If the gaming broadcast is still live, you can move backwards only within the available DVR window; you cannot seek to a point before the broadcast began. If you mean a playlist of completed VODs, open its first video and move that video's playhead to the start if it resumes partway through.
Those are separate playback tasks. YouTube documents ways to select and reorder playlist videos, but its official guidance does not describe a universal command that resets every playlist to its first item on every device. First establish whether you are watching a live broadcast, a completed replay, or a temporary queue.
Identify a live stream, a VOD playlist, or a queue
A live stream is still being broadcast. Its player may offer DVR seeking, which lets a viewer pause or move backwards within the broadcast that has already happened. That is not the same as restarting a set of videos: the stream has one timeline, and the beginning of that timeline is the moment the broadcast started.
A VOD, or video on demand, is a completed video available for playback after the live event. A playlist is a collection of videos in an order. If the broadcast has ended and you are watching several gaming VODs in sequence, the useful question is which video is first in the playlist and where playback is positioned within that video.
A queue can look similar because it also arranges videos to play next, but it is not necessarily a saved playlist. YouTube's guidance says that a computer queue does not persist after the browser is closed and recommends saving videos to a playlist for later. If you closed a browser and the sequence disappeared, you may have been using a queue rather than a playlist. See YouTube's queue guidance if you need to distinguish the two.
This distinction matters when someone says, “start the stream over” or “restart the playlist”. For a live broadcast, try DVR controls if available. For a completed playlist, choose the first VOD and reset that video's position. Changing playlist order does not rewind the video already playing.
Rewind a live stream with DVR, when available
Open the live stream in YouTube and look at the player’s timeline or rewind controls. If DVR is available, move the playhead left to an earlier point in the current broadcast. You can then pause or continue watching from that position; the live stream continues to progress in the meantime.
DVR is conditional, not a promise. YouTube describes DVR as allowing viewers to pause, rewind and continue during a live stream, but viewers cannot seek back to before the channel went live. If you are trying to catch a moment before the stream’s start time, there is no earlier portion of that live broadcast to access through the player.
If you cannot move backwards, first check whether the control is available on the player you are using. The creator may have disabled DVR, the stream’s duration may affect the available rewind, or your app or device may have a more limited experience. A missing or restricted rewind control does not mean there is a separate playlist restart function hiding elsewhere.
For a creator preparing a stream, YouTube’s DVR help page explains the feature and its limits. The practical viewer instruction is simpler: try the player’s own seek bar, move only as far back as it permits, and do not expect it to reach before the broadcast began.
Understand seek limits on long streams
YouTube warns that DVR rewind may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours. The same guidance notes lower limits for Apple TV, Apple AirPlay and older versions of the YouTube app. These are reasons a viewer may not be able to return as far as expected, particularly when a gaming channel has been live for a long session.
The limit concerns rewind within the live broadcast. It does not tell you that a completed VOD playlist has a corresponding maximum length, nor does it create a method for starting a playlist over. Keep the two timelines separate: DVR is tied to the current live event, while playlist playback moves among recorded videos.
If a stream has been running for hours and the player only lets you go back part of the way, try another supported device or a current app if one is readily available, but do not assume that will restore the entire broadcast. The official guidance itself identifies device and app limitations. If the point you want is outside the available DVR window, you may have to wait for the completed replay to become available, if it is recorded and published.
The recording and DVR settings are different considerations for creators. Google’s LiveBroadcast documentation describes settings such as recordFromStart and enableDvr and their relationship to live playback and post-broadcast availability. It is useful context if you manage the channel, but it is not a viewer-side control for moving a live stream to an earlier point.
Open the first video in the playlist
When the broadcast has ended and the VODs are already in a playlist, open that playlist and choose the first gaming video. Check the title and thumbnail before selecting it: a playlist may start with a trailer, an older session, or another item that is not the run you intended to watch.
If the target VOD is not first, the order may need changing before you start. YouTube supports reordering videos in playlists, including temporary ordering from the playlist panel on a watch page. A temporary order and a saved playlist order are not the same action, so make sure you know whether you are changing just the current viewing sequence or managing the playlist itself.
The YouTube playlist help explains playlist management. Its documented ordering controls are useful for putting a video where you expect it. They do not rewind an already-playing VOD, and the official guidance consulted does not describe one universal “restart playlist” button for all devices.
For a creator who publishes a long sequence of recorded sessions, a clear order makes the viewer’s next step easier: give videos recognisable titles, keep the intended starting item first, and verify the playlist from its watch page. The same care is useful when preparing a loop of prerecorded material; a playlist workflow for a 24/7 FFmpeg stream is about assembling and broadcasting content, not the viewer’s restart control, but illustrates why item order should be deliberate.
