How to Fix Videos Not Playing on Android Phone

Do you want to know how fix videos not playing on your phone Android?, when you try to play videos from Gallery on your phone, you get a message saying “The video cannot be played”.

Some of the stored videos are not playing on your Android phone and you get this error: “The video cannot be played”. You restart your phone but it is of no use. So is there any way to fix the videos? videos not playing on an Android phone?

Your Android phone is a handy device for recording, storing, watching, and sharing videos. It gets really frustrating when your mobile videos don't play properly or give an error, especially if the videos are of work or any important personal occasion.

There could be many reasons why your videos are not playing on an Android phone, such as:

1. Your video is corrupted
2. The media player is outdated.
3. Android OS is not updated
4. The video does not download completely from the source.
5. Your mobile SD card is corrupted
6. You have downloaded untrusted software/application

Here we will look at some methods you can use to fix videos not playing on an Android phone:

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How to fix videos not playing on an Android phone

Try the following methods to play videos on your Android phone. You can apply these methods to fix the 'videos not playing' issue on any Android phone, such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, HTC, etc.

1. Restart your device
2. Clear the cache on your Android phone
3. Uninstall unsafe apps on your phone
4. Install VLC player/MX Player on mobile phone
5. Update your Android operating system
6. Uninstall dubious software
7. Get stellar video repair
8. Reset your app preferences
9. Factory reset your smartphone

1. Method 1: Restart your device

Restarting your smartphone is the easiest troubleshooting method that can help play your videos.

1. Step 1:: Close all applications on your mobile.
2. Step 2:: Restart the phone.
3. Step 3:: Next, head to Gallery and check if your videos are playing or not.

2. Method 2: Clear the cache on your Android phone

Cached data is required to reduce There loading, but clearing the cache is also essential as part of troubleshooting to address a number of issues that can arise due to corrupted cache data.

To erase data on your smartphone do the following:

1. Step 1:: go to Settings > Storage/Application manager > Clear cache.
2. Step 2:: Now, go back to the Gallery to play the videos.

3. Method 3: Uninstall unsafe apps on your mobile

Trojans are also a threat to your Android phones. If you have downloaded any app or software from an untrusted source, remove it. There are chances that it is disrupting the smooth functioning of your mobile device, including not allowing you to play your mobile videos or corrupting them.

4. Method 4: Install VLC/MX Player on Android Phone

It is possible that the media player on your Android phone does not support the video codec you are trying to play. As a solution we recommend installing a compatible video player such as VLC player, BS Player or MX Player from the Android app store.

5. Method 5: Update your Android operating system

Update your Android OS to fix the video not playing issue. Before updating the Android OS, we always recommend you to backup your mobile data like contacts, photos and videos etc.

Although updating the operating system does not cause data loss, any technical glitch during the process can result in loss or corruption of information on your mobile phone. So it is better to be safe than sorry later.

How to update Android operating system on mobile phone

1. Step 1:: Connect your Android phone to Wi-Fi
2. Step 2:: Opens Configuration on your android phone
3. Step 3:: Scroll down and tap About device
4. Step 4: Press Update. On some mobiles it may be Update of Software or Update System Firmware depending on the Android version
5. Step 5: Toca Search for updates
6. Step 6: Press Update
7. Step 7: Toca Install/ Reboot and install/ o Install system software, whatever you see. Start the download and installation process.

Once the installation is complete, your mobile phone will automatically reboot.

6. Method 6: Uninstall dubious software

Sometimes it may happen that you are unable to play videos on your Android device because you have installed some unsafe app from somewhere other than the official app store. Such unsafe app is capable of blocking video playback on your Android device. It is always recommended to uninstall it.

7. Method 7: Get Stellar Repair for Video

If you can play some video files on your Android phone, then the problem is not with the device or media player. Your video files may have become corrupted.

Transfer mobile videos to computer. Try to play them again on your system. If they still can't be played, the videos have been corrupted. Stellar Repair for Video, a video repair tool, is the best and easiest solution to fix the problem of videos not playing on Android phone.

It is completely safe to download and is free from any malware or Trojan. It can repair your videos that have become choppy, stuttering, blurry or out of sync.

The free demo version of the software is good enough to evaluate whether a video corruption issue can be resolved.

Fix videos not playing on Android phone using Stellar Repair for Video as follows:

1. Step 1:: Transfer your videos from Android to PC/Mac
2. Step 2:: Download, install and run Stellar Repair for Video on your PC/Mac
3. Step 3:: On the software home page, click Add file to add the damaged video into the software you want to repair.

4. Step 4:: Click Repair to repair the corrupted file you added.

5. Step 5:: The repair process begins. You can see the progress of the repair in the progress bar. Use the option Stop to stop the repair process at any time.

NOTE: : A message appears stating "Repair process completed» after successful repair of the selected files. You can preview the repaired videos by clicking on the option preview.

6. Step 6:: Click Save repaired files to save the repaired files.

So, with just a few clicks: Add, Fix, Preview and Save, it can make your corrupted videos playable once again.

The software supports repair of most popular video file formats such as video files