Refresh
'No known issues' for now
While I'm still seeing reports of "Error message" and "App not loading" on StatusGator, there's currently "No know issues" according to the site, even though there is a small uptick in issues reported.
For now, many of the latest status reports are from the U.S., so we may see problems for some with the site and app be less wide spread around the globe.
The outage reports continue
As the U.S. wakes up, many may be experiencing the aftereffects of the outage. This could be why we're still seeing a small rise in outage reports of over 1,100 on Downdetector, which has been above 1,000 over the past hour.
Head over to Downdetector.co.uk, and you'll see that there are currently only 225 reports. Since it's officially been stated that YouTube is now fixed (that includes YouTube.com, the YouTube app, YouTube Music, Kids and TV), we'll hopefully see fewer people experiencing any problems trying to watch videos. Stay tuned!
Users still experiencing problems
Over on StatusGator, we're still seeing very recent outage reports from across the globe, with users in the U.S., New Zealand, France, Malaysia and more reporting "Sign in problem," "App not loading" and "Error message."
Currently, it's working all fine on my end (Darragh here), but there are still outage reports coming in. Hopefully, YouTube is working out problems from the "aftershock" of the widespread outage.
As its final update, YouTube has stated, "The issue with our recommendations system has been resolved and all of our platforms (YouTube.com, the YouTube app, YouTube Music, Kids, and TV) are back to normal!"
Still seeing issues? Try refreshing cache
While reports are still high, if you're still not able to get YouTube working, then it's worth clearing your cache just in case it's getting in the way, since YouTube is back up and running.
If you're on Chrome, do the following:
- On Windows or Mac: Click the ellipses (three vertical dots) in the top-right corner of your browser. Select "Delete browsing data" to open a new window. Tick "Cached images and files" (and anything else you prefer to give it a complete refresh, like browsing history, cookies, etc.) and click "Delete data."
- On iOS or Android: Click the ellipses (three horizontal dots) along the bottom bar. Tap "History," then "Delete browsing data" at the bottom. Select "Cached images and files" (and anything else), then "Delete data."
If this works, fantastic! Otherwise, we'll keep checking to see if other major issues arise from YouTube.
Reports continue to rise
As of 7 a.m. / 12 p.m. GMT, Downdetector shows over 1,000 reports, showing that users are still experiencing issues. Of course, compared to the over 300,000 reports earlier, many appear to be able to load the app without any connectivity issues, but YouTube still appears to be having some problems for many. We'll keep you posted!
If you're still seeing some issues, you may be caught in the 'aftershocks' of the outage
So here's what I've found from taking a look around and investigating the issues. YouTube is officially up and running, but there are some scattered reports of residual glitches in the app on TVs and the browser.
These can be caused by your system "remembering" YouTube in its broken phase, which is easy to fix.
- If you're on a computer: Hard refresh the browser by hitting either Control + F5 on Windows or Command + Shift + R on a Mac.
- If you're on the app: Close the app fully by swiping it away from your recent apps and reopen it.
If you're still seeing any problems, pop them in the comments and I can investigate further!
OK, there *may* be something going on here
So I'm investigating this further, and there have been a few reports globally (these times are in GMT) of connectivity issues and the app not loading. We're trying to replicate these issues, but nothing yet.
A small uptick in outage reports?
This could be nothing — maybe a bit of a hangover of outage reports. And in the grand scheme of the huge outage earlier on, it's tiny.
But at 756 reports, reports have increased a little bit... We're keeping an eye on the situation.
What happened last night?
YouTube has shed some light on what happened last night — specifically an "issue with our recommendations system" stopped videos from appearing across "surfaces on YouTube." This included the homepage, app, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids.
No specifics have been shared on what specifically brought it down, but this is now indeed resolved.
2026-02-18T07:01:11.860Z
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YouTube outage = resolved
With Down Detector now showing fewer than 5,000 U.S. users reporting issues with YouTube, it's safe to call this outage resolved.
