YouTube error · Occasional
YouTube end screen stuck — close the post-video overlay
After a video ends, YouTube shows a grid of recommended videos and creator branding overlaying the end of the player. Normally this clears when you click anywhere. Sometimes it gets stuck and you can't dismiss it.
Why this happens
- End-screen close button (X) is positioned outside the viewable area on certain screen sizes.
- Browser extension hiding the close affordance.
- Video genuinely has long end-screen duration (creators can set it).
- Player UI bug after a quality change during end-screen display.
How to fix it
- 1
Click outside the end-screen tiles
A click anywhere on the video that's NOT on an end-screen tile usually dismisses the overlay. Click the player background or scrub the playhead.
- 2
Click the playhead to replay
Dragging the progress bar back to any point during the video kills the end-screen and resumes playback. Side-effect: replays from that point.
- 3
Navigate to a different video
Clicking any other video link (recommendation, search, etc.) clears the end-screen with the page transition.
- 4
Refresh
Reloads the page and clears the end-screen state. Lose your current position in the video.
Frequently asked
Can creators control how long the end-screen shows?
Yes — creators set end-screen elements during upload, including duration (5-20 seconds). Some configure long end-screens for the recommendation effect.