7 Best Fixes for YouTube Video Not Switching to Full Screen in Safari on Mac

The YouTube app is great for browsing and streaming videos. However, if the app isn’t working on your iPhone, you can use Safari on your Mac to watch videos on a larger screen. In Safari, you can use Full Screen mode to maximize your display and minimize distractions, which is especially useful for online learning.

But what if a YouTube video doesn’t go into full screen mode? Luckily, there are solutions to fix this issue. Here are some remedies for YouTube videos that won’t switch to full screen in Safari on your Mac.

1. Try Incognito Mode

If you have reloaded the webpage multiple times and that doesn’t solve the problem, try opening YouTube in Incognito Mode in Safari. To open the Incognito window in Safari, press Command + Shift + N on your Mac keyboard. After the Incognito Mode window loads, go to the YouTube webpage and check if the problem gets solved.

2. Force Quit and Relaunch Safari

You may notice that Safari may be running in the background on your Mac. To resolve the issue with YouTube not switching to full screen, force quit and relaunch the browser. Follow these steps:

1. Click the Apple logo at the top-left corner of the Menu Bar.

2. Select Force Quit.

3. Choose Safari from the app list and click Force Quit.

4. Reopen Safari and check if the problem is resolved.

3. Change Smart Search Settings

If the YouTube video doesn’t switch to full screen when you click full screen, some users on the Apple Community Forums suggest disabling Safari’s Smart Search feature. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search.

2. Type “Safari” and press Return.

3. Click Safari in the top-left corner of the Menu Bar.

Step 3: Select Settings.

Step 4: Click Search.

Step 5: Disable Show Favorites under Smart Search Field.

Step 6: Close the Settings window and check for a resolution.

4. Remove Faulty Extensions

If the provided solutions did not solve the problem, check your installed Safari extensions. Some extensions stop receiving updates over time and might cause interruptions in web browsing. Try checking and removing Safari extensions to identify the one causing the issue with YouTube full-screen playback. Follow these steps:

1. Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search.

2. Type “Safari” and press Return.

Step 2: Click Safari in the Menu Bar.

Step 3: Select Settings.

Step 4: Click Extensions.

Step 5: Select an installed extension from the left panel.

Step 6: Click on Uninstall next to the extension name.

Step 7: Keep the Extensions window open, open YouTube in a new tab, and check if the problem is solved.

If not, repeat the steps until the faulty extension causing this issue is found.

Faulty and outdated extensions can also cause YouTube to log you out automatically on Mac.

5. Use Safe Mode

Safari is a system app, so you can try booting your Mac in Safe Mode to solve the issue. Safe Mode is a default troubleshooting method in macOS that prevents third-party apps from running and only allows the system app to open during the boot process. This is an advanced solution, and we recommend using it only if the YouTube full screen feature still doesn’t work in Safari. Refer to our post on how to use Safe Mode on your Mac.

6. Update macOS

The last resort for you is to install the latest Safari version on your Mac. To do that, you need to check for a macOS update.

Step 1: Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search, type Check for Software Updates, and press Return.

Step 2: If an update is available, download and install it. Step 3: After your Mac reboots, relaunch Safari and check if the problem is solved.

Watch YouTube in Full Screen

If you encounter the problem of YouTube videos not going into full screen mode on your Mac’s Safari browser, these solutions can help. To enhance your YouTube viewing experience, you can utilize the Add to queue feature on mobile or web. This feature allows you to add videos to a queue without the need for a separate playlist.