Solve YouTube’s “Spacebar Problem” with These Keyboard Shortcuts

Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 by

YouTube is one of the most popular video streaming platforms, with millions of users watching and uploading content every day. However, many users have encountered a frustrating issue while watching videos on YouTube – the spacebar does not pause the video. This is known as the “spacebar problem” and can be a major inconvenience for those who prefer using keyboard shortcuts. In this article, we will discuss some keyboard shortcuts that can help solve this problem and make your YouTube experience smoother.

Play/Pause

The most common keyboard shortcut for playing and pausing a video is the spacebar. However, as mentioned earlier, this does not work on YouTube. Instead, you can use the “K” key to play or pause a video. This is a simple and easy solution to the spacebar problem.

Skip Forward/Backward

To skip forward or backward in a video, you can use the “J” and “L” keys respectively. Pressing the “J” key will skip the video back by 10 seconds, while the “L” key will skip it forward by 10 seconds. You can also use the arrow keys to skip forward or backward by 5 seconds.

Volume Control

To adjust the volume while watching a video, you can use the up and down arrow keys. Pressing the up arrow key will increase the volume, while the down arrow key will decrease it. You can also use the “M” key to mute and unmute the video.

Fullscreen

If you prefer watching videos in fullscreen mode, you can use the “F” key to toggle between fullscreen and normal mode. This is a quick and easy way to switch to fullscreen without having to use your mouse.

Skip to a Specific Time

Sometimes, you may want to skip to a specific time in a video, especially if it is a long one. You can do this by pressing the numbers on your keyboard. For example, pressing “1” will take you to 10% of the video, “2” will take you to 20%, and so on. You can also use the “0” key to go back to the beginning of the video.

Speed Control

If you want to speed up or slow down a video, you can use the “Shift” and “>” keys to increase the speed and the “Shift” and “<" keys to decrease it. This is a useful feature for those who want to watch videos at a faster pace or slow them down for better understanding.

Search Within a Video

If you are watching a long video and want to search for a specific word or phrase, you can use the “/” key to bring up the search bar. This will allow you to search within the video and find the exact moment when the word or phrase is mentioned.

By using these keyboard shortcuts, you can solve the spacebar problem and have a smoother YouTube experience. Do you know any other useful shortcuts for YouTube? Let us know in the comments below.

Gulrukh Ch

About the Author: Gulrukh Ch

Gulrukh Chaudhary, an accomplished digital marketer and technology writer with a passion for exploring the frontiers of innovation. Armed with a Master's degree in Information Technology, Gulrukh seamlessly blends her technical prowess with her creative flair, resulting in captivating insights into the world of emerging technologies. Discover more about her on her LinkedIn profile.