Can't Add Comments On YouTube
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Discussion

Martin350

Original Poster:

4,649 posts

225 months

Monday 12th April 2021
quotequote all
Hi.
I'm hoping one of you YouTube wizards might be able to advise me, please, as I've just spent about two hours trying to sort this out with no success.


I've used YouTube for many years but have only just felt the need to add a comment (ask a question) on a video I watched today.

Using my home PC, on which I use Google Chrome, if I click on 'Add a public comment' or 'Reply' to an existing comment it takes me back to the homepage.

I've made sure I'm signed in and that the 'restricted mode' is switched off.

After checking through all the settings, I found in 'Account' under 'Your youtube channel' it states "This is your public presence on YouTube. You need a channel to upload your own videos, comment on videos or create playlists".

Aha, I thought, that's it. but when I click on 'Create a channel' it takes me back to the homepage! banghead

If I try it on my phone it pops up a message saying 'Unknown error'.


Anyone else had this problem before?
Any ideas would be most appreciated, thanks! smile

Levin

2,118 posts

154 months

Monday 12th April 2021
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This seems quite a strange issue, and on the surface I'm not sure I've got a fix but I have a suggestion. Try it in incognito mode and see if it works for you. If incognito works it's something to do with the stored cookies. Otherwise I'm left scratching my head.

Martin350

Original Poster:

4,649 posts

225 months

Monday 12th April 2021
quotequote all
Wow, that was quick!

I meant to also say, I did read online that clearing my cookies might sort it out, but it didn't.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I just tried it on my phone and when I clicked on 'Add a public comment' it came up with a message saying "Turn off incognito", ha!





Levin

2,118 posts

154 months

Monday 12th April 2021
quotequote all
Does it work off your phone outside of incognito mode?

I'm wondering now if there's some disconnect between having a Google account and having a YouTube account (remember how having any one of those things would mean you also had a Google+ account?) That we both knew exactly what I meant by incognito mode leaves me reasonably confident you're using Chrome, so you'd expect it to work flawlessly.

It'll sound daft, but when on YouTube can you attempt to upload a video? Clicking the upload button ought to clarify whether there's some difference between a YouTube account and a Google account. I'm fascinated by this and will probably end up spending my evening trying to figure out where it went wrong. Google has, in the past while, made things complicated without reason, such as attempting to use search in an incognito window.

Martin350

Original Poster:

4,649 posts

225 months

Monday 12th April 2021
quotequote all
No, it doesn't work on my phone at all either.

My Google account is certainly linked to my YouTube account.

I'll be honest, I'd never heard of incognito mode before you mentioned it so I googled it and looked up how to switch it on, ha!
But I am definitely on Chrome.

I can't upload a video because I can't create a channel!

Haha, I don't expect anyone to spend their evening on this, it's not the end of my world, I just thought someone might have come across it before, but thank you.



mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

285 months

Monday 12th April 2021
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Long shot...

You're not calling yourself Trump, are you?

Mr Google wouldn't like that.

Martin350

Original Poster:

4,649 posts

225 months

Monday 12th April 2021
quotequote all
laugh
No, I haven't called myself anything, because I can't create a channel..?

But yes, I can see how that might cause a problem!

steveatesh

5,368 posts

194 months

Monday 12th April 2021
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When you use your phone to try, are you using the YouTube app, or a browser?

Just guessing here that it’s something to do with Chrome, apparently Google have just changed it to try out a new algorithm to do with personalisation of adverts, FLoC or something like that ( an expert here might know). Not every bodies copy of chrome is affected under the trial according to the article I read

Absolute guess though.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2021/04/10...


Martin350

Original Poster:

4,649 posts

225 months

Tuesday 13th April 2021
quotequote all
Ah, on my phone I've gone on to YouTube via Google.

Hmm, that makes for rather uncomfortable reading, it's all a bit George Orwell, isn't it!?

I might try downloading the YouTube app tomorrow (today now) and giving that a go, thank you.