If you want exam review videos to play repeatedly, first check whether you are watching a completed live-stream replay or an ongoing broadcast. YouTube’s Loop controls repeat a posted video or playlist; they do not keep a live broadcast running or restart it when it ends.
When a channel has made a replay available and added it to a playlist, you can loop the whole playlist or repeat just the video currently playing. The steps differ slightly between a computer and Android, and the control may move as YouTube updates its interface.
A live broadcast is not a playlist replay
A live broadcast is happening now. You join the channel’s live player and watch the stream as it is transmitted. A posted replay is a video that may be available on the channel after that broadcast finishes. You can use playlist or video looping on that recorded video, but those controls do not send a new live broadcast to viewers.
YouTube Help says that after a live stream ends, a channel may post highlights or a replay; the wording matters because a replay is not automatic in every case. If the channel has not made one available, there is nothing in the playlist to loop. You can check the channel’s Videos, Live, or Playlists areas, or ask the channel owner whether the recording will be posted. YouTube’s live-stream guidance explains the distinction between the live event and videos that may appear afterwards.
For a live event that is still in progress, DVR controls can let you pause, rewind, and resume, depending on the stream and device. DVR is not a way to cycle through saved videos, and it does not turn the broadcast into a playlist. YouTube notes that DVR may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours; check the current DVR help page for its conditions. If you need to revisit a particular explanation, a replay is usually the more useful playback target once the channel makes it available.
Confirm that the completed replay exists
After the stream ends, allow the channel time to process and publish the video. A live stream can finish without a public replay appearing: the creator may not post it, may make it private or unlisted, or may publish only selected highlights. Do not assume that a missing replay means your playlist controls are broken.
Start at the channel that hosted the exam review. Look through its published videos or playlists for the recording, and check that you can open it while signed into the right account if the video is restricted. If the channel has a playlist for a subject or revision session, confirm that the replay is actually one of its entries. A playlist title alone does not establish that it contains the recording you need.
It also helps to note what you want to repeat. If a playlist contains several lessons, looping the playlist takes you through those entries in sequence before beginning again. If one lecture covers the topic you are revising, use the single-video loop instead. Those are separate playback targets, even when the video is open from within a playlist.
For creators who publish a continuous channel using repeated recordings, playlist order and the nature of the material raise separate questions from viewer playback. See the practical discussion of repeated videos on a 24/7 YouTube stream; it concerns a live channel, not the playback loop described here.
Open the replay from its playlist
Open the playlist that contains the completed replay, then select the relevant video from that playlist. Starting playback from the playlist makes it easier to use the playlist-level control and helps ensure YouTube knows which set of videos you intend to repeat. If you open the video from search or a direct link instead, you may be watching the same recording without the playlist context.
On a computer, the playlist panel is usually displayed beside the player, though its exact layout can vary with window size and interface changes. On Android, start the playlist and look for its playback controls beneath the video. If the playlist box or controls are collapsed, expand them before looking for Loop. The control you need applies to the playlist only when you have a playlist open; a control in the player’s own menu may apply to the current video instead.
Before enabling repetition, check the playlist contents and order. A subject playlist might contain an introduction, a worked example, and a question session. Looping the whole sequence gives you that order repeatedly. If the list contains unrelated uploads or a long set of lessons, it may be better to make or choose a smaller playlist, if you have permission and the interface allows it, or repeat just one video.
Loop the playlist on a computer
On desktop YouTube, open a video that belongs to the playlist and expand the playlist box beside the player. Select the Loop control in that box. The playlist should then cycle through its entries and begin again after the last one, rather than stopping at the end of the final video. YouTube documents these computer playlist-loop steps.
The key is to use the playlist box, not the video player’s context menu. If you right-click the video and choose Loop, that repeats the current video, which is useful but is not the same as cycling through the playlist. If the box is hidden, widen the browser window or look for a way to expand the playlist panel. YouTube’s layout can differ between accounts and interface versions, so focus on which control you have selected rather than expecting a fixed position.
You can verify the result by letting the current video finish. With playlist looping on, YouTube should move to the next item and continue through the list; after its final entry, playback returns to the beginning. If playback instead stays on the same lesson, check whether you enabled the player’s single-video Loop control. If it stops after the last lesson, reopen the playlist box and check its Loop state.
| Playback choice | What repeats | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Loop the playlist | All entries in the open playlist, in sequence | The playlist control box beside the video on a computer, or playlist controls on Android |
| Repeat one video | Only the video currently playing | The player’s right-click menu on a computer, or the Loop icon’s single-video state on Android |
| Watch an ongoing stream | The current live broadcast, subject to the channel and DVR availability | Live-player controls; playlist looping is not the control for this |
Repeat only the current video
To replay one lesson on a computer, right-click the video player and choose Loop. This applies to the current video, not the entire playlist. It is a useful choice when you are working through a difficult proof, listening to a short explanation again, or taking notes on one section and do not want playback to advance to the next lesson.
