How to Fix the YouTube “This Action Isn’t Allowed” Error
If you are trying to fix the YouTube “this action isn’t allowed” error, you have probably hit it while posting a comment, creating a channel, signing in or tapping a button that simply refuses to work. The message is short and unhelpful, and it appears for several unrelated reasons, which is why one tutorial’s fix often fails for the next person.
This guide explains what the error can mean, helps you work out which situation you are in, and walks through the fixes in a sensible order, from quick checks to account-level problems. It also tells you where the evidence is strong and where it is based on user reports.
The Short Answer
To fix YouTube’s “This action isn’t allowed” error, update the YouTube app or browser, sign out and back in, turn off any VPN and ad-blocking extensions, clear the app’s cache or data, and check Restricted Mode. If it persists on all devices, check your account status and contact YouTube.
What the Error Actually Means
“This action isn’t allowed” is a generic block message. YouTube shows it when it refuses a request, but the message does not say why. Based on official help pages and user reports, the cause usually falls into one of four buckets.
- An outdated app or device. YouTube’s own help page says that on older apps you may see this message when trying to create a channel, and that it means the app is out of date.
- A technical or network issue. Corrupted cache, a stuck sign-in, a browser extension, or a VPN can interfere with a request. Many user reports link the error to VPN use, although YouTube has not published a list of blocked VPNs.
- A setting or restriction. Restricted Mode, a supervised account, or a creator’s comment settings can stop you from acting.
- An account problem. If an account has been limited or suspended, actions can be blocked. Some user-written guides describe the error appearing at sign-in after a suspension. These are third-party accounts, so check your own email and account status rather than assuming.
An important caution: the error is not proof that your account has been banned. In many cases it is a stale app, a cached sign-in or a VPN.
Find Your Situation First
Two minutes of diagnosis saves a lot of random tapping. Use this table to pick where to start.
| Where you see it | Most common causes | Start with |
| Creating a channel | Outdated YouTube app | Fix 1, then Fix 9 |
| Posting a comment | VPN, extension, cache, restriction, spam-style behavior | Fixes 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Signing in | Stuck session, outdated app, account issue | Fixes 1, 2, 8 |
| Liking, subscribing or other buttons | Cache, app version, network or account state | Fixes 1, 2, 5 |
| Only one video or channel | Creator settings, blocked account, comments off | Fix 7 |
| Everywhere, on every device | Account-level restriction | Fix 8, then contact YouTube |
Also answer these questions, because the answers narrow the cause quickly:
- Does it happen in the app, the browser, or both?
- Does it happen on one device or all of them?
- Does it happen on every video, or only one?
- Did it start after an update, a password change or installing a VPN?
- Have you received an email from YouTube or Google about your account?
If it fails only in the app, suspect the app. If it fails everywhere, suspect the account. If it fails only on one video, suspect that creator’s settings.
Why the Message Is So Vague
YouTube does not publish a full explanation of how it decides to block an action, and the same wording is used across different features. That is why the error can show up when you comment, subscribe, sign in or create a channel without telling you which rule applied. Because the message hides the cause, the best approach is to test one variable at a time: the app, the network, the browser, the settings and finally the account.
It also means that advice online can conflict. A fix that worked for someone with an outdated app will not help a person whose comments are held for review. Match the fix to your situation instead of trying every tip at once.
A Five-Minute Quick Checklist
If you want the fastest route, do these in order and test after each one:
- Turn off any VPN and retry.
- Update the YouTube app and restart your device.
- Sign out, then sign in again.
- Try the same action in a browser on a computer.
- Try a different Google account on the same device.
Steps four and five are diagnostic. They tell you whether the problem lives in the app, the device or the account, which tells you where to spend your effort next.
Fix 1: Update the YouTube App and Your Device
This is the best-supported fix. YouTube’s help page says an outdated app can trigger the error when creating a channel, and recommends updating the app and trying again. Open Google Play or the App Store, search for YouTube, and install any available update.
If you use an older phone, also check for operating system updates. Third-party guides note that an older operating system can cause comment problems. If your device cannot update further, try the browser version on a computer instead.
Fix 2: Sign Out, Restart and Sign Back In
A session can become stuck, especially after a password change. Sign out of YouTube, close the app or browser completely, restart the device, then sign in again. Some users report the error appearing right after changing a password, which fits a session that did not refresh properly.
On a computer, click your profile picture, choose Sign out, close the browser, reopen it and sign in. Try the action again before moving on.
