Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube’s playback controls are broken on the Android app.
- Playback speed controls are still functioning properly on the YouTube website and the iOS app.
- On Android, you can tap and hold for 2x speed, but you can’t change the speed settings from the gear icon.
- Google is aware of the issue and is working on a fix.
Update: August 6, 2025 (1 AM ET): YouTube has acknowledged the issue of playback speed not functioning on its Android app. Its team is investigating the problem. A fix should roll out soon enough. Here’s the full update posted on YouTube’s community forums:
We’re aware some of you are experiencing issues adjusting playback speed while watching videos on Android devices. Our teams are actively investigating this issue! We’ll update this thread as soon as we have new information. Thanks so much for your patience while we sort this out!
Original article: August 5, 2025 (11:02 PM ET): The YouTube app for Android appears to be experiencing a glitch that has effectively broken the playback speed controls. Currently, attempting to change the playback speed of a video doesn’t work as expected, with most users stuck at the default 1x speed.
This issue isn’t limited to free YouTube accounts. I am a YouTube Premium subscriber and am also unable to adjust playback speed, let alone take advantage of the 4x speeds offered as a Premium benefit. The playback speed navigator just doesn’t respond to the changes, and the speed reverts back to 1x no matter what speed you select.
Numerous users on Reddit have reported the same problem, but so far, there’s been no official response or fix from Google.
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
It doesn’t look like uninstalling and reinstalling the YouTube app or restarting your phone will work to resolve the problem. Many users have tried these steps but have reported that they don’t work. Interestingly, playback speed controls are still functioning properly on the YouTube website and the iOS app.
On Android, tapping and holding the screen still increases playback speed to 2x. However, the standard speed settings accessible via the gear icon remain unresponsive.
Hopefully, Google is aware of the issue and will release a fix soon.
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