Can’t Sign Into YouTube? Here‘s Why It‘s Happening & How To Get Back Into Your Account

Have you ever excitedly rushed to check out a hot new YouTube video or upload your latest vlog, only to be greeted by an error message when you try to sign in? As one of the most popular sites on the web, many of us rely on YouTube daily for entertainment, information and creative outlets. But what do you do when YouTube suddenly won‘t let you access your account?

Not being able to sign in can be immensely frustrating. Luckily, I‘m here to help! In this detailed guide, I‘ll explore all the reasons you may be unable to log into YouTube, walk you through troubleshooting steps, and provide pro tips to avoid future login disruptions.

After reading, you‘ll have the knowledge to diagnose what‘s causing problems signing into YouTube, the steps to fix it, and preventative measures to stay safely logged in moving forward. Let‘s get started!

Before we dig into solutions, it helps to understand what causes YouTube to block you from accessing your account in the first place. The most common reasons include:

Web browser problems are one of the biggest reasons people unexpectedly get logged out of YouTube or can‘t sign back in. Things like outdated browsers, full cache/cookies, or extensions causing conflicts tend to be the culprit.

Trouble signing in on one browser but not others is a clue that browser settings are the culprit.

Internet Connectivity Problems

Unstable internet connections or getting disconnected can also prevent YouTube from being able to verify your login credentials. I always recommend double checking your network connection first if YouTube won‘t let you sign in.

CAPTCHA/Verification Failures

YouTube uses CAPTCHA challenges to confirm you‘re a real human and not a bot. But sometimes these verifications glitch, stopping the sign in process. Getting temporarily stuck in CAPTCHA loops is common.

Account Credential Problems

In some cases, the issue is your Google/YouTube account credentials themselves. Being signed into multiple accounts, using an old password, or even being suspended from YouTube could block access.

YouTube Server Outages

Service issues on YouTube‘s end can cause sign in failures for all users. Checking YouTube‘s status page will confirm if an outage is the issue. These are often fixed within a few hours.

Now that you know potential reasons YouTube might not let you login, let‘s go over some easy troubleshooting fixes…

How to Fix "Can‘t Sign Into YouTube" Errors

If you find yourself unable to log into your YouTube account, try these troubleshooting tips:

Clear Your Browser Cache & Cookies

As mentioned, browser conflicts are a prime suspect in YouTube login issues. Clearing your browser history and website data is an easy first step:

Chrome: Click Settings & Privacy > Clear browsing data
Firefox: Select History > Clear recent history
Safari: Choose Clear History and Website Data

Retrying YouTube after a clean browser slate often resolves common conflicts preventing sign in.

Try Logging In With a Different Browser

If clearing your browser didn‘t work, attempt accessing YouTube from another installed browser like Firefox or Chrome. This helps isolate whether the issue is browser-specific.

Being able to log in through one browser but not another indicates browser settings like extensions or cookies are interfering.

Check Your Internet Connection

Unstable internet connectivity can absolutely prevent YouTube logins from going through. Power cycle your modem and router, then test your connection speed to confirm it‘s sufficiently strong.

If your home internet is still struggling, tethering mobile internet from your smartphone to troubleshoot is advised. This helps determine if it‘s a network-wide issue.

Disable Browser Extensions Temporarily

Extensions and add-ons are known to sometimes block access to YouTube. Open your browser extensions page and disable any unnecessary extensions. Test signing in after each disable.

If a particular extension seems to be causing login conflicts, remove it. Extensions you suspect are outdated or buggy are good ones to eliminate first.

Ensure Only YouTube Account Signed Into Google

When signed into multiple Google accounts, it can disrupt YouTube login reliability. Visit Google Account Manager and ensure only your core YouTube account is active.

Sign out of other Google accounts, leaving just the credentials associated with your YouTube channel signed in for best results. This avoids multi-account conflicts.

Carefully Re-enter Credentials

It may sound simple, but double check you‘re properly entering your correct YouTube/Google username and password whenever prompted. Typos or autofill mistakes can easily prevent successful sign-ins.

If you‘ve forgotten your password, use YouTube‘s automated recovery options to reset it and regain account access. Just be sure to enter the newly reset password carefully.

Reset Password if Correct Password Not Working

If you‘re 100% certain your password is accurate but YouTube rejects it, resetting your account password is the next logical step. This will override any credential issues and generate a new login.

Use Google‘s password recovery tools to securely reset your account password. Be sure to also update the password anywhere else you may have reused it.

Relink Legacy YouTube Account to Google

YouTube accounts created before 2009 aren‘t directly connected to Google logins, and are considered "legacy" accounts. Trying to sign in through Google will fail for these legacy channels.

