Safari won't run You Tube videos

[sunnyjohn2]

Judging by the google hits I got for this, it seems to be a common problem. I've followed all the steps in all the hits I got but I still can't get Safari to run You Tube videos. I can run them OK on Firefox (one recommendation) but I like Safari and it's irritating when I get a news item with a You Tube video and it won't run.

I've updated to the latest version of Safari, cleared the cache, cleared history and extensions, restarted Safari and restarted my Mac.

I've another problem in that Safari won't open Wiki or a couple of my news sites.

I don't really want to use another browser but I'm beginning to think that's the only answer.

Any ideas?

 

[Reggaenald]

What Mac are you using and do you have any Safari add-ons installed?
Maybe you could try to make a Time Machine backup and restore macOS, see if it works Oma clean machine and then restore the backup.

 

[sunnyjohn2]

I did a clean install of Big Sur last week and have updated to the latest version of Big Sur and Safari. I have no Safari extentions.

 

[sunnyjohn2]

OK - solved it this way. I trashed my new Safari by binning its contents folder. Then I reinstalled it from the version I had on my pre Big Sur backup. All problems now solved.

 

[NeonIbis]

Does that mean you're now not using 15.3?

I'm also having issues with video after upgrading to safari 15.3 (2020 intel MBA running Big Sur, but this was also happening on Catalina). I *can* play Youtube videos but I can't play videos in other streaming platforms, including Netflix. Only Netflix is giving a reason, lack of HTML5/silverlight support(?). But many earlier versions of safari are supported, so I don't see why it should stop working now. Vexing... and I imagine any older version would have security vulnerabilities.

 

[sunnyjohn2]

My Safari is from Mojave - 14.4. Having been all smug in my last post, I now find I cannot open Amazon UK! What is it about Safari…!! I don't seem to have a problem with security because Big Sur is happy flashing hundreds of popups every time I go to a site. It's driving me mad.

 

[bogdanw]

Here is Safari 15.3 if you need to reinstall it

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/13/56/002-67278-A_7EUSHJ6NOH/1dtpdyn6l1afezbtku6i16vckl02vcwh05/Safari15.3BigSurAuto.pkg

 

[sunnyjohn2]

Many thanks. I'll wait for Safari 15.4, currently in beta, to be released. It might solve my problems!

 

[bogdanw]

As there are serious security vulnerabilities in older versions of Safari, my advice would be to install Safari 15.3 and you can test Safari Technology Preview for macOS Big Sur to see if it solves your problems https://developer.apple.com/safari/download/

 

[sunnyjohn2]

Thanks - I'll give it a go.

 

[NeonIbis]

I didn't like the idea of security vulnerabilities, so I risked installing safari 15.3 on my M1 iMac, running Big Sur. Streaming videos (including Netflix) work fine on the iMac after the update! But not on the MBA, also on Big Sur with 15.3. To me, that makes zero sense...

 

[cfm56d7b]

I just upgraded to Big Sur 11.6.3 and Safari 15.3.

Cannot play any Amazon video.

Cannot even reach Netflix web site.

When using Chrome, everything works as expected.

Eye opening absence of software quality.

 

[bogdanw]

macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 has been released https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222

 

[NeonIbis]

macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 has been released

Has anyone tried it? I'm on 11.6.3... I ended up here trying to fix problems with crashing during sleep + videos not streaming + weird processes chewing up CPU/battery on Catalina, and now I'm getting all those problems on Big Sur. At this rate I fear 11.6.4 will be somehow even worse.

 

[sunnyjohn2]

Likewise -I'm staying with Big Sur 11.6.3 and Safari 14.1.1. for the moment. I'll watch this thread and see how folk get on. I still have a few problems but nothing like I had with the latest Safari. I'll live with the security problems.

 

[cfm56d7b]

I just upgraded to Big Sur 11.6.3 and Safari 15.3.

Cannot play any Amazon video.

Cannot even reach Netflix web site.

When using Chrome, everything works as expected.

Eye opening absence of software quality.

 

[cfm56d7b]

I just upgraded to Big Sur 11.6.4 and tried to play Amazon videos and reach Netflix site. The same results: Amazon videos do not play and Netflix site cannot even reach the initial home page.

Safari is irrevocably broken.

I am a CEO of a software company as well as an experienced CTO. I can only imagine what's going on inside Apple's engineering organization. None of the impressions are flattering.

 

[sunnyjohn2]

Bad news but heartening to read that others have problems too. Time to sit on one's hands for a while, I think…

 

[bogdanw]

Safari is irrevocably broken. I am a CEO of a software company as well as an experienced CTO.