Fix 3: Turn Off Your VPN
VPNs are among the most frequently reported triggers for comment errors. A VPN hides your real location and shares an address with many other users, so it can look suspicious to automated systems. Some sites report that YouTube may be restricting certain VPN addresses because of spam, but that is speculation, since YouTube has not confirmed it publicly.
Disconnect the VPN, including any “always on” VPN setting or a privacy feature built into your phone, then retry. If the error disappears, either leave the VPN off for YouTube, switch to a different server or provider, or use split tunneling if your VPN offers it.
Fix 4: Disable Browser Extensions and Ad Blockers
On a computer, extensions can interfere with YouTube pages. Ad blockers and YouTube-specific add-ons are the usual suspects. Test quickly by opening YouTube in a private or incognito window, which normally runs without most extensions. If the action works there, turn extensions off one at a time to find the culprit, then remove it or add YouTube to its allow list.
Fix 5: Clear Cache, Cookies and App Data
Corrupted stored data is a common reason for strange behavior. The method depends on where you see the error.
- Android app: open Settings, then Apps, then YouTube, then Storage, and clear the cache. If the error remains, clear data too, but note that this signs you out and removes downloads and local settings.
- iPhone: there is no separate cache button for the YouTube app, so offloading or reinstalling the app is the usual route.
- Browser: clear cookies and cached files for YouTube and Google, then sign in again.
Clearing data is more disruptive than the earlier fixes, so try it after updating, restarting and testing the VPN.
Fix 6: Check Restricted Mode and Supervised Accounts
YouTube’s help documentation explains that viewers who turn on Restricted Mode cannot see comments on videos, and that comments can also be unavailable when a system administrator turns it on. If you are in Restricted Mode, you may be unable to interact with comments.
To check, open your profile menu, find Restricted Mode and turn it off. If the setting is locked, your account may be managed by a school, workplace or parent. In that case you cannot change it, and the administrator needs to adjust it. Supervised accounts also have limits on some features, so what looks like an error may be intentional.
Fix 7: Check Whether the Creator Restricted Comments
Not every comment problem is your fault or a bug. According to YouTube’s help pages, comments can be off because the video owner disabled them, because YouTube turned them off to protect minors, or because the video is set as made for kids.
Creators can also pause comments, limit commenting to subscribers or members, hold comments that contain links or blocked words for review, and hide specific users from their channel. A held comment may appear to vanish even though it is waiting for approval. If one particular channel is the only place you have trouble, this is the likeliest explanation, and you can ask the creator through another channel.
Fix 8: Check Your Account Status
If nothing works on any device, look at your account. Check the email address linked to your YouTube account and your spam folder for messages from YouTube or Google. If an account has been suspended or limited, the notice normally explains the reason and the appeal process.
Third-party guides say that suspended accounts may see “this action isn’t allowed” when signing in. Treat that as a possibility to verify, not a conclusion. If you find a notice, follow the appeal steps it provides, and avoid creating new accounts to get around a suspension, since YouTube’s policy notices commonly warn against that. If there is no notice, the problem is more likely technical.
To isolate an account problem, sign in with a different Google account on the same device. If the second account works normally, the device and app are fine and the problem is tied to the first account.
Fix 9: Create the Channel on a Computer
If the error appears when creating a channel, use YouTube’s official workaround. Create the channel in a web browser on a computer, then sign in to that channel from the app on your phone. This avoids the outdated-app limitation without waiting for an update.
Fix 10: Reinstall, Wait and Contact Support
If you have tried everything, uninstall and reinstall the app, and test the same action in a browser on a different device. Some reports describe outages or bugs with no published fix or timeline, so waiting a day can genuinely help.
If the error continues on multiple devices and accounts look fine, contact YouTube through its Help Center. Include the exact wording of the message, where it appears, your device and app version, whether a VPN was on, the steps you already tried, and the time it happened. Specific details help support narrow the problem.
Device-Specific Tips
Android
Android gives you the most control. You can clear the app cache, check the app version in Google Play, and manage VPN apps in system settings. Check that no other app, such as a battery saver, a firewall or a privacy tool, is restricting YouTube’s network access. If you installed YouTube from outside the official store, switch to the Google Play version, since modified versions can behave unpredictably.
iPhone and iPad
On iOS you generally cannot clear an app’s cache directly. The practical options are to update the app, restart the device, or offload and reinstall the app. Also check Screen Time and content restrictions, because a parental or workplace setting can limit what the app permits.
