YouTube videos jump backwards on MacBook Pro after resuming from pause

Hi everyone!

I've been experiencing a strange issue with YouTube on two different MacBook Pro models: my new MacBook Pro M5 (2026) and a MacBook Pro M1 (2020) that I'm currently using as a loaner.

I first noticed this issue sometime after getting my new MacBook Pro M5 (2026) in the spring, although I can't remember whether it started immediately or sometime during the summer.

The problem has been consistent (and permanent for several months now): whenever I leave a YouTube video paused for several hours or overnight and then resume playback, the same behavior occurs.

Google Chrome:

When I resume a YouTube video after leaving it paused for several hours (sometimes overnight), the video initially continues normally from where I paused it. However, after playing for a few seconds, it suddenly jumps backwards by approximately 20–30 seconds and continues playing from that earlier point.

Here's a specific example I documented on October 15, on the MacBook Pro M1 (2020):

• The video had been paused for several hours at 44:53.
• When I pressed Play, it resumed normally from 44:53.
• It continued playing for approximately 10 seconds, reaching 45:03.
• It then automatically jumped backwards to 44:36 and continued playing from there.

The jump happened completely on its own, without me touching the trackpad, keyboard, or playback controls.

I originally experienced this issue on my new MacBook Pro M5 (2026), but I've now reproduced the same behavior on the older M1 (2020).

Safari – October 16:

I also tested this in Safari on the MacBook Pro M1 (2020), after leaving a YouTube video paused overnight (since 8:44 PM the previous evening).

The same problem occurred, but with one interesting difference: unlike Chrome, where the video plays for a few seconds before jumping backwards, Safari jumped back exactly 20 seconds immediately when I resumed playback, from 20:00 to 19:40.

So I've now experienced this issue in both Google Chrome and Safari on the M1 (2020), as well as previously in Chrome on my M5 (2026).

Additional information:

The M1 loaner is a relatively clean machine, and I haven't installed any adblockers or browser extensions in either Chrome or Safari.

I've also recently switched from a coax internet connection to fiber, and the same issue has occurred both before and after that change.

Has anyone else experienced this behavior on a Mac, particularly after leaving a YouTube video paused for several hours or overnight?

I'm trying to determine whether this is a known YouTube issue rather than something specific to my MacBook. Since it happens on two different MacBook Pro models and in both Chrome and Safari, I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced the same behavior.

Has anyone found out what causes this, or discovered a solution?



Any feedback or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!