YouTube allows users to search for their target keywords when they want to obtain a more specific search result.
You can open YouTube, and in the search bar, type any term you wish to search for, and YouTube will display the relevant results based on your search.
However, you may get a case where the displayed search term is unclear and instead see an OBJ in a dotted box. What does this mean?
YouTube is a search engine that utilizes autofill in the search. When you see OBJ in a dotted box, that error arises when your device can’t identify a given character. When the content can’t be recognized, OBJ is displayed to stand for “object replacement character.” Such a case implies YouTube or your device can’t recognize the content of the text.
It’s confusing when you see OBJ in a dotted box on YouTube. This post guides you in understanding the error and its meaning. Moreover, we will mention a few ways of resolving it to ensure you understand every character in the text.
What Does OBJ in a Dotted Box Mean on YouTube?
As a YouTube user, you rely on the YouTube search to quickly find a given video or channel. When you type something in the search box, YouTube will display an equivalent result to match your query.
However, you may get a case where you see OBJ in a dotted box in the search box. What does this mean, and why is it appearing? The OBJ appearing in a dotted box is an error that arises when you search on YouTube and the autofill function fails to recognize a given character or text.
In technical terms, the error is called a parsing error, which signifies that the parser on your device or YouTube can’t recognize a given character or object in the text. Thus, it will display OBJ in place of the unrecognized character.
OBJ stands for Object Replacement Character, and if you see it on YouTube, there is an error in the displayed text, causing it not to be recognized by your device or YouTube. The content may be unrecognized on your current device, but it may get recognized on another device, and no OBJ in a dotted box will appear.
How To Fix the OBJ in a Dotted Box on YouTube
It’s frustrating when you see OBJ in a dotted box and can’t see the clear YouTube content you wish to access. However, there are different tricks you can use to try and get rid of this parsing error.
Try the below tips fixes and fix the error on your case.
Use Another Device
If your device can’t recognize a given character or object, consider using another device to search for the same content and see what you will get in the search results.
For instance, if using YouTube on your mobile, try accessing it on the browser on your computer.
Restart YouTube App
Restarting the YouTube app will sometimes clear the bug causing the parsing error. Restart YouTube and repeat the search query to see if that fixed the error. Hopefully, you can get clear results and recognize all characters and objects.
Restart Your Browser
Suppose you are accessing YouTube on a browser. Restart the browser and re-access YouTube. If the browser causes the error, restarting it will resolve it.
Rewrite the Search Term
Consider using a different search term in your query and see what results you will get. It could be that the previous search term contains unrecognized characters and that using another search term will eliminate the error.
Conclusion
Seeing OBJ in a dotted box on YouTube means that your device or YouTube can’t recognize a given character. Thus, it uses OBJ in place of the character or text.
We’ve discussed everything about OBJ in a dotted box on YouTube. We’ve seen why it appears, what it means, and how to fix the error.
