to talk about a VPN but I'm not running any VPN. I would write in that topic but it's locked. This is inefficient.
Hmm interesting we'll investigate. Issue stays closed until reproduced
@Gevaarlijk are you sure you are using 0.23.0? I am asking because I had the same problem with 0.22.1 (without VPN) and now with 0.23.0 this is fixed (but #6678 still remains). In addition to that the information you provided (Operating System Version and Installation Method don't match)
Not using any kind of VPN, no Tor either.
Issue seems to come and go now. Sometimes a video will start and then crash with this error and sometimes it will run and then again sometimes it won't start at all.
@Gevaarlijk are you sure you are using 0.23.0? I am asking because I had the same problem with 0.22.1 and now with 0.23.0 this is fixed (but #6385 still remains). In addition to that the information you provided (Operating System Version and Installation Method don't match)
The issue started on 0.22.1. today. I then downloaded 0.23.0 thinking the new version would fix it but the same still happens.
Note: I see that the other thread has been around for weeks. I did not have any problems in December or January up until today and used 0.22.1 almost daily.
Same issue with both 0.22.1 and 0.23.0 with Windows and Manjaro latest. I can get a new IP in a few hours so I might try that.
As for OS. I use Windows 11, tried both normal install and portable which I think is new with the latest version?
I am getting the same error on v0.23.1 flatpak, Fedora 41
- All videos do not play
- with DASH format
- on local API only (no fallback to Invidious)
- no VPN, Tor, PiHole, or anything else unusual about network
I was not affected in v0.22.1 at any point in the past month. v0.22.1 (rpm) still works now on the same machine/IP with same settings (local API, no fallback, DASH format).
Workaround
Workaround mentioned here to use Legacy format works:
- It must be set in FreeTube Settings > Player > Default video format; then all videos play with Legacy format.
- Changing the format under an individual video doesn't work (potentially a different bug to report?)
Screenshot
Left is v0.23.1 flatpak, right is v0.22.1 rpm on the same machine at the same time
Btw it's hard to find this issue because of typo dechipering -> deciphering.
Recommend renaming issue to fix the typo, and reopening this as the main issue for v0.23.0 / v0.23.1.
@jn64, I had the same situation on win10 on FT_v0.22.1n5313(portable.zip) YT probably blocks older versions of Shak. player and only the latest version of the player in the FT application solves the problem. Versions: FT_v0.22.1n5542-> FT_v0.23.0n5557+
I have the same problem. Ubuntu 24.04 Flatpak v0.23.0 Beta. I'm not using a VPN.
@raf-r You do not have the same problem according to your screenshot. Check https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/6713.
YT probably blocks older versions of Shak. player and only the latest version of the player in the FT application solves the problem
@riverpiers I have the problem on the newer version v0.23.1 built 8 hours ago, not the older version v0.22.1 (i.e. the opposite of your hypothesis).
@jn64 Sounds like you are in the unique situation where YouTube isn't enforcing potoken's for the iOS client for you yet (like they are with everyone else) but that they are fully enforcing the new potoken stuff that they are still rolling out slowly and isn't in FreeTube yet as we haven't managed to get it to work yet. As you are in that unique situation I would suggest that you stick on the older version for now and take advantage of it until it breaks.
@absidue noted thanks. Btw rename this issue to fix the typo dechipering -> deciphering. Makes this issue invisible when copy-pasting the full error.
I am still getting this issue on Win10 22H2 on the latest v0.23.1 beta .exe (x64). No VPN, pihole etc.
If it helps, it seems to happen most if I open the video from the subscriptions tab, but if I open the channel in a new window and click the video from there, it plays fine.
@0Raik Compiled directly from GIT using Pamac Manjaro latest and now works perfectly. Eager for the new release. Also v0.23.1.exe beta in Windows 10 worked for me.
Same issue affecting Flatpak on Mint Cinnamon 19.3 (22.1 AND 23.1) no VPN; Workaround works.