How did the great February 17, 2026, YouTube outage impact you? Let me know in the comments below.
YouTube gives the all-clear
As the reported number of issues from U.S. YouTube users drops below 5K, it seems safe to call this outage largely resolved. The YouTube support blog similarly gives the all-clear (screenshot above).
That said, I will continue to keep an eye on Down Detector from the U.S. West Coast and drop an update if things take a sudden turn for the worse. Here's hoping that's not the case!
Is the YouTube outage over or are people just going to bed?
According to Down Detector, as of 7:30 pm PST, the number of folks reporting issues with YouTube in the U.S. has dropped below 7,000, which is a good sign. The question is, are we seeing a decline in reported issues because folks are simply giving up and going to bed? 7:30 pm may be dinner time on the U.S. West Coast, but for my friends and family on the East Coast, where it's 10:30 pm, it's likely bedtime.
Good news, everyone!
Good news, everyone (in Professor Farnsworth’s voice)! Your favorite rags-to-riches video platform, YouTube, is almost back to normal, according to Down Detector, which is showing roughly 7,000 reported issues in the U.S., a massive decrease from 30,000+ earlier this evening.
Are you still having issues loading YouTube as of 7:15 pm PST or beyond? Let me know in the comments below.
Further clarification from Google
As the number of reported issues continues to drop just below 10,000 on Down Detector, I wanted to share this message posted to the official YouTube Google support account. TLDR: The homepage seems to be back up, but folks are still reporting issues logging in to YouTube and YouTube TV.
Reported YouTube issues drop from 30k+ to 16K
Things are looking up, my fellow YouTube lovers. Those reporting issues with the video platform on Down Detector have dropped to around 16,000 from 30,000+ just an hour ago.
While the homepage may still be slow to load, as it is for me on the U.S. West Coast, YouTube seems to be recovering nicely/quickly.
YouTube homepage still won't load
Our colleagues in Australia have confirmed that they, too, are having issues with YouTube, primarily loading the home screen. A quick test trying to load YouTube.com from Seattle, Washington, results in similar issues. However, if I punch in a video's direct URL, things seem to be loading with no issue.
YouTube acknowledges the outage
As the number of reported issues with YouTube continues to decline, the official YouTube account has acknowledged that you are not, in fact, imagining problems with the platform.
All's good in Seattle, Washington and Santa Cruz, California
Dan Bracaglia here, checking in from Seattle, Washington, with no issues to report with YouTube. I've also received reports from friends in Santa Cruz, California, and Reading, Pennsylvania that the platform is working without issue as of 6:15 pm PST. Hopefully, this means the outage will be short-lived!
West Coast hit the hardest
Based on Downdetector's map of reported problems, it appears that YouTube users in San Francisco have been hit the hardest, with Los Angeles not that far behind. Then, on the East Coast, New York is showing the most reported problems, though other cities across the U.S. are also experiencing issues when trying to watch videos on YouTube
No official response yet
Normally, during a major outage like this one, companies head to X (Twitter) to provide updates. However, if you go to YouTube's official account, the last post was made 4 hours ago and is about cooking creators, not the outage. Hopefully, we learn more from YouTube and Google soon.
Things are improving...
Since we last checked in, the number of reported cases of issues with YouTube in the U.S. dropped from just over 30K to closer to 22K.
Back up on DownDetector
Although YouTube wasn't showing up on Downdetector at first, it now is, with just over 30,000 users reporting problems on the site. Meanwhile, more than 8,000 YouTube TV users have reported experiencing issues with the service, while Google itself has close to 2,500 issues reported so far.
We'll be tracking all three sites closely, but it seems that for now, YouTube is where the majority of problems are occurring.
Met with a blank screen
If you head over to YouTube on your computer right now, the site will load but you won't see any videos. Instead, after doing so, I was met with a blank screen without any videos whatsoever.
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