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Youtube video takes too long to unpause

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Whenever I open a youtube video, go to other tabs, come back after some time and unpause it, it either takes 1-2 seconds for it to start, or the video unpauses without sound, which comes back after 1-2 seconds. Is this normal? If it is, is there a setting I can change?

Whenever I open a youtube video, go to other tabs, come back after some time and unpause it, it either takes 1-2 seconds for it to start, or the video unpauses without sound, which comes back after 1-2 seconds. Is this normal? If it is, is there a setting I can change?

All Replies (5)

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Hello I dont have this problem, are you logged into Youtube in an account if not try it if that doesn't work try this add ons https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-nonstop/

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Youtube creating dialogue boxes is not the problem; my problem doesn't happen in chrome, for example.

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Firefox will detect if your computer’s memory is running low, which is defined as lower than 400MB, and suspend unused tabs that you haven’t used or looked at in a while.


Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.

  • switch to the DEFAULT theme: "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Themes
  • do NOT click the "Refresh Firefox" button on the Safe Mode start window
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A lot of the problems with YouTube are CAUSED by YouTube, not Firefox. I had windows, same old problems. I'm a YouTube content creator & make hundreds of videos--in their crappy studio, if you can believe it. I translate to 20 languages & YT is a problem world-wide, not to mention the poorly made google translator. Besides needing to have the YouTube nonstop feature, a WORKING one for Firefox, they cause other problems within. 1. I choose a video to watch. It plays, generally speaking. I choose another video to watch. The previous video itself stays on the screen, but the title, description, the ENTIRE page of the next video comes up. 2. The play button doesn't work. I have to hit arrow back; hit the next video AGAIN. Then, MAYBE, it will play. 3. When I add audio from the YT Audio Library, it takes 2 DAYS to add music to a 2 minute video. 4. The videos ALWAYS get "stuck" in the processor. I've sent over 60 reports for this- YT has left the building. 5. When I choose a playlist to watch, it plays the first video only & YT adds whichever videos THEY want you to watch in place of the playlist you chose. 6. In re subscribers, watch hours, views, etc. in the YT Studio analytics, they proudly drop you a hidden note declaring "we dropped 88 of your subscribers, just fyi." Not a problem for me as I'm not monetized. Who would want to be with them when they can't add 1 +1 = 2? They won't ever get MY bank account info.

The following observations don't apply specifically to this problem of playing/pausing, etc., but are noteworthy in the social media world. I have had cyber hacks on Facebook that even the FBI Cyber Crime Units cannot stop. Their advice? Don't EVER get on Facebook & delete your account. The same thing with Twitter. I NEVER created a Twitter account, but hey, apparently I'm a Twitter star due to email notifications that I get & not on my primary email account, it's a google email. No privacy or security issues there, right? lol. Instagram has an equal amount of scammers & host complaints. Therefore, for now, until some genius web designer can create new, safe, user-friendly platforms, YT is the lesser of the 4 evils. Is Firefox avoiding YouTube like the plague for some of the reasons I stated above?

I'm a retired HFD Classified Civilian, Central Command. I still do social media posting volunteer work for HFD occasionally & particularly with the Pine Gulch Incident Command Center in recent months due to all of the forest fires here in Colorado. I post SOS Alerts on YT because YT isn't even connected with an EAS system. USFA, DHS, IPAW, etc., all have YouTube channels that are mainly neglected & I make a point to let them know from time to time. I get emails of Daily Operations Reports, etc. from the alphabet soup. My special interest is in posting USA Notice of Firefighter Fatalities when I get them & post them to YT under my channel trailer video. We do not want to be forgotten, we want to be remembered! I have my passions.

I am disabled & home bound now due to 4 traumatic brain injuries. I have seizures daily, strokes periodically & one time I couldn't talk for 2 weeks & thought it would be permanent. You think I type a lot? You should hear me talk, lol! I don't know why God has graced me with the continued ability to problem solve, type, read & retain my passion to help others, but he has so far & I will use these basic skills to help in any way I can for as long as I can. I am limited by my health to make any serious, long-term commitments, otherwise I would volunteer to help with this support section.

If I may put this here, it's what I was posting on YT yesterday. REMEMBER NATIONAL FIRST RESPONDERS DAY OCTOBER 28. It took the victims/survivors & family members of 9/11 2 decades to get the recognition that has been deserved ever since the first little settlement in the USA started their town "water brigades". I've wondered which representatives & senators denied this simple request repeatedly for nearly 20 YEARS? Some of my viewers have pointed fingers & named names. 9/11 got so much attention due to the then-modern technology of the media & lots of coverage between cell phones, recorded 911 calls (which was 1 of the departments I worked in) & world-wide communication. Firefighters & first responders have ALWAYS been dying heroes & just as nearly always, never noticed. This is not to say that they are not ALL angels, there's always 1 or 2 bad apples.

I'm new to the mozilla support section & I'm wondering if mozilla has the same rules as YT: no long comments, only use 1 or 2 sentences. They have since changed that after a few requests by me. They want content, let me give all the content you could ever want & more, lol. Thanks for reading & I will stick to 1-2 sentence replies if that is what is required. Think of this as some of my many backgrounds & history. Take care!

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In re Top 10 Contributor moderator, I'm sure it's excellent advice, but it's WAY over my head! How about a section for beginners such as myself? I'm always the first to admit when I don't know ANYTHING about something. I did manage to find a Firefox support section a few months ago where I could email someone, but I couldn't find it today. Have a good day!