How to Fix YouTube Links Not Opening the YouTube App on iPhone

Are external links failing to open in the YouTube app on your device? Typically, when you tap on any YouTube link, it should launch directly in the YouTube app. However, there are instances when this action might redirect you to your default external browser instead. Here are effective solutions to ensure that YouTube videos open in the app, rather than in an external player.

Why Aren’t YouTube Links Opening in the YouTube App?

In most cases, when you attempt to open a YouTube link, it first loads in your web browser before being redirected to the YouTube app. If any issues arise during this process, the redirection might be blocked, causing the video to play in the browser instead of the app.

Fix 1 – Clear Browser Data

Our research indicates that this problem directly stems from the default browser settings on your device. Most iPhone users prefer Safari or Google Chrome as their default browser. Below are the steps for both browsers.

Steps for Safari Users:

Follow these steps to clear your Safari browser data:

Step 1 – Open the “⚙” icon to access Settings.

Step 2 – Navigate to the “Apps” section.

Step 3 – Open the “Safari” settings.

Step 4 – On the Safari settings page, scroll down and select “Clear History and Website Data” .

Step 5 – You can choose how far back to clear data. Select “All Time” to remove all stored history.

Step 6 – If the open tabs are not important to you, toggle the “Close Tabs” option.

Step 7 – Finally, tap “Clear Browsing Data” .

After clearing the Safari browser data, try opening the links again.

Steps for Google Chrome Users:

If Google Chrome is your default browser, follow these steps to clear your browser data:

Step 1 – Open the Google Chrome browser.

Step 2 – Tap the small three-dot icon in the corner.

Step 3 – Select the “Clear Browsing Data” option.

Step 4 – Set the “Time Range” to “All Time” .

Step 5 – After setting the time range, tap “Clear Browsing Data” to remove Chrome’s browsing history.

Upon clearing the Chrome data, external YouTube links should open directly in the app instead of the browser.

Fix 2 – Update the YouTube App

If you’re using an outdated version of the YouTube app, it may lead to links not opening properly.

Step 1 – Access the App Store.

Step 2 – In the App Store’s homepage, type “YouTube” into the search bar.

Step 3 – Tap the “YouTube” app in the search results.

Step 4 – If an update is available, tap the “Update” button on the YouTube store page.

After updating the YouTube app, try opening a link to see if it correctly opens in the YouTube app.

We hope this guide has resolved your issue!

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