3 Ways to Fix Youtube Not Remembering Where You Left Off

Ever find yourself asking, “Why does YouTube not resume where I left off?” or “How do you continue watching from where you left off on YouTube?”

Well, you’re not alone. Many of us have experienced the frustration of losing our spot in a video and having to find it again manually.

But worry not, my friends! In this blog post, we’ll explore 7 ways to fix this issue and make sure YouTube remembers your video progress.

Fun Fact #1: Did you know that over 500 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every minute? That's a whole lot of videos to watch!

How to Fix Why YouTube Is Not Remembering Where You Left Off

Here are the seven (7) ways to rectify the problem.

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1. Enable Watch History

First, let’s ensure your YouTube watch history is enabled. This feature allows YouTube to keep track of the videos you’ve watched and where you left off.

If it’s disabled, YouTube won’t remember your progress.

How to Enable Watch History

Follow these simple steps to enable watch history on your YouTube account:

• Sign in to your YouTube account.
• Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
• Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
• In the left sidebar, click on “Privacy.”
• Find the “History & Privacy” section.
• Make sure the box next to “Pause watch history” is unchecked. If it’s checked, click on it to uncheck it.

Fun Fact #2: YouTube was created by three former PayPal employees in 2005, and just a year later, Google bought it for a whopping $1.65 billion in stock.

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2. Sign in to Youtube (Google) Account

Sometimes, simply signing out and signing back into your Google account can fix the issue of YouTube not remembering where you left off.

This process refreshes your account settings and can resolve any syncing issues between your account and YouTube.

Troubleshooting Google Account Issues

Follow these steps to sign out and sign back into your Google account:

• Go to YouTube and click on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
• Select “Sign out” from the dropdown menu.
• Close your browser, then reopen it.
• Go back to YouTube and click “Sign in” in the top-right corner.
• Enter your Google account email and password, then click “Next.”

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3. Use Incognito Mode

If none of the previous solutions have worked, you can try using Incognito Mode (also known as Private Browsing) in your browser. This mode disables extensions, doesn’t save browsing data, and can sometimes help with issues like YouTube not remembering where you left off.

How to Enable Incognito Mode in Different Browsers

Here’s how to enable Incognito Mode in some popular browsers:

Google Chrome:

1. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
2. Select “New incognito window.”

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
2. Select “New Private Window.”

Safari:

1. Click “File” in the top-left corner.
2. Select “New Private Window.”

Once you’re in Incognito Mode, sign in to your YouTube account and see if it remembers your video progress. Keep in mind that Incognito Mode doesn’t save your browsing history, so you’ll need to sign in to your account each time you use it.

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4. Reset YouTube App on Mobile Devices

If you’re experiencing this issue on your mobile device, it’s possible that the YouTube app itself is causing the problem.

Resetting the app can help fix any glitches or bugs that might be preventing YouTube from remembering where you left off.

How to Reset the YouTube App

Here’s how to reset the YouTube app on Android and iOS devices:

Android:

1. Go to “Settings” on your device.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Apps” or “Applications.”
3. Find the YouTube app in the list and tap on it.
4. Tap on “Storage,” then click “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data.”
5. Restart your device.

iOS:

1. Go to “Settings” on your device.
2. Scroll down and tap on “YouTube.”
3. Tap “Reset App.”
4. Restart your device.

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5. Disable Browser Extensions

Browser extensions can sometimes interfere with YouTube’s ability to remember where you left off in a video. Disabling these extensions can help identify if they are causing the problem.

Guide to Disabling Extensions on Popular Browsers

Here’s how to disable extensions on some common browsers:

Google Chrome:

1. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
2. Go to “More tools” and select “Extensions.”
3. Toggle off the extensions one by one to see if any of them are causing the issue.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
2. Select “Add-ons” and then click “Extensions.”
3. Click the blue toggle switch next to each extension to disable them one by one.

Safari:

1. Click “Safari” in the top-left corner.
2. Select “Preferences.”
3. Go to the “Extensions” tab.
4. Uncheck the box next to each extension to disable them individually.

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6. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

Sometimes, the culprit behind YouTube not remembering where you left off could be your browser’s cache and cookies.

These temporary files can cause issues with YouTube’s functionality, so clearing them might just do the trick!

Steps to Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

Here’s how you can clear your browser’s cache and cookies on some popular browsers:

Google Chrome:

• Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
• Go to “More tools” and select “Clear browsing data.”
• Choose a time range, or select “All time” to clear everything.
• Check the boxes for “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files.”
• Click “Clear data.”

Mozilla Firefox:

• Click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
• Select “Options.”
• Go to the “Privacy & Security” tab.
• Scroll down to the “Cookies and Site Data” section.
• Click “Clear Data.”
• Check the boxes for “Cookies and Site Data” and “Cached Web Content.”
• Click “Clear.”

Safari:

• Click “Safari” in the top-left corner.
• Select “Preferences.”
• Go to the “Privacy” tab.
• Click “Manage Website Data.”
• Click “Remove All” and confirm.

After clearing your cache and cookies, restart your browser and try watching a YouTube video to see if it now remembers where you left off. If not, let’s move on to the next solution.

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7. Update Your Browser

An outdated browser might be causing YouTube to forget your video progress. Keeping your browser up-to-date ensures compatibility with the latest features and security updates, which can help resolve issues like this.

How to Update Different Browsers

Here’s a quick guide on updating some of the most popular browsers:

Google Chrome:

1. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
2. Hover over “Help” and click on “About Google Chrome.”
3. Chrome will automatically check for updates and install them if available.
4. Restart your browser if prompted.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
2. Select “Help” and click on “About Firefox.”
3. Firefox will automatically check for updates and install them if available.
4. Restart your browser if prompted.

Safari (macOS):

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner.
2. Select “App Store.”
3. Click “Updates” in the left sidebar.
4. If a Safari update is available, click “Update” to install it.

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