Short answer: error code 152-13 means Chrome on Android could not play a video embedded in a web page, so it is telling you to watch it in the YouTube app instead. The full message usually reads “This video is unavailable. Error code: 152 – 13” or “152-13 error code. Open vids in YouTube.” The video itself is almost always fine. Clearing Chrome’s cache and resetting Android System WebView fixes it in most cases.
What does error code 152-13 mean?
Google has not published an official breakdown of this particular code, so treat any confident explanation of the numbers with suspicion. What can be said from user reports is the behaviour: it appears on Chrome for Android, on videos embedded inside another web page rather than on youtube.com itself, and Chrome’s suggested remedy is always the same, open it in the YouTube app.
In practice the cause is almost never the video. It is usually one of three things on your device: stale Chrome cache data, a broken or outdated Android System WebView component, or link-handling settings that cannot hand the video off to the YouTube app properly. The fixes below work through those in order of how often they help.
A quick sanity check first: open the same video directly on youtube.com in a new tab. If it plays there, the video is fine and the problem is local to how Chrome is embedding it, which is exactly what these steps address.
Before You Start
Applies to: Google Chrome on Android. Not version specific. Difficulty: easy. Some steps also update Android System WebView from the Google Play Store.
Method 1: Force Stop Chrome and Clear the Local Cache
Corrupted application cache can disrupt video decoding and token exchanges for embedded frames.
- Long-press the Chrome app icon on your Android device.
- Tap the App Info icon (an “i” inside a circle).
- Tap Force Stop, then confirm to terminate all active browser background processes.
- Select Storage & cache (or Storage).
- Tap Clear Cache. Do not tap Clear Storage, which signs you out.
- Relaunch Chrome and test the video playback.
Method 2: Reset Android System WebView
Many embedded video players rely on Android System WebView to render media components inside web apps.
- Open your device’s main Settings menu.
- Navigate to Apps > All Apps (or Manage Apps).
- Scroll down and select Android System WebView.
- Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Uninstall updates.
- Open the Google Play Store, search for “Android System WebView,” and tap Update to install the latest clean build.
Method 3: Reset App Links (Open Vids in YouTube)
Because the error tells you to open the video in the standalone YouTube app, your system’s link handlers may be misconfigured.
- Open Settings and go to Apps > Default apps.
- Tap Opening links.
- Scroll through the list and select YouTube.
- Ensure the toggle for Open supported links is turned On.
- Under Supported web addresses, confirm that
youtube.comandyoutu.beare set to open in the app.
Method 4: Turn Off Hardware Acceleration Flags
If the error is tied to hardware decoding on your device’s processor, forcing software rendering can work around it.
- Open a new tab in Chrome, type
chrome://flagsin the address bar, and press Enter. - In the search bar at the top, type Media.
- Locate flags for hardware-accelerated video decoding, such as
#hardware-video-decode. - Change the drop-down from Default or Enabled to Disabled.
- Tap Relaunch at the bottom of the screen.
Chrome flags are experimental and Google removes them without notice. If a flag is not listed on your version, skip this step. Set anything you change back to Default if it does not help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does error code 152-13 mean in Chrome?
It is a playback error on Chrome for Android. An embedded video fails to load and Chrome suggests opening it in the YouTube app instead. It usually points to a cache, WebView, or link-handling problem rather than a broken video.
Is the video actually unavailable?
Usually not, despite the wording. Open the same video directly on youtube.com or in the YouTube app. If it plays there, the video is fine and the problem is on the embedding side.
Does error 152-13 affect Chrome on desktop?
It is reported on Android, where it is tied to Android System WebView and app link handling. Desktop Chrome does not use WebView, so the same error does not appear there.
Will clearing Chrome’s cache delete my passwords or bookmarks?
No. Clearing the cache only removes temporary files. Your saved passwords, bookmarks, and history stay in place.
Did that work for you? Do you have any further questions? Ask them in the comments form below.
