[All Fixes] Youtube Comments Not Loading / Not Showing

This article is dedicated to fixing YouTube comments not loading (when you scroll to the comment section and the loader spins indefinitely) or comments don’t show at all (when the comment section is blank, even though it shouldn’t be).

The issue has been going on for years, and it keeps happening for some users.

It can be difficult to find the exact cause for YouTube not loading or showing comments, because it can vary depending on a number of factors, such as:

the browser you’re using
the browser’s configuration
the data gradually gathered over time in your browser that can somehow interfere with how some websites should behave
installed extensions
if you’re behind a proxy or VPN
other causes

An easy way to solve this, in my opinion, is to quickly go through some of the most popular fixes, since one of them might work for you, and you will have solved the issue in less than 10 minutes (hopefully).

We’ll go through 15 possible ways to fix either comments not loading or not showing at all (with step-by-step instructions).

If something’s not clear, then feel free to let us know and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Fix 1: Reload Web Page

When YouTube comments are not loading, then the first thing to do is reload the page. The YouTube comment section must not be loaded due to a temporary issue.

Yes, it’s the most obvious solution, but what’s the harm in reloading again?

It may be an issue from the YouTube server side. If reloading the page doesn’t work, then wait for a few minutes and try again. Checking your internet connection meanwhile is also a good idea.

Fix 2: Check Your Internet Connection

YouTube comments not loading error is often caused by slow or idle internet connection. If your router has been working non-stop for some time, then it’s likely to face a connectivity issue. Restarting the router or modem can fix certain connectivity issues.

To check your internet connection on the laptop or computer, check the connection status in your taskbar. If the Wi-Fi is not working, then it should look something like this:

To connect Wi-Fi on your smartphone, check the status bar at the top of your mobile screen. If Wi-Fi is not working or having any issues, you shouldn’t be able to see the Wi-Fi symbol.

There’s another scenario when the Wi-Fi is working, but having connectivity issues. In such a case, a yellow (or cross symbol) icon appears on Wi-Fi.

If the issue is with the internet connection, then head over to your router and turn it off. Next, turn off your computer, and wait for about 3 to 4 minutes. Now, turn on the computer and router, and see if the YouTube comments are loading.

Some people never turn off the laptop and modem. That’s not a good practice both in terms of network security or device health. Whether turning off the router or computer resolves your issue or not, make sure to restart your router every few days.

Fix 3: Open YouTube on Your Smartphone

If the YouTube comments not loading issue has to do with your browser, then you open YouTube on your smartphone. This is not only the fastest solution, but this way, you also know whether the issue is from your end or YouTube’s.

Fix 4: Switch to The Incognito Mode

An issue with your browser can also cause the ‘YouTube comments not showing’ issue.

The incognito mode in any browser allows the user to open a web page without any extension or plugins. Incognito means keeping one’s identity secret. In the incognito mode, your browsing data, cookies, and other site data are not collected, nor interfere with your browsing experience.

By going incognito, you can identify any issue with your web browser. The next step would be as simple as eliminating or fixing the possible causes.

Note: incognito mode doesn’t store your activity, but it does not conceal it from your ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Here’s how you switch to the incognito mode in various browsers.

Google Chrome

To open YouTube in Google Chrome’s incognito mode:

Press Ctrl + Shift + N to open the incognito mode.
Alternatively, click on the button with three dots at the top-right corner.
Select New incognito window from the menu.

Mozilla Firefox

In Mozilla Firefox, to open an incognito window:

Press the Ctrl + Shift + P keys together.
Alternatively, click on the button with three bars at the top-right corner of the screen.
Select New private window from the options menu.

Opera

In the Opera browser, incognito mode is called the private mode. To open a private window in Opera:

Press Ctrl + Shift + N keys on your keyboard.
Alternatively, click on the red icon with an O on the top-left corner.
Select open a private window from the options menu.

Safari

To open an incognito window in Safari on your macOS, press the Command + Shift + N keys on your keyboard together.

Android Phone

To browse incognito on your Android phone:

Open the YouTube application.
Tap on your profile avatar in the top-right corner.
Select Turn on incognito from your Google account’s menu.

Fix 5: Switch to Another Browser

Google Chrome is considered one of the best browsers out there. Considering its link to Google, Chrome is well-optimized for YouTube. However, many users have reported that the YouTube comments not showing issue appear in Google Chrome only.

When the user switched to Microsoft Edge, Safari, or Mozilla Firefox, YouTube comments appeared. The reason may be because, in Google Chrome, you must log in to see comments.