Seek the selected VOD to its beginning
After opening the first VOD, look at its progress bar. If playback resumes at a later timestamp, drag or tap the playhead back to the start of that video. On a touch screen, the seek bar may be harder to hit precisely, so check the displayed timestamp and adjust if you land a few seconds in.
This resets the selected video’s position, not necessarily the position of every other video in the playlist. If the next item begins later because its own playback position was retained, it may need the same treatment when it plays. Avoid describing this as a playlist-wide reset: the reliable instruction is to select the first item, then make sure that item itself starts at zero.
If the seek bar does not move as expected, confirm that the VOD has loaded rather than a live player, wait for the controls to appear, and try the player again. A VOD might still be processing or unavailable after a live event ends, depending on the creator’s recording settings and YouTube’s processing. In that case, the replay may not yet behave like a normal completed video.
A creator who is solving a separate problem—keeping prerecorded content on air continuously—will need to think about the broadcast workflow rather than the viewer’s playhead. For example, how to set up an always-on YouTube channel with prerecorded videos covers that channel-side concern; it does not add a hidden command to restart a viewer’s playlist.
Check controls on the device you are using
YouTube’s exact playback layout varies across browser, mobile app, television and casting experiences. The general task stays the same—select the first playlist video, then seek within it—but the position of the playlist panel, timeline and playback actions may differ. Look for the player’s visible timeline and the playlist’s item list rather than relying on a named button that may not exist on your device.
On a computer, the playlist panel on a watch page can expose the items and, where supported, temporary reordering. On a phone or tablet, you may need to open the playlist page or expand the player to reach the relevant controls. On a television interface, navigation and seeking may rely on a remote, and a precise jump to the first few seconds may take more than one adjustment.
These are practical differences in interface, not evidence of a universal restart control. If you cannot find the desired item, return to the playlist itself and select it directly. If you can find the item but it resumes late, use that player’s seek controls. If you are watching a live event and cannot rewind, check whether DVR is available and remember that no device can seek to a point before the broadcast started.
For channel operators, the distinction between authoring and viewing is also useful. A continuous broadcast may be created from prerecorded files with a separate streaming setup; the VLC looping guide for a YouTube Live nature playlist concerns how a source playlist is looped before or during broadcast. It should not be confused with a YouTube viewer resetting a completed playlist after playback has begun.
A quick decision guide
| What you are watching | What to try | What the control cannot do |
|---|---|---|
| A stream that is still live | Use the player’s rewind or seek bar if DVR is available | It cannot take you before the broadcast began, and long streams or some devices may have limited rewind |
| A completed gaming VOD playlist | Open the first intended video, then seek that video to its start | Rewinding one VOD does not necessarily reset every other item |
| A playlist with the wrong first item | Reorder the playlist or choose the intended video directly | Reordering does not rewind the currently playing video |
| A temporary queue | Select items for the current session or save them into a playlist | A computer queue does not persist after its browser closes, according to YouTube’s guidance |
Use the row that matches what is on screen rather than repeating a generic restart instruction. If a viewer reports “the live stream is halfway through”, ask whether the broadcast is still live and whether DVR controls appear. If they report “the playlist began at the second match”, ask which item is first and whether they are using a queue or a saved playlist.
For a channel owner whose separate concern is that a prerecorded broadcast needs to keep running after their own computer is off, StreamNeo removes the need to leave that computer running by turning an uploaded file into a YouTube live stream; that is a broadcast operation, not a viewer-side playlist rewind.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Can I restart a live YouTube stream from the beginning?
Only if the player lets you rewind within the available DVR window, and even then you cannot go to a point before the broadcast began. DVR can be unavailable or limited, including on streams longer than 12 hours and on some device or app combinations. If the event has ended, look for its completed replay instead.
How do I restart a gaming VOD playlist from its first video?
Open the playlist, select its first intended video, and seek that video’s playhead to the beginning if it resumes at a later timestamp. If the intended VOD is not first, use playlist ordering controls or select it directly. The available controls depend on your device.
Is there a YouTube button that resets every playlist to the beginning?
YouTube’s official playlist guidance consulted for this article documents selecting and reordering items, but not a universal playlist-wide restart command. The practical fallback is to open the first VOD and reset that video’s position. That action should not be assumed to reset all later videos.
Why did my queue disappear when I closed the browser?
A queue and a saved playlist are different. YouTube says a computer queue does not save after the browser closes and recommends saving videos to a playlist if you want to watch them later. Check whether you were using the queue rather than opening a saved playlist.