Image Credit: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett YouTube users were frustrated on February 17, 2026, when they noticed a problem with the platform. Many couldn't even load the home screen before trying to search for videos; others saw a completely blank screen. They quickly reported the issues on Downdetector that evening, with most complaints coming from the West Coast. Hours later, on February 18, Google acknowledged the problem had been resolved. So, what caused the extensive outage? Find out what we know so far about the YouTube outage here.