(30/Jan/25 - from another thread i commented on) Same problem here, "[BAD_HTTP_STATUS: 403] Potential causes: IP block or streaming URL deciphering failed". I'm not using a VPN, and I'm using windows 10 pro. But besides the error message, sometimes the only video resolution available is 360p. Sometimes i also have to restart the PC for video resolution and playback to work again, sometimes just restarting the app turns everything to normal, only fo the error to come back after 1 or 2 videos. I'm on the latest version, v0.23.0 Beta, but it has been like that in the previous version too since 2 weeks ago. I have 400+ subscriptions, however I'm not refreshing all the time. Changing to "legacy video format" doesnt work for me most of the time as well. The behaviour is also very inconsistent.
(01/Feb/25); So far, I've not encontered problems in v0.23.1 beta since i just updated, but it might come back to haunt me. update (05/feb/25): The problem is back, and keeps showing up after completing a video and changing to the next video in playlist.
issue still persists for me with the newest version. i also have CLEANED --> AppData\Roaming\FreeTube - issue still present
i have tried using Legacy format, dont work, tired invidious, did not work and tried a VPN. same issue. the only way FreeTube works for me atm is to use v0.22.1-beta with the LEGACY MODE setting enabled. (which will display all videos in the lowest resolution, but it at least works). DASH format does not work at all, will stop after 2 seconds or even before the video loaded properly. it does work for only a very very few videos. Legacy does work for all, but again, in only 360P.
im unsure what else to try from here.
i have tried: VPN diff. versions of freetube diff. DNS i even made a fresh install of windows on a second drive with the same issue sadly..
so, im kinda out of ideas now. hopefully this can be fixed or if Youtube is teh cause (google) then i hope someone will find a workaround. i know google / youtube can be a pain the 🍑 :(
best regards, EGG
I am also still seeing this issue intermittently, tried both the latest nightly as well as running latest version (0.23.1). I'm running MacOS Sequoia 15.2. Not using a VPN.
Often I will get the error [BAD_HTTP_STATUS: 403] Potential causes: IP block or streaming URL deciphering failed on first open of a video, but on refresh it plays without error.
I noticed all of the other issues around this topic are closed, however I'm wondering if one of the 13 that are closed should be re-opened for tracking that this is still an active bug?
Please let me know if there are additional details I can provide or help debug. Thanks!
Hi there,
just wanted to follow up on my issue and it seems it was a me issue. i am very sorry :( turns out, jnn-pa.googleapis.com was getting blocked on my network.
thought i should let people know in case someone else has this exact issue.
bye bye :)
EDIT: nope it did not fix the issue. i still cant use DASH formats :( i have now also tried on a totally open network and its the same.
Hi there,
just wanted to follow up on my issue and it seems it was a me issue. i am very sorry :( turns out, jnn-pa.googleapis.com was getting blocked on my network.
thought i should let people know in case someone else has this exact issue.
bye bye :)
EDIT: nope it did not fix the issue. i still cant use DASH formats :( i have now also tried on a totally open network and its the same.
I did exactly the same, Tried on a totally opened network without any blocking of any sort, The only thing that solves it on my end is running a VPN Connected to another country, Anything connected to US will not allow any video to play on my end. I do not have jnn-pa.googleapis.com blocked on my network. The most recent version that some times works without issues and without a vpn is v22.1 Beta anything newer hasn't worked for me on my end.
This issue is occasionally happening to me in the v23.1 of FreeTube - I'd say it occurs maybe 10% of the time when loading a video. Attempting to reload has so far resolved the issue every time. While I think v23.1 is meant to fix the problem by generating po-tokens, it seems as though it's occasionally failing to generate one successfully and brings up this error rather than trying a second time. I'm not having the problem in the latest po-token enabled version of Newpipe.
I'm on v0.23.1 beta and seeing this ~10% (or more) of the time. Reloading, so far, lets the video play.
I'm not sure if I'm going crazy or having a bad streak of luck but it feels like the bug's starting to appear more often. The rate's probably risen to 15% at this point. I also discovered a variant of the bug on a music video; I am not sure if it's the same bug or not.
That's the same behaviour for me on multiple networks. The problem is not occuring in the PO token version of Newpipe which makes me thing it's a bug with the PO token implementation in FreeTube. There seem a handful of different variants of the error, with not all mentioning "music video geoblock" (I'm guessing this depends on the content of the video).
As the linked bugs indicate, this now occurs on every video, rendering Freetube unusable.
