[YouTube fixed issue] HTTP 403 when playing videos

[schrolli]

Checklist

• I am able to reproduce the bug with the latest version given here: CLICK THIS LINK.
• I made sure that there are no existing issues - open or closed - which I could contribute my information to.
• I have read the FAQ and my problem isn't listed.
• I have taken the time to fill in all the required details. I understand that the bug report will be dismissed otherwise.
• This issue contains only one bug.
• I have read and understood the contribution guidelines.

Affected version

0.28.0

Steps to reproduce the bug

1. Open youtube-Video
2. Try to play it
3. Takes longer than normal to load video
4. Errormessage comes with an http statuscode 403 of the stream

Expected behavior

Start playing video

Actual behavior

403 error - not playing video

Screenshots/Screen recordings

No response

Logs

Exception

• User Action: play stream
• Request: Player error[type=ERROR_CODE_IO_BAD_HTTP_STATUS] occurred while playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n16sf_E_Kyg
• Content Country: DE
• Content Language: de-
• App Language: de_DE
• Service: YouTube
• Timestamp: 2025-10-16T01:50:16.323+02:00
• Package: org.schabi.newpipe
• Service: YouTube
• Version: 0.28.0
• OS: Linux Android 11 - 30

Crash log

com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlaybackException: Source error
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayerImplInternal.handleIoException(ExoPlayerImplInternal.java:644)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayerImplInternal.handleMessage(ExoPlayerImplInternal.java:616)
	at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
	at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:223)
	at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:67)
Caused by: com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.HttpDataSource$InvalidResponseCodeException: Response code: 403
	at org.schabi.newpipe.player.datasource.YoutubeHttpDataSource.open(YoutubeHttpDataSource.java:425)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.DefaultDataSource.open(DefaultDataSource.java:263)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.TeeDataSource.open(TeeDataSource.java:52)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.cache.CacheDataSource.openNextSource(CacheDataSource.java:796)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.cache.CacheDataSource.open(CacheDataSource.java:609)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.StatsDataSource.open(StatsDataSource.java:84)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.source.chunk.InitializationChunk.load(InitializationChunk.java:99)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.Loader$LoadTask.run(Loader.java:412)
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1167)
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:641)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:923)

---

Affected Android/Custom ROM version

Android 11 / LineageOS 18.1

Affected device model

No response

Additional information

I tried to use mobile network too, since from time to time i got these "prove that you are not a robot" error-messages when trying to open a video-page. But neither cable-internet nor LTE are working this time.

Same issue as of right now

[Alexia99-lab]

Same happens my newpipe. YouTube very mess.

[OREllis]

Just posted a dupe, my bad. Tried this across multiple VPN locations and two devices, Google's gone and done something again.

[misterbastean]

Experiencing same, just started within last 30 mins.

Getting a 403 on the response.

Exception

• User Action: play stream
• Request: Player error[type=ERROR_CODE_IO_BAD_HTTP_STATUS] occurred while playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQJZ96l-XQ4
• Content Country: US
• Content Language: en-US
• App Language: en_US_#u-fw-sun-mu-fahrenhe
• Service: YouTube
• Timestamp: 2025-10-15T20:02:06.667-04:00
• Package: org.schabi.newpipe
• Service: YouTube
• Version: 0.28.0
• OS: Linux Android 16 - 36

Crash log

com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlaybackException: Source error
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayerImplInternal.handleIoException(ExoPlayerImplInternal.java:644)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayerImplInternal.handleMessage(ExoPlayerImplInternal.java:616)
	at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
	at android.os.Looper.dispatchMessage(Looper.java:315)
	at android.os.Looper.loopOnce(Looper.java:251)
	at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:349)
	at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:100)
Caused by: com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.HttpDataSource$InvalidResponseCodeException: Response code: 403
	at org.schabi.newpipe.player.datasource.YoutubeHttpDataSource.open(YoutubeHttpDataSource.java:425)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.DefaultDataSource.open(DefaultDataSource.java:263)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.TeeDataSource.open(TeeDataSource.java:52)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.cache.CacheDataSource.openNextSource(CacheDataSource.java:796)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.cache.CacheDataSource.open(CacheDataSource.java:609)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.StatsDataSource.open(StatsDataSource.java:84)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.source.chunk.InitializationChunk.load(InitializationChunk.java:99)
	at com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.Loader$LoadTask.run(Loader.java:412)
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1156)
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:651)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1119)

---

[Gigarange]

Youtube itself is having issues / down

https://downdetector.com.au/status/youtube/

[scriptkiddy3]

YouTube is down fellas, check /r/youtube

[Gigarange]

Looks like they've fixed it now

[OREllis]

lol

[schrolli]

Working here too...