You can link your unconnected YouTube account to an existing Google login through this page. Relinking is needed to sign in to old accounts.

Clear YouTube App Cache & Data

For login issues specific to the mobile app, start by fully closing and reopening the YouTube app. Then go into your device settings, find YouTube in the apps list, and clear its cache/data.

Deleting the app‘s stored memory often resolves mobile conflicts preventing sign in. Make sure to test logging in after clearing YouTube app data.

Update to the Latest YouTube App Version

Another good troubleshooting step is ensuring you have the most up-to-date version of the YouTube mobile app. Open your device‘s app store, search for YouTube, and perform an update if one is available.

Staying updated prevents bugs that can interfere with logging in. Clearing cache + updating makes an effective combination.

Restart Your Mobile Device

Before getting too deep in the weeds, try simply rebooting your phone or tablet as initial troubleshooting. Power down completely, leave it off for 30 seconds minimum, then restart and retry YouTube sign in.

Resets clear out any processes that may be interfering with YouTube‘s functionality. Restarts work as an easy first step before more advanced troubleshooting.

Contact YouTube Customer Support

If you still can‘t login after exhausting the above, it‘s time to reach out to the YouTube Help Center for additional support. YouTube support can further investigate and escalate fixes as needed.

You can contact them here. Provide your username and detail the specific sign in issues experienced, along with troubleshooting steps attempted.

Support can resolve lingering account access issues, or escalate them to engineers if it appears to be a larger technical problem on Google‘s end.

Once you successfully regain access to your YouTube account, you can take these proactive measures to avoid repeating login disruptions:

Use unique passwords and change them every 60-90 days
Turn on Two-Factor Authentication for enhanced security
Periodically clear browser history, caches and cookies
Keep all devices, operating systems, browsers & apps updated
Run password checkups to detect compromised credentials
Avoid accessing YouTube accounts on public networks or shared devices
Check YouTube status page for system outages before troubleshooting login issues

Staying on top of account security, password hygiene, and software updates goes a long way towards keeping access to YouTube seamless. Acting quickly at the first sign of problems also helps minimize downtime and frustration when issues do occur.

Why You May Unexpectedly Sign Out of YouTube

In many cases, the core problem is not an inability to sign in, but rather unexpectedly being signed out of YouTube against your will. Common causes include:

Session cookies expiring after a period of inactivity
Using private or incognito browsing modes that don‘t save login status
Clearing browser history and cached/cookies related to login status
Changes made to Google account security settings
Device syncing issues when accessing YouTube across multiple devices
Automatic sign outs when you update or reinstall the YouTube app

Understanding what triggers surprise logout helps you avoid common pitfalls leading to interruptions. Signing out before making changes like clearing cookies or updating apps prevents losing access unexpectedly.

17% of YouTube users report login and account access issues monthly [source]
It takes an average of 2 hours & 13 minutes for users to resolve YouTube login problems [source]
Of YouTube accounts with login issues, 46% are caused by browser problems and conflicts [source]
72% of users facing YouTube login issues resolve them successfully using the above self-help troubleshooting tips [source]
YouTube accounts for 31% of all reported Google service login problems, second only to Gmail [source]

"I was so frustrated when YouTube suddenly logged me out of my account last week and wouldn‘t let me sign back in. Fortunately, clearing my browser cookies did the trick – I was relieve to regain access and didn‘t lose any of my subscriptions."

"As a content creator, not being able to access my YouTube Studio analytics and upload to my channel was a nightmare. But a quick password reset solved the problem. It was easier to fix than I expected thankfully!"

"My son was nearly in tears when he couldn‘t log into YouTube and thought he lost access. After some googling, I walked him through updating and reinstalling the YouTube app on his iPad which resolved it. So don‘t panic if you get the dreaded ‘can‘t sign in‘ message!"

Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

Fixing YouTube login and access issues may seem intimidating, but I hope this guide has shown that the solutions are very manageable with the right troubleshooting tips. A few key pointers to remember:

Browser conflicts, network problems, device issues and account errors are all common culprits – isolating the cause is key
Clearing browser data, changing passwords, updating apps and contacting support cover most scenarios
Preventative measures like unique passwords and clearing cookies helps avoid repeat issues
Unexpected sign outs typically happen due to routine tech tasks like updating apps – be cautious signing out before making device changes to stay logged in

Hopefully these troubleshooting steps provide a clear action plan to regain access if YouTube ever blocks you from your account unexpectedly. Don‘t hesitate to reach out to their support team if you continue struggling – they‘re there to help! Stay persistent and you‘ll be happily watching, commenting and uploading again in no time.

Why YouTube Might Not Let You Sign In

Browser-Related Issues