You're trying to find that one specific song. Or maybe it's a 10-hour ambient rain soundscape for sleeping. You hit play, settle in, and then—silence. Or worse, an upbeat ad for a car you can't afford blares through your speakers because the video ended and Autoplay kicked in. It’s annoying. Honestly, Google didn't make the "loop" button the most obvious thing in the world for years, probably because they'd rather you click on a new video (and see a new ad). But learning how to make youtube video repeat is actually dead simple once you know where the developers hid the toggle.
Most people think they need a browser extension. They don't.
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The Desktop Trick Most People Miss
If you're on a laptop or a PC, you have the easiest path. You just right-click. But here is the thing: if you right-click once on the video player, you might get the custom YouTube menu—the one that shows "Stats for nerds" or "Copy video URL." That's not the one you want. You need to right-click again.
When you right-click the video player twice, a second, native browser menu usually pops up. Inside that menu, or sometimes right in the first YouTube-specific menu depending on your browser version, there is a literal "Loop" option. Once you click that, a tiny checkmark appears. Now, the video will play until the heat death of the universe or until you lose your internet connection. It’s great for focus music. I use it for "Lofi Hip Hop Radio" even though that's a live stream, but for static videos, it's a lifesaver.
What About the Mobile App?
Mobile is different. You can't exactly "right-click" your iPhone screen. For a long time, the workaround was creating a playlist with just one video in it and hitting the loop button on the playlist itself. It was a chore. It felt like a hack. Thankfully, YouTube finally updated the interface.
To do it now, tap the video to bring up the overlay. Look for the gear icon—the Settings menu. Tap that. You'll see an option called "Loop video." It’s usually set to "Off" by default. Toggle it to "On."
One weird quirk? If you have "Autoplay" turned on at the top of the video player, sometimes it feels like it conflicts, but the Loop setting should override it. If you're using an iPad, the layout is basically the same, just scaled up. Just remember that this setting doesn't stay on forever. If you move to a different video, you usually have to turn it on again. It’s a per-video setting, not a global account setting.
How to Make YouTube Video Repeat on Smart TVs
This is where it gets frustrating. Roku, Fire Stick, and Apple TV versions of the YouTube app are notoriously stripped down. They want to keep you moving through the algorithm.
If you are using the app on a Samsung TV or a PlayStation, you often won't find a direct "Loop" button in the playback settings. The most reliable way here is still the "Playlist Method."
- Find the video you want.
- Long-press the "Select" button or find the "Save" icon.
- Save it to a new playlist (call it "Loop" or whatever).
- Go to your Library, open that playlist, and play it.
- In the playlist controls (usually on the left or top), select the icon that looks like two arrows chasing each other.
It's a few extra steps. Is it worth it? If you're trying to keep a "White Noise" video running for a baby's nap, absolutely.
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The URL Hack for the Tech-Savvy
There is an old-school trick that still works. It’s nerdy. You go to the address bar of your browser. Look at the URL. It says something like youtube.com/watch?v=12345. If you type the word "repeat" after "youtube" so it looks like youtuberepeat.com/watch?v=12345, it takes you to a third-party site that loops the video automatically.
I don't usually recommend this for everyone. These third-party sites are often littered with sketchy banner ads. But, if you're on a work computer where you can't install extensions and the right-click menu is being weird, it’s a functional backup. Just keep your ad-blocker on.
Why Does This Matter for SEO and Creators?
If you're a creator, you actually want people to know how to make youtube video repeat. Why? Because it inflates your watch time metrics. When someone loops your 3-minute meditation track 20 times, YouTube's algorithm sees that as 60 minutes of high-intent engagement.
However, there is a limit. YouTube’s spam filters are smart. If the same IP address loops a video 500 times in a day, the "views" might get throttled or discarded to prevent people from gaming the system for ad revenue. But for normal users, it's just a core feature of the platform.
Common Troubleshooting Issues
Sometimes the loop button just... disappears. This usually happens if you're in "Incognito" mode or if your browser cache is acting up. I've also noticed that if a video is "Made for Kids," some features are restricted, though looping usually survives that cut.
If you are using an older version of the Android app, you might not see the loop toggle in the gear menu. In that case, check the "Additional Settings" submenu. Google loves to bury features three layers deep to keep the UI "clean."
Beyond the Basics: Precision Looping
What if you don't want to loop the whole video? Maybe there is just one 10-second clip of a cat falling off a sofa that you need to see on repeat for an hour.
YouTube's native tools aren't great for this. You can't easily set "Point A" and "Point B." For this specific need, you’re looking at browser extensions like "Enhancer for YouTube." These allow you to drag a slider over a specific segment of the timeline. It's a niche requirement, but for musicians trying to learn a specific guitar riff or students trying to memorize a specific sentence in a foreign language, it’s a game changer.
Summary of Actions
Stop searching for complicated software. Most of the time, the solution is right in front of you.
- On Desktop: Double right-click the video and hit "Loop."
- On Mobile: Hit the Gear icon (Settings) and toggle "Loop video" to On.
- On TV: Create a single-video playlist and enable the playlist loop function.
- For Segments: Use a browser extension if you need to repeat only a portion of the clip.
Next time you find a song that hits just right, or a fireplace video that keeps your room feeling cozy, you won't have to keep reaching for the mouse every five minutes. Just set it and forget it.
Actionable Next Steps
To ensure your YouTube experience is as seamless as possible, check your mobile app version in the App Store or Play Store. If you don't see the "Loop video" option in your settings gear, you are likely running an outdated version of the app. Update it immediately to unlock this native feature. Additionally, if you find yourself looping videos frequently for productivity, consider creating a dedicated "Focus" playlist so you can quickly toggle these settings across multiple tracks without having to manually set the loop for every new video you click.