To fix the issue, switch to another browser and check if you can see the comments section below. If you do, then the issue may be specific to the browser.

Use another browser temporarily and try the following methods for a more permanent fix.

Fix 6: Log in to Your Google Account

A lot of users complain about YouTube comments not loading in some browsers when you’re not logged into your Google account. Especially Google Chrome users have reported this issue. A quick fix for the YouTube comments not loading is to log into your Google Account and reload the page.

To log in to your Google account:

Navigate to the top-right corner of the YouTube window, click on the Sign-in button.
You will be navigated to a new page to choose from a list of Google accounts saved on your computer.
Select one of the saved accounts or click on use another account.
Type the email and password to log in to your Google account.

After logging in to the Google account on your browser, reload the YouTube page. If YouTube comments are showing now, then log in to Google before trying to read or write a comment on YouTube.

Fix 7: Check Out Another Video’s Comment Section

Sometimes the YouTube comments not loading error is specific to a particular video. You should check whether the issue is not specific to a video in two ways:

Open another YouTube video
Open YouTube video from another channel

If the comments section is showing in other videos either, then comments may have been blocked on the channel or video.

Likewise, in case of unable to post YouTube comments error, try posting a comment on another video/channel.

It will ensure that you can post comments on other videos. Some YouTubers turn on the “holds potentially inappropriate comments for review” setting. If you can comment on other videos, then the problem is not from your account.

Fix 8: Sort The YouTube Comment Section

Sorting the comments section on the YouTube page is similar to reloading the page. For many users, sorting the YouTube comments section has resolved the YouTube comments not loading error.

On the other hand, sorting the comment section to Newest First helps if you’re posting a comment and it’s not loading. That’s because new comments are unlikely to show up on top especially with 0 likes.

To sort the comments section on YouTube:

Go to the YouTube video page and scroll down to the comment section.
Click on Sort by, and select Newest first.

Fix 9: Clear Browsing Data

As you explore the internet, your browser caches important browsing data. It means that the site data is now stored locally on your device and can be accessed faster.

Cached data often causes technical issues with various sites including YouTube. To resolve the issue, you need to delete browsing data from your web browser.

Important: Clearing your browsing data will wipe your entire browsing activity. Before deleting, check if you have valid login credentials to all the websites.

If you don’t have the log-in credentials on hand, then try a Hard Refresh. It deletes your browser cache and reloads the YouTube page. We’ll show you how to do a hard refresh on both Windows and macOS.

Hard Refresh in Windows

To do a hard refresh in Windows, open the YouTube page and press the Ctrl + F5 keys together.

Hard Refresh in Mac

For a hard refresh on Mac, open the YouTube page and press the Command(⌘) + Option (⌥) + R keys together.

You can also clear browsing data using this technique:

Note: we are using the Google Chrome browser, but the following steps are not specific to any browser and should work well with all browsers.

Launch your web browser and open the Settings window.
Press the Windows + F keys on your keyboard, and type Clear Browsing Data in the search bar.
Select the Clear Browsing Data option from the search results.
Now, go to the Advanced tab, check all boxes, and click on the Clear data button.

Clearing the browsing data should resolve the ‘YouTube comments not showing’ error. If it doesn’t then the issue maybe with one of the extensions on your computer.

Fix 10: Clear App Cache and App Data (on Android and iOS)

If YouTube comments are not showing on the Android or iOS app only, then try clearing YouTube’s app data and cache. Most issues with an application happen due to insufficient space or an issue with data.

To clear app cache and app data on your Android or iOS:

Pull down your Android’s notification bar, and click on the gear icon to open Settings.
Now open Apps from device settings.
Scroll down to the bottom of the apps list, and click on YouTube.
In the YouTube app info section, select Storage.
Click on Clear Data > Clear Cache first, and check the YouTube comments section. If it doesn’t work, then Clear data.

Important: This action is irreversible, so make sure that you want to delete the cache or app data before clearing it.

Fix 11: Disable Ad Blocker

There’s not one internet user who likes ads popping in the middle of something! The use of ad blockers is a must almost critical, but it can also cause websites to malfunction.

An ad blocker sometimes presumes certain elements of websites as ads and restricts them. Ad blocker may be why you’re encountering YouTube comments not showing issue. You can temporarily disable the ad blocker and other extensions to ensure that they’re not causing the issue.

We will show you how to disable the ad blocker and other extensions in various browsers.