Fix the Google Chrome YouTube Fullscreen Glitch

If you watch YouTube videos in Google Chrome, you may have noticed that part of your desktop or browser is still visible in full screen mode. This is a widespread issue which Chrome developers are working to resolve. In the meantime, you can use one of several simple workarounds to bring back your full screen viewing experience.

Steps

Using Chrome’s Full Screen Mode

1. Open Google Chrome. Though you may not be able to make YouTube’s full screen button do what it should, you can use Chrome’s built-in full screen option as a speedy workaround. This is a simple, reliable way to work around the browser bug.
2. Navigate to https://www.youtube.com. The YouTube home page will appear.
3. Open a video in YouTube. Click any video on the home page for the purpose of testing.
4. Click the Full Screen icon. This is the last icon at the bottom right. It’s a square with the center of each side missing. The video should immediately expand to full screen mode, though if you’re experiencing the bug, you’ll still see part of your browser.
   • The rectangle icon launches “theater mode” instead of full screen mode. If you were clicking that instead, this may have been preventing you from watching full screen video.
5. Enable full screen mode in Chrome. The process is different depending on your operating system:
   • Windows: Press F11
   • macOS: Press ⌘ Cmd+⇧ Shift+F
6. Watch full screen video. The key(s) you pressed should have put the video into true full screen mode.
   • You can use the space bar on your keyboard to pause the video in full screen mode.
   • To exit full screen mode, press Esc.

Duplicating the Tab

1. Open Google Chrome. Some Chrome users report that they’ve been able to put a video into true full screen mode by duplicating the problematic tab.
2. Navigate to a video in YouTube. It doesn’t matter which video, as it’s just for testing purposes.
3. Click the square icon to start full screen mode. This is the icon at the bottom right corner of the video. Once clicked, the video should launch in full screen mode—though if you’re running into the bug, part of the browser will still be visible.
4. Press Esc to exit full screen mode. The video should retreat back into its YouTube page, making the tab(s) once again visible.
5. Right-click (⌘ Command+Click on a Mac) the current tab. Do this right on the tab itself (at the top of Chrome). A brief menu will appear.
6. Select “Duplicate.” The current tab will now replicate itself as a new tab.
   • Feel free to close the original tab, as it’s no longer needed.
7. Click the Full Screen icon on the video in the new tab. The video should appear in full screen. If the video takes up the entire screen without showing parts of the browser, this workaround works for you! If not, try another method.

Updating Chrome to the Latest Version

1. Open Google Chrome. If you're running an out-of-date version of Chrome, the browser may not have HTML5 support. Now that YouTube has switched from Flash to HTML5, it’s crucial to use the latest version of Chrome.
2. Click the ⁝ or ☰ button. The button may look different depending on your version of Chrome.
3. Navigate to "Help" → "About Google Chrome." A new tab will open to the About page.
4. Click "Update Chrome." If you see “Google Chrome is up to date,” then you’re already using the latest version. Otherwise, click “Update Chrome.” The update will install.
5. Click “Relaunch.” The browser will close and then restart. Now you can rest assured that you’re using a version of Chrome that supports HTML5.
6. Try watching a video in full screen mode. Open a YouTube video and then click the full screen icon (a square with the center of each side missing) at its bottom right corner.
   • If you are able to watch the video in full screen mode, great!
   • If you still see a part of your desktop or browser in full screen mode, try another method.

Disabling Hardware Acceleration in Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome. Chrome contains a “hardware acceleration” feature that helps boost performance. Unfortunately, the feature can also cause issues with tabs and scrolling. Many Chrome users experiencing issues with full screen mode in YouTube report that disabling hardware acceleration solved the issue.
2. Click the ⁝ menu and select “Settings.” This will open the Settings page in its own tab.
3. Click the “Show advanced settings” link. You may need to scroll down to see it, as it’s at the bottom of the page.
4. Scroll down to the “System” header. It’s just beneath “Accessibility.”
5. Remove the check next to “Use hardware acceleration when available.” This will disable hardware acceleration in your browser.
6. Navigate to https://www.youtube.com and click any video. Now you’ll need to test whether or not disabling hardware acceleration worked for you.
7. Click the square icon at the bottom right corner of the video. This will put the video into full screen mode.
   • If hardware acceleration was your issue, the video will now appear fullscreen (no parts of Chrome should be visible).
   • If you still see Chrome or your desktop when you’re supposed to be viewing a full screen video, the issue was not the result of hardware acceleration. Return to the Settings screen to turn on hardware acceleration, then try another method.

Resetting Chrome

1. Open Chrome. Some Chrome users who ran into trouble with full screen video report that “resetting” Chrome fixed the issue.
   • This will erase the following settings: your default search engine, homepage, open or pinned tabs, content settings (like letting sites show pop-ups), cookies, extensions, and themes.
   • Make sure you’re using before trying this method.
2. Click the ⁝ menu and select “Settings.” A new tab containing the Settings screen will appear.
3. Click the “Show Advanced Settings” link. This link is at the bottom of the settings page. Clicking it will expand more settings.
4. Click the “Reset Settings” button. You may have to scroll down to see it, as it’s the final entry on the Settings page. A box will appear with a “Reset” button.
5. Click “Reset.” Your browser’s settings will be restored to the way they were when you first installed Chrome.
6. Try viewing a YouTube video in full screen mode. Hopefully resetting Chrome solved your full screen issues for now. If not, try a different method.

Disabling Adobe Flash Player

1. Open Google Chrome. Some Chrome users report that their full screen issues went away when they disabled the Adobe Flash Player. YouTube no longer requires Flash, but disabling the player will affect other sites you visit that still use it.
   • Make sure you’re before attempting this method.
2. Navigate to chrome://plugins in Chrome. Just type that exact path into the address bar and hit ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return. The Plugins page will appear.
3. Locate “Adobe Flash Player.” You may see more than one. If you do, you’ll want to disable both.
4. Click the “Disable” link. This link is just below the text “Adobe Flash Player.” Once you click the link, the Adobe Flash Player entry will turn gray. This means that the player is now disabled.
5. Select a video to test the changes. Navigate to https://www.youtube.com and click any video (or navigate to one you want to see) to test full screen mode.
6. Click the square icon at the video’s bottom right corner. This should put the video into full screen mode. If your video now takes up the entire screen, the method worked! If not, try another method.

Removing Chrome Themes

1. Open Google Chrome. Some Chrome users experiencing issues with full screen mode in YouTube have reported that disabling their Chrome theme fixed the problem. A Chrome theme is an extension you can install from the Chrome store that changes the way Chrome looks (colors, backgrounds, etc).
   • Note that if you have no theme installed, this method won’t be helpful.
2. Click the ⁝ menu and select “Settings.” A new tab will appear displaying the Chrome Settings screen.
3. Locate the “Appearance” section of the page. You may have to scroll down to find it.
4. Click the “Reset to default theme” button. Chrome will now revert to its original look and feel.
5. View a YouTube video in full screen mode. Select any YouTube video and click the full screen icon (the square at the bottom right corner of the video) to launch it in full screen. If the video takes up the entire screen, great! If not, try another method.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Enable Extensions in Chrome's Incognito Mode
• Manage Google Chrome Notifications on Android
• Manage Google Chrome Notifications on a PC or Mac
• Set Up a Google Personalized Homepage
• Change Google Chrome Extensions Settings
• Add Extensions in Google Chrome
• Set Google Chrome As Your Default Browser
• Turn Off Private or Incognito Browsing
• Lock Google Chrome with a Password
• Download YouTube Videos in Chrome

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