Why YouTube Stopped Working on Your Old Device
In 2025, Google updated the YouTube app to require iOS 16 as a minimum. This cut off every device capped at iOS 15: iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (1st gen), iPhone 7, iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro 9.7", and iPad Pro 12.9" (1st gen).
If you already had YouTube installed, it may have continued working for a while in a degraded state — but eventually stopped receiving updates, and for many users it has since stopped working entirely. A fresh install from the App Store is no longer possible on iOS 15 devices.
This isn't unusual behaviour for major apps. Google follows Apple's lead on dropping older OS support, and iOS 15 is now three major versions behind iOS 26.
What Still Works: The Safari Workaround
The best alternative is YouTube through Safari on iOS 15 — and it works significantly better than most people expect.
Open Safari and go to youtube.com. YouTube's mobile web app loads the full video catalogue, autoplay, subscriptions (when signed in), and history. You can watch at full screen, control playback, and access your account.
What you can't do via Safari: download videos for offline viewing, use Picture-in-Picture (limited on iOS 15), or receive push notifications. For basic watching, it's entirely functional.
Tip: Add YouTube to your home screen via Safari's share menu → 'Add to Home Screen'. It opens full-screen with no browser chrome, looking almost identical to the native app.
💡 Add to Home Screen: In Safari, tap the Share button → 'Add to Home Screen'. Name it 'YouTube'. You'll get a full-screen web app with no address bar — it looks and feels very close to the native app for everyday use.
Alternative Streaming Apps That Work on iOS 15
If you primarily use YouTube for content discovery rather than specific creators, these alternatives work natively on iOS 15:
- BBC iPlayer (iOS 15+) — UK TV catch-up. Excellent quality, free, fully supported.
- ITVX (iOS 14+) — ITV catch-up and original content. Free tier available.
- Channel 4 (iOS 14+) — Catch-up and streaming.
- Plex (iOS 13+) — If you have a home media server. Works perfectly on older iOS.
- Infuse (iOS 13+) — Local video player for files on your network or device.
For Jailbroken Devices: YTMusicUltimate
If your device is jailbroken (see our jailbreaking guide), there are third-party YouTube clients available through Sileo that support iOS 15 and offer ad-free playback and background audio. This is a more advanced option and only applies if you've already jailbroken your device — we won't cover the process here.
Should You Upgrade?
If YouTube is central to your daily use and the Safari workaround isn't sufficient, this is the clearest signal that it's time to upgrade. A refurbished iPhone SE 2nd gen (A13, iOS 26, Touch ID) is available from around £80–120 on Amazon Renewed and solves the problem entirely.
Our verdict
YouTube's iOS 16 requirement is a real limitation for iOS 15 devices, but youtube.com in Safari works well enough for casual use. Add it to your home screen for a near-native experience. If YouTube is essential and the workaround isn't enough, a budget refurbished upgrade is the right move.
Find streaming and video apps for your device
See what entertainment apps are still available on iOS 15 — sorted by rating.
Browse entertainment apps →Also see: Spotify not working on old iPhone/iPad · All apps that dropped iOS 15 support · iPhone 6s in 2026