I’m just a regular user, Safari is my main browser and I had no problems with it since installing Big Sur 11.4.
Now I’m on Big Sur 11.6.4 20G417 with Safari 15.3 16612.4.9.1.8, 16612), YouTube works perfectly, Netflix & Amazon load and videos play.
Safari is not the problem.
Try changing your DNS servers, disable extensions, scan for malware.

 

[davigarma]

The best Safari is number 11. The only one that is compatible with all platforms. I like to get into my El Capitan drive and browse all the sites..and no ads. I can watch Netflix, Amazon Prime with Safari 11. After Safari 11 Apple cut support for a lot of things.

In Safari 12, Apple no longer let you install extensions like Ublock Origin and all spam blockers, ad blockers. Apple said it "slowed down" navigation. And it goes on like this until Monterrey. It's funny that in my El Capitan Safari 11 I browse the entire web perfectly without ads, that I watch Netflix and Amazon Prime with Silverlight and that in Monterrey with Safari 15 it is worse than 5 years ago. It's the incomprehensible things that Apple does

 

[sunnyjohn2]

I have no extensions. Changing my DNS made no difference. I scan regularly for malware. I also googled and followed the list of 25 other things to do and none of them made any difference. Reverting to Safari 14.1.1. did it for me and I'll sticks with it for the moment.

Good, though, to read that you have had no problems. Can you give us a bit more detail of your system? Which Mac are you using and how much free disk space do you have? What apps are you using? All these things might help. It could be that one of my apps is arguing with Safari. Many folk have suspected Clean My Mac although I have not had a problem with it in the ten years ofr so that I have used it.

 

[cfm56d7b]

I have no extensions. Changing my DNS made no difference. I scan regularly for malware. I also googled and followed the list of 25 other things to do and none of them made any difference. Reverting to Safari 14.1.1. did it for me and I'll sticks with it for the moment.

Good, though, to read that you have had no problems. Can you give us a bit more detail of your system? Which Mac are you using and how much free disk space do you have? What apps are you using? All these things might help. It could be that one of my apps is arguing with Safari. Many folk have suspected Clean My Mac although I have not had a problem with it in the ten years ofr so that I have used it.

Same environment: no extensions, no malware. Safari doesn't work. Chrome does.

 

[bogdanw]

Same environment: no extensions, no malware. Safari doesn't work. Chrome does.

By default, Chrome doesn’t use the system’s DNS servers, it uses its “Secure DNS”
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/10468685

Specify a DNS server on Mac https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/specify-a-dns-server-on-mac-mchlp2720/11.0/mac/11.0

Google Public DNS https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
Cloudflare DNS Servers https://1.1.1.1/dns/
1.1.1.1
1.0.0.1
1.1.1.2 (No Malware) & 1.1.1.3 (No Malware or Adult Content) https://blog.cloudflare.com/introducing-1-1-1-1-for-families/
OpenDNS https://www.opendns.com/setupguide/
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
OpenDNS FamilyShield https://www.opendns.com/setupguide/?url=familyshield
208.67.222.123
208.67.220.123

Usually, the simplest way to troubleshoot potentially user caused problems is to create another user account.

 

[cfm56d7b]

By default, Chrome doesn’t use the system’s DNS servers, it uses its “Secure DNS”
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/10468685

Specify a DNS server on Mac https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/specify-a-dns-server-on-mac-mchlp2720/11.0/mac/11.0

Google Public DNS https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
Cloudflare DNS Servers https://1.1.1.1/dns/
1.1.1.1
1.0.0.1
1.1.1.2 (No Malware) & 1.1.1.3 (No Malware or Adult Content) https://blog.cloudflare.com/introducing-1-1-1-1-for-families/
OpenDNS https://www.opendns.com/setupguide/
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
OpenDNS FamilyShield https://www.opendns.com/setupguide/?url=familyshield
208.67.222.123
208.67.220.123

Usually, the simplest way to troubleshoot potentially user caused problems is to create another user account.

My 2020 MBPro 13" 2.3 GHz laptop is already configured to use Google DNS servers as described in the article. On Big Sur 11.6.2: both Safari and Chrome worked. On Big Sur 11.6.4: only Chrome works as expected.

Does anyone know how to obtain Safari version which is included with Big Sur 11.6.2?

 

[NeonIbis]

I also upgraded to Big Sur 11.6.4. I can't tell yet if it's helped with my other issues, but I still cannot play videos in Safari. I can in Firefox. What is going on!? And now Software Update seems to just endlessly 'check for updates'...