The YouTube web player started hanging, consuming gigabytes of RAM.

YouTube Web Player Issues: What’s Happening and Why

Last week, users of the YouTube platform began noticing strange glitches in their browsers while watching videos. Among the most common complaints are window freezes, a sharp increase in memory usage, and, as Reddit participants report, audio stuttering, frame drops, and excessive CPU load.

What Exactly Is Happening
* Infinite Rendering Loop

An error within the player’s code causes the browser to constantly redraw the player elements. This leads to increased memory and processor usage.

* The “ytd-menu-renderer” Section

Mozilla developers discovered that the problem is linked to the `<ytd-menu-renderer>` tag. It contains the “like,” “dislike,” and “share” buttons. The menu dynamically hides or shows these buttons depending on screen width.

* The “Lost” Button Problem

When one of the buttons doesn’t fit, `<ytd-menu-renderer>` removes it. Then the player mistakenly thinks the menu is wide enough now and tries to bring the button back. Since there’s still no space, the code removes it again. This cycle repeats indefinitely, forcing the browser to constantly recalculate element sizes.

How It Affects Users
* Memory – Some users report memory usage rising from a few hundred megabytes to 2–3 GB while playing videos.

* Processor – CPU load also noticeably increases, slowing down other applications.

Who Is Impacted
The issue affects several browsers: Firefox, Brave, and others that use WebKit-like rendering. Until YouTube developers release an official fix, users can try temporary workarounds (e.g., disable extensions, update the browser, or use the mobile version of the site).

Bottom Line:

A bug in the player’s dynamic menu causes an infinite rendering loop that heavily taxes memory and CPU. Users are already noticing a significant drop in performance when watching YouTube videos. Keep an eye on updates from YouTube and browsers – a fix will arrive soon.