Apple TV 3rd gen YouTube freezes when pausing video

People are replacing Apple TV with alternatives. I want to do that, but Apple TV lets me stream not only from the internet, but also from my computer. I worry that I can't stream from my computer with an alternative. And even if it is possible I don't want a file view of my media. I need to see it organized as is done in iTunes.

I've had the same issue for the last week or so since an AppleTV OS update. It eventually clears but takes several minutes and restarts I think.

Apple or YouTube should fix this.

We should not have to risk downgrading the firmware to solve a problem that should not exist!

I am now experiencing the same problem. Play a YouTube video on Apple TV 3rd-gen (A1469), firmware version 7.6 (8130), press pause, press play, nothing happens and the Apple TV reboots itself a minute later.

This started happening in the latest version on the Apple TV software, which is version 7.6 which was released in late September 2020. To people advising users to update to the latest OS to fix this issue, this does not fix it. Updating to the latest OS is in fact the cause of the issue. It didn't happen in the previous OS which was 7.5.

See https://tidbits.com/2020/09/28/third-generation-apple-tvs-suffering-from-apple-tv-software-update-7-6/

Hopefully it will be fixed in the next OS, or maybe YouTube need to do something.

I also have this problem. It is unbelievable that a company would issue an update that is not fully tested, then not respond quickly to fix the issue. Being referred to Youtube's invisible support is ridiculous The 3rd generation can only have updates provided by Apple the Apps are all part of the Apple software and can not be updated any other way.

I don't understand why a company - Apple can send an update that damages equipment that they have sold. Imagine General motors updating your cars software so it doesn't have sat nav or automatic wash wipe any more?

I'm hoping Apple see sense and fix this

I ended up buying an Amazon Fire Stick Lite this week because I was sick of it. It was 30 bucks so I didn’t expect much, but man... it is AMAZING! Does everything and more. Well worth jumping ship if you’ve got $30 to spend. Thanks for being crap, Apple, or else I’d never have discovered it! :)

Same issue with my Apple TV my YouTube will freeze once I press pause and have wait for a minute or so if to go to the main screen. Come on Apple you can do better... Or are you giving a message to people move to Android. Such a small fix taking too long.. Frustrating.......

Wow. 8 pages of mere "Level 1" posters actually diagnose and solve the problem for the OP. It's a bug introduced by an Apple TV firmware upgrade. It's not YouTube or needing a reset. How can a "Level 10" poster be so wrong, double down and lash out at people with a problem? There should be an unhelpful button or filter.

I downleveled the firmware and it worked great. It also solved the problem of green blotches. The CODEC still gets those areas wrong but they are the olof if the background instead of green. Hard to believe this passed QC.

As I wrote before, I exchanged the ATV 3 to an A(ndroid)TV stick because of this problem, and I should say thanks Apple for this problem, good work)

With third-party YT apps on android you can watch YT without ads!

So after rolling back the OS to fix this my ATV decides to update overnight while I was sleeping. Thanks Apple so great “It just works” right! Fix this for fs it’s been months! Disgusting service no more buying Apple products with this BS.

I did turn them off. Thing is if it pops up asking if you want to update it’s on a timer if you don’t press no after a certain amount of time it will update anyway. So as I was asleep I couldn’t say no so it updated.

It is very good to know the [relatively easy] firmware downgrade procedure solves the issue of youtube-hang-when-pause. To circumvent unwanted update even when Automatic Update is turned off, I see two easy solutions:

(a) (i) Delete all of the wifi ID's and Pwd's; (ii) use physical hardwired ethernet cable which, by the way, works much faster and is not interrupted around walls, corners, and neighboring devices; (iii) unplug network cable when done watching Apple TV, just like when you switch of TV and other A/V systems and turning off the lights.

(b) (i) keep wifi turned off (disabled) when not in use; (ii) when want to use Apple TV, go to Settings and turn ON wifi; (iii) when through with Apple TV, turn OFF wifi.

I would be very surprised if tvOS knows how to turn its wifi on by itself when asleep. If this is the unlikely case, one could set up a second router only for the Apple TV, and simply unplug that router or switch OFF its power; routers power-up much faster than does the tvOS kernel.

I USE HIT THE BACK BUTTON RATHER THAN SAYING NO. IT ONCE STARTED UPDATED ON ITS OWN AND I UNPLUGGED DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE UPDATE, WHICH IS THE APP, DOWNLOADING THE SW. THAT WORKED AND IT STOPPED THE UPDATE. YOU MUST CATCH IT, DURING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE UPDATE/DOWNLOAD.

I bought a basic ROKU for CDN $40. It works and does not have the Apple TV software bugs. However I do really prefer the Apple TV interface, so hoping Apple gets this fixed and I can return to the Apple family.