YouTube thumbnails give a quick glimpse into what the video is about and what you can expect from it. A lot of creators spend a lot of time crafting the perfect thumbnails as good thumbnails increase the chances of viewers clicking on the videos. YouTube itself promotes videos with interesting thumbnails. However, sometimes users report that they cannot see the video thumbnails on the YouTube app. In this article, we bring you 8 simple ways to fix the ‘YouTube thumbnails not showing’ issue on your smartphone.
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In This Article
Check your Internet connection
Low signal strength or an unstable internet connection can often lead to parts of the YouTube app not loading properly. If you cannot see the thumbnails on the YouTube app and the videos take time to load and buffer, the issue most likely lies with your internet connection. You can try using the Chrome web browser instead of the YouTube app to verify this further. Additionally, you can run a speed test on your smartphone to check the strength of the connection.
Clear app cache
In order to increase the load time, apps store certain files in the cache memory so they don’t have to download them every time you open the app. YouTube does this with thumbnails as well. Once a file is stored in the cache memory, it can get corrupted if it stays there too long. This may cause the app to malfunction. It is a good idea to clear the cache every once in a while. Here’s how you can clear YouTube’s app cache.
Step 1: Go to Settings and select Apps.
Step 2: Select YouTube.
Step 3: Tap on Storage.
Step 4: Select ‘Clear cache’ from the bottom toolbar.
If you use YouTube on a web browser, clear the browser cache. This article explains how you can clear Google Chrome’s cache.
Force stop the YouTube app
Apart from clearing the cache, you can also try force-stopping the YouTube app and launching it again. Here’s how.
Step 1: Go to Settings and select Apps.
Step 2: Select YouTube.
Step 3: Tap on the ‘Force Stop’ option at the bottom of the screen and confirm your selection in the following dialogue box.
Restart your phone
Sometimes, background glitches can cause an app on your phone to malfunction. The good news is that most of these background issues can be resolved by restarting your device. Long-press the side key and select ‘Restart’ from the power menu. If long-pressing the side key triggers the voice assistant, press it along with the volume-up key to access the power menu.
Check if a browser extension is causing trouble
If you use a YouTube-specific extension for Google Chrome, it may be interfering with the website’s functioning. To check this, open YouTube in an incognito window and see if you are able to view the video thumbnails. If you can see the thumbnails in incognito mode, it is possible that an extension may be the cause of the problem. Pause any YouTube-related extensions on Chrome and check if the thumbnails are able to load.
Update the YouTube app
It is not uncommon for certain bugs to pop up within the app software. Google routinely updates its apps to fix these bugs. To update the YouTube app, go to the Google Play Store and search for YouTube. On the app page, select ‘Update’. The new app version will most likely not have this issue.
Uninstall and reinstall the app
Sometimes an update can install improperly on your device, causing the app to malfunction. Uninstall the app and then reinstall it from the Play Store (or any other app marketplace) to fix this issue. Most OEMs have their independent app stores which can be used to install YouTube if you don’t want to rely on the Google Play Store. Third-party app marketplaces like APKMirror and APKPure will also do the trick.
Install a VPN
It is possible that a certain video has been withheld in your country, which is why you aren’t able to view its thumbnail. To fix this, install a VPN app and select a server outside of your country. Connect to the server and reload the YouTube app to see if you can access the video. Here is our list of the best VPNs you can use right now.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why can’t I see the video thumbnails on my YouTube feed?
Lack of a strong internet connection, malfunctioning extensions, corrupt cache, and outdated app version can be the reasons behind YouTube not displaying video thumbnails on your feed.
How do I clear YouTube’s app cache on Android?
Go to Settings>Apps>YouTube>Storage and select ‘Clear cache’.
Where can I find my YouTube downloads?
Tap on the ‘You’ tab in the YouTube app and select the Downloads folder to find your saved videos. On PC, click on Downloads in the left sidebar.
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Conclusion
These are the 8 simple ways to fix the ‘YouTube thumbnails not showing’ issue on your smartphone. If you’ve tried all the fixes listed above and the problem still persists, try checking if anyone else is facing this problem as well. If that is the case, then the issue lies on YouTube’s end and will be rectified soon. If you found this article helpful, let us know in the comments!
