YouTube error · Common
YouTube Shorts swipe / scroll not working — fix the vertical feed
In the Shorts feed (the swipe-up-for-next-video flow), swiping or scrolling doesn't advance to the next short. Or it advances but the new video doesn't start playing. The vertical Shorts UX is broken.
Why this happens
- YouTube's Shorts engagement-tracking is buggy on certain account types.
- Network can't keep up with pre-fetching the next short.
- Browser extension blocking the Shorts API endpoint.
- Shorts is rolling out a UI variant your account got assigned.
- Stuck state after closing/reopening the app.
How to fix it
- 1
Restart the YouTube app
Most stuck-Shorts states resolve with a fresh app launch. Force-quit and reopen.
- 2
Hard reload (desktop)
Cmd+Shift+R on the Shorts page. Resets the feed state.
- 3
Switch to landscape mode
Some account-state bugs only affect the portrait Shorts feed. Rotating to landscape switches the player to the regular video page where playback works normally.
- 4
Update the YouTube app
Shorts gets feature updates faster than the rest of YouTube. Apps 2+ months old often have broken scroll behavior fixed in newer releases.
Frequently asked
How do I disable Shorts entirely?
You can't disable Shorts from your account. You can hide Shorts shelves from the homepage (three-dot menu on any Shorts row → "Not interested"), but the dedicated Shorts tab persists. Some browser extensions block the Shorts page entirely.