4 Fixes for YouTube Links Not Opening in App on Android and iPhone
Is your Android or iPhone opening links toYouTube videosin the browser rather than the app? While you may manually copy the link and paste it into the YouTube in-app search to quickly access the video, that’s not the most convenient solution. Apply the following tips to fix theYouTube links not opening in the app issueon your Android or iPhone.
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Fix YouTube Links Not Opening in the App on Android
Typically, when you tap a link to a YouTube video or short, your Android automatically opens it in the YouTube app rather than your web browser. However, if that isn’t happening, there are several ways to fix the problem.
1. Allow the YouTube App to Open Supported Links
If the YouTube app on your phone is not configured to open supported links, YouTube links may continue to open in the browser. Here’s what you can do to change that.
1.Long press on theYouTubeapp icon and tap theinfo iconfrom the menu that appears.
2.Tap onSet as defaultand enable the toggle next toOpen supported linksin the following menu.
You can tap onSupported web addressesto check which URLs the YouTube app can open.
2. Configure Android to Open Links in Apps
If YouTube links still don’t open in the app or if you face similar issues with other apps as well, you should change your phone’s default method for opening links. Here’s how to do it.
1.Open theSettingsapp and scroll down to tap onApps.
2.Tap onChoose default appsand selectOpening linksfrom the following menu.
3.Enable the toggle next toOpen links in apps.
3. Configure Phone to Open Links in Other Apps (Samsung Phones Only)
On your Galaxy phone, YouTube links may open in the Samsung Internet browser instead of the app if the browser isn’t allowed to open links to other apps. To prevent this, you need to change thedefault behavior of the Samsung Internet browserby following the steps below.
1.Open theSettingsapp on your phone and tap onApps.
2.Scroll through the list or use the search option at the top to locateSamsung Interneton the list. Then, tap on it.
3.On the App info page, tap onSamsung Internet settings.
4.Scroll down to tap onUseful featuresand then enable the toggle next toOpen links in other apps.
Fix YouTube Links Not Opening in App on iPhone
Unlike Android, you cannot configure the YouTube app on the iPhone to open supported links. Fortunately, it is possible to make YouTube links open in theapp on your iPhonewith a quick workaround. Here are the steps for the same.
1.On your iPhone, tap and hold any YouTube link and selectCopy.
2.Next, open theNotesapp on your iPhone.
3.Tap thecompose iconin the bottom right corner and paste the copied YouTube link into your note.
4.Long press on the link and selectOpen in YouTubefrom the resulting menu.
And that’s pretty much it. Now, any time you tap a YouTube link on your iPhone, it will automatically open in the app rather than in your browser.
- How do I share a YouTube video with a specific start time?
Tosend a YouTube video at a specific timestamp, you can add the time to the end of the video’s URL in the format?t=[number of seconds]. For example, if you want to share a video at the timestamp 1 minute and 30 seconds, you would add?t=90sto the end of the URL.
- Can I create a QR code for a YouTube video?
Yes, you canmake a QR Code to share YouTube videosusing online services.
The YouTube app offers a far better user experience compared to its mobile website. Thankfully, you don’t have to settle for watching YouTube videos in your phone’s browser. Once you apply the above tips, YouTube links should open directly in the app on your Android or iPhone.
Pankil Shah
Pankil is a Civil Engineer by profession who started his journey as a writer back in 2016. He joined TechWiser in March 2021 as a freelance writer to cover buying guides, explainers, and tips & tricks for Android, iOS, Windows, and Web.