If you meant to repeat the whole list, turn off the single-video loop if necessary, then use the Loop control in the playlist box. Conversely, if the playlist is cycling but you want only one recording, use the player menu. YouTube describes these as distinct controls in its looping instructions. The menu wording or icon presentation can change, but the practical test is simple: does the selected control belong to the playlist or to the player?
On a shared computer, check the playback state before leaving the lesson on unattended repeat. A video loop may continue until you stop playback, change the video, or the player encounters a restriction. If you are studying several topics, using the playlist loop avoids manually starting the next recording each time, but it also means the entire playlist will cycle. Choose the narrower or broader target based on the revision task rather than assuming one mode is always preferable.
Loop a playlist on Android
Open the YouTube app on Android and start playing the playlist. Look beneath the video for the playlist control box, then tap Loop to repeat the playlist. The playlist repeats as a sequence; it does not extend an ongoing live broadcast. YouTube’s Android loop instructions describe the mobile control.
To repeat only the current video, tap the Loop control again until a “1” appears on the icon. That indicator distinguishes repeating the single item from repeating the playlist. If the icon or box is not visible, tap the player or expand the playlist controls; interface placement can vary by app version and screen state. Do not assume that the Android control will be in the same place as the desktop playlist panel.
If you have cast the video to a television or are using a console, playback controls may be arranged differently. YouTube’s guidance is to bring up the playback controls or Settings and select Repeat until the state indicates the playlist or current item is repeating. Use the on-screen state indicator to confirm what is selected, rather than relying on the name of a button alone.
If Loop is unavailable or does not behave as expected
First confirm that you opened the video from a playlist and that the playlist contains more than the item you expect to cycle through. If the replay is playing by itself, the playlist-level control may not be present. Return to the channel’s playlist, select the replay there, and expand the playlist controls.
Next identify the device and target. The computer’s player menu repeats one video, while the playlist box repeats the list. On Android, the Loop icon changes state when you tap it again, and the “1” marks the one-video mode. On a TV or console, check Repeat in the playback controls or Settings and read the state shown. These checks often explain an apparent failure without requiring a change to the video itself.
If controls are missing, update or reopen the YouTube app, refresh the page, or try a supported browser or device. The exact interface may vary, and a control can be hidden by a collapsed panel or a different player layout. If the video is unavailable, age-restricted, private, or otherwise inaccessible to your account, looping controls will not make it playable. In that case, check the video’s availability with the channel owner.
Do not use live-stream DVR as a substitute for playlist looping. DVR can help you move around within an ongoing stream when enabled, but it does not put saved lessons into sequence or restart a posted replay. A creator planning to transmit recorded lessons continuously has a separate publishing setup to consider; for example, running a video loop with FFmpeg is a creator-side workflow, not a viewer playback setting. If the computer itself is the constraint, keeping a YouTube stream running on an old laptop covers another creator-side concern, rather than a way to loop your study playlist.
For a channel owner whose specific problem is keeping a file-based broadcast running without leaving a personal computer switched on, StreamNeo can take an uploaded video and run it as a YouTube live stream. That is a separate broadcasting task: it does not create the viewer-side playlist loop, and it does not make every finished live stream available as a replay.
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FAQ
Does looping a playlist restart a live YouTube broadcast?
No. Playlist looping applies to videos in a posted playlist, not to maintaining or restarting an ongoing live broadcast. If a channel publishes a replay after the stream ends and includes it in a playlist, you can loop that recorded content.
Why can I not find the replay after the stream ends?
A channel may choose to post a replay or highlights, but a replay is not guaranteed. Check the channel’s videos and playlists, and ask the channel owner if you cannot find the recording.
How do I repeat one exam review video rather than the whole playlist?
On a computer, right-click the player and choose Loop. On Android, tap Loop again until the icon shows “1”; the playlist-level state instead repeats the list of videos.
Can I use the same loop control on a TV or console?
The precise placement depends on the device interface. Bring up playback controls or Settings, select Repeat, and check whether the indicator says the playlist or current video is repeating.