How to Fix Green Screen Issue in YouTube?

There are several reports where the user’s screen goes green when he is watching a video. The issue is not limited to a particular OS or set of devices (like Windows, Mac, Android, Xbox, iOS, etc.). In some cases, the issue only occurs when viewing the video on full screen. When the issue occurs, the complete YouTube video is covered with a green screen or green bars are shown all over the video.

Your YouTube may show a green screen mainly due to the following:

Cold Restart the System/Device Along with Networking Equipment

A temporary compatibility issue between the system/device and networking equipment may cause green screens in YouTube videos and performing a cold restart of the system/device along with networking equipment may solve the problem

1. Power off the system (like MacBook) or device like (Xbox) and unplug its cable from the power source.
2. Now power off the networking equipment (like a router, extender, etc.) and unplug its power cable from the power source.

   

3. Then disconnect all other devices from the system (like monitors, printers, etc.) and wait for 5 minutes.
4. Now connect back the power cable of the router to its power source and power it on. Wait, till the router is properly powered on.
5. Then connect back the device or system to its power source and power on the system/device.
6. Once powered on, check if the YouTube green screen problem is cleared.
7. If that did not work, check if using a different power source (without any surge protector, extension, or controller) for the device/system solves the problem.

Update the PC’s Windows to the Latest Build

You may see YouTube green screen if the PC’s Windows is outdated as the OS’s incompatibility with the other modules (especially, the graphics driver) may have been causing the issue. Here, updating the PC’s Windows to the latest build may solve the problem.

1. Click Windows, type, and open Check for Updates.

   

2. Now, in the right pane of the Windows update tab, click on Check for Updates and if updates are available (optional updates as well), install the updates.

   

3. Once the PC’s Windows is updated, restart your system and upon restart, check if the YouTube green screen problem is solved.
4. If not and the issue is occurring in the YouTube app in the Microsoft Store, then make sure to update the Microsoft Store apps and afterward, check if the YouTube green screen problem is cleared.

Try Another Browser

If the YouTube green screen issue is occurring in a browser, then the incompatibility of that particular browser with YouTube could be the reason for the green screen issue in YouTube. Here, trying another browser may clear the green screen in YouTube.

1. Download and install another browser on your system (if already not installed).
2. Then launch the other browser and check if the YouTube green screen problem is solved.

Disable the Hardware Acceleration of the Browser

You may encounter the green screen issue in YouTube if the browser’s hardware acceleration cannot properly parse the data packets of YouTube. In this case, you may fix green YouTube by disabling the browser’s hardware acceleration.

For elucidation, we will discuss the process to disable hardware acceleration in the Chrome browser (you may follow the instructions as per the problematic browser) and in Internet Options of the system (if the issue is also occurring in all other browsers in the system). Keep in mind that disabling the hardware acceleration of a browser may bring other unforeseen issues in the browser.

Disable the Video Decoder Flag of Chrome

As the issue is occurring only in video, despite disabling the complete hardware acceleration feature, just disabling its video decode flag may do the trick.

1. Launch the Chrome browser and enter the following in its address bar:

   chrome://flags/#disable-accelerated-video-decode

2. Now set the dropdown of Hardware-Accelerated Video Decode to Disabled and relaunch Chrome.

   

3. Upon relaunch, check if the green screen issue in YouTube videos is cleared.

Disable Hardware Acceleration of Chrome

1. Launch the Chrome browser and expand its Menu.
2. Now select Settings and in the left pane, expand the Advanced tab.

   

3. Then head to the System tab and in the right pane, disable the Hardware Acceleration by toggling its switch to the off position.

   

4. Now relaunch the browser and check if the YouTube green screen problem is solved.

Disable Hardware Acceleration in the System’s Internet Options

1. Click Windows, search and open Internet Options.

   

2. Now head to the Advanced tab and under Accelerated Graphics, checkmark Use Software Rendering Instead of GPU Rendering.

   

3. Then click on Apply/OK and restart your system.
4. Upon restart, check if the YouTube green screen error is cleared.

Update the Graphics Driver to the Latest Build

You may see a green screen in YouTube if the system’s graphics driver is outdated as its incompatibility with the YouTube mechanisms could be causing the issue. Here, updating the graphics driver of the system to the latest build may clear the green screen issue.

1. Right-click on Windows and select Device Manager.

   

2. Now expand the Display Adapter tab and right-click on the graphics device.
3. Then select Update Driver and click on Search Automatically for Drivers.

   

4. If an updated driver is available, install it, and afterward, check if the YouTube green screen issue is resolved.

   

5. If not and the OEM has an update utility (like Nvidia GeForce Experience), then check if updating the drivers through that utility clears out the YouTube green screen.

Edit the Mouse Pointer Size of the System

If the accessibility features of the system (especially a Mac) are not playing well with YouTube, then that can cause green screens on YouTube videos (particularly, in Full-Screen mode). Here, editing the mouse pointer size of the system may solve the problem. For illustration, we will discuss the process to change the mouse pointer size on a Mac.

1. Launch the System Preferences of the Mac and open Accessibility.

   

2. Now, in the left pane, head to the Display tab, and then in the right pane, increase the mouse pointer size a bit.

   

3. Afterward, check if the YouTube videos are clear of green screens.

Change the Color Profile of the Mac

The changing to the YouTube video’s colors by the color profile of the Mac can cause YouTube green screen. Here, changing the color profile of the Mac may solve the problem.

1. Launch the System Preferences of the Mac and open Display.

   

2. Now switch to the Color tab and open the dropdown of the Display Profile.
3. Then set a non-default Profile (like Generic RGB Profile) and afterward, check if the green screens in YouTube videos are cleared.