Computer browsers
On a computer, a private window is the quickest test for extension and cookie problems. If it works there, the cause is stored data or an extension in your normal profile. Try a second browser too. If the action works in another browser with the same account, the account is fine and the original browser needs attention.
Smart TVs and consoles
The error can also appear on TV apps, though comment features are limited there. Updating the app, signing out and in, and restarting the device are the usual first steps. If the TV app keeps failing, perform the action from a phone or computer instead.
A Hypothetical Troubleshooting Example
The following is an illustration, not a real case. Imagine someone gets the error whenever they comment from their phone. They turn off their VPN and the error remains, so they update the app and it remains. They then try the same comment in a browser on a laptop, and it posts normally. That result points to a problem in the phone app rather than the account, so clearing the app cache or reinstalling the app is the sensible next step, not appealing a ban.
Now imagine the comment fails on the phone, the laptop and a second Google account also posts normally. That would point to the first account, and checking email for notices and account status would come next. The method is the same each time: change one variable and watch what changes.
Is It a Bug or a Restriction?
Clues help you tell the difference. A bug usually affects one app version or platform, may disappear after an update, and often affects many users at once. A restriction tends to follow your account or a specific channel, comes with a notice or a visible setting, and stays after you change devices. If the problem moves with you between devices, think account or settings. If it stays with one device, think app, network or stored data.
Behaviors That May Trigger Limits
Third-party troubleshooting guides say that repeating the same comment many times, posting links to external sites, or commenting very quickly can lead to blocked comments. YouTube does not publish exact thresholds, so treat these as general risks rather than rules. Sensible habits help:
- Avoid posting the same text on multiple videos.
- Do not paste links in comments unless necessary.
- Space out your actions instead of commenting repeatedly in a few seconds.
- Do not use automation or bots for liking, subscribing or commenting.
- Keep a single account in good standing instead of switching between many.
If your comments are repeatedly removed after posting, the cause may be moderation rules applied by the creator or by YouTube’s systems, and the fixes above will not change that. In that case, review whether your comments contain links, blocked words or repeated text.
If You Are a Creator Seeing Comment Problems
If viewers report that they cannot comment, review your own settings in YouTube Studio. Check that comments are turned on for the video, review the default comment settings, and look at the Held tab. YouTube’s documentation says comments with blocked words or links can be reviewed and approved there for a limited time. Strict moderation holds more comments than basic moderation, so loosening the level may reduce complaints.
Also check whether the video is set as made for kids, because that setting turns comments off, and remember that YouTube may disable comments on some videos to protect minors regardless of your preference.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming you are banned. Most cases are technical or settings related.
- Clearing app data first. It is disruptive. Try updates, sign-out and VPN checks first.
- Downloading APKs or older versions from unofficial sites. Some guides suggest downgrading the app. That carries security risks and can break other features, so use official stores.
- Creating new accounts to bypass a restriction. This can make a genuine suspension worse.
- Changing many things at once. Change one thing, test, then continue, so you know what worked.
- Trusting unverified “copy this trick” videos. Stick to official help pages and well-explained steps.
Conclusion
The YouTube “this action isn’t allowed” error is vague, but the fixes follow a clear order: update the app, sign out and in, turn off VPNs and extensions, clear stored data, check Restricted Mode, and confirm that the creator allows comments. If none of that helps and the problem follows your account across devices, check for account notices and contact YouTube.
Start with your situation in the table, work through the matching fixes one at a time, and note which one works. That record will also help if you need to contact support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does “This action isn’t allowed” mean my YouTube account is banned?
Not necessarily. It can appear for an outdated app, a VPN, cached data or a restriction. It can also appear after an account suspension, so check your email for a notice from YouTube or Google before drawing conclusions.
Why does the error appear when I create a YouTube channel?
YouTube’s help page says it means the app is out of date. Update the app, or create the channel on a computer and sign in to it from your phone.
Can a VPN cause this error?
Many users report that it can, especially when commenting. YouTube has not published an official explanation, so the safest test is to disconnect the VPN and try again.
Why can I not comment on only one video?
The creator may have turned comments off, paused them, limited them to subscribers, or blocked your account. YouTube may also disable comments on certain videos to protect minors or because the video is made for kids.
How long will the error last?
It depends on the cause. App and browser fixes work immediately, bugs may resolve on their own, and account restrictions depend on the review or appeal process.