   

4. If not, check if disabling the Night Shift in the Display tab of System Preferences resolves the YouTube issue.

   

5. If the issue persists, check if changing the color profile in the ColorSync utility of Mac solves the problem.

Match the Resolution of the Video to the Display Resolution

If the video’s resolution mismatches the display’s resolution, then it may result in YouTube green screen. Here, editing the resolution of the video or display (like an Xbox display) to match the other may solve the problem.

Change the Video Resolution in YouTube

1. Launch YouTube and play a problematic video.
2. Now select Settings and expand Quality.

   

3. Then set another quality (like 720 if the issue is occurring in 1080) and check if the YouTube video is clear of the green screen.

   

4. If not, check if using any of the other resolutions solves the problem.

Change the Video Resolution of the Device or System

For illustration, we will discuss the process to set the output resolution of an Xbox display.

1. Launch the Xbox Guide and select Profile & System.
2. Now open Settings and select TV & Display Options (under General).

   

3. Then open Resolution and select the desired resolution (like 4K).

   

4. Now check if the green screen issue in YouTube videos is cleared.
5. If not, check if setting the display options to HDMI (in place of Recommended) and changing the resolution to 1080P 60Hz solves the problem.

Reinstall the Graphics Driver

If the graphics driver of your system is corrupt, then it can cause the green screen in a YouTube video. Here, reinstalling the graphics driver may clear the green screen error in YouTube.

Reinstall the Latest Graphics Driver

1. Right-click Windows and select Device Manager.
2. Now, expand the Display Adapters tab and right-click on the graphics device.
3. Then select Uninstall Device and checkmark Delete the Driver Software of This Device.
4. Now click on Uninstall and wait till the driver is uninstalled.

   

5. Then right-click on Windows and open Apps & Features.

   

6. Now expand the GPU-related utility (like GeForce Experience) and click on Uninstall.

   

7. Then confirm to uninstall the utility and follow the prompts on the screen to uninstall it.
8. Once done, restart your PC and upon restart, let the Windows install a generic graphics driver (if it tries to).
9. Now check if the YouTube issue is resolved.
10. If not, download the latest product-specific driver from the OEM website and once downloaded, right-click on it and select Run as Administrator.
11. Then follow the prompts on the screen to complete the installation and if asked to, make sure to choose to Perform a Clean Installation of the graphics driver.

    

12. Once installed, restart your PC, and upon restart, check if YouTube is clear of the green screen issue.

If that did not work and there is more than one display adapter (enable viewing of hidden devices) shown in the Device Manager, then check if disabling/removing other display adapters clears out the problem.

Reinstall the Older Graphics Driver

If the issue persists with the reinstallation of the latest graphics driver, then the incompatibility of the latest driver with the OS can cause the YouTube green screen. In this context, reinstalling an older version of the graphics driver may solve the problem.

1. Firstly, download an older version of the graphics driver and extract it.
2. Then uninstall the graphics driver (as discussed above) and restart your System.
3. Upon restart, right-click on Windows and select Device Manager.
4. Then expand Display Adapters and right-click on the graphics device.
5. Now click on Update Driver and select Browse My Computer for Drivers.

   

6. Then click on Browse and steer to the directory where the older driver was extracted in step 1.
7. Now click on OK and then click on Next.
8. Once the older driver is installed, restart your PC and upon restart, check if the green screen in the YouTube video is cleared.
9. If not, right-click on the graphic card in the Display Adapter tab of the Device Manager and select Update Driver.
10. Now click on Let Me Pick from a List of Available Drivers on My Computer and select another driver in the list.

    

11. Then restart your PC and upon restart, check if YouTube is working fine.
12. If that did not work, check if using all the drivers (one by one) in the drivers’ list (steps 9 and 10) solves the problem.
13. If the issue persists, then check if reducing the GPU power limit boost in an overclocking utility (like MSI Afterburner) clears the green screen issue.

Reinstall the Browser

The YouTube green screen issue might occur if the browser’s installation is corrupt. In this case, reinstalling the browser may solve the YouTube problem. For elucidation, we will discuss the process to uninstall the Chrome browser.

1. Firstly, backup the essential info (bookmarks, website logins, etc.) in the browser.
2. Now, right-click on Windows and select Apps & Features.
3. Then expand Chrome and click on Uninstall.

   

4. Now confirm to uninstall Chrome and follow the prompts on the screen to complete the process.
5. Once done, restart your PC and upon restart, right-click Windows and open Run.

   

6. Now navigate to the following path:

   \Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Google

   

7. Then delete the Chrome folder and steer to the following directory in the Run command box:

   /program files (x86)/google

8. Now delete the Chrome folder and download the latest installer of the Chrome browser.
9. Then install and launch Chrome (do not sign in) to check if the YouTube green screen issue is resolved.
10. If not, check if uninstalling Chrome with a 3^rd party uninstaller (like Revo Uninstaller) and then reinstalling it solves the problem.
11. If the issue persists, check if using an older version of Chrome clears the green screen issue.

Reinstall the YouTube App on Device or Console

In the case of a YouTube app, the corrupt installation of the app could be causing the green screens in YouTube videos, and reinstalling the same may solve the problem. For illustration, we will discuss the process to reinstall the YouTube app on an Xbox.

1. Launch My Games & Apps in Xbox and select the YouTube app.
2. Now press the Menu button on the controller and in the menu shown, select Uninstall.

   

3. Then wait till the YouTube app is uninstalled and afterward, restart your console.
4. Upon restart, reinstall the YouTube app and launch it to check if the green screen issue in the YouTube video is cleared. If the app cannot be uninstalled on the device (like Android), then check if resetting the YouTube app to its defaults or uninstalling its updates solve the problem.

If the issue persists, then you may reset the device to the factory defaults or perform a clean installation of the system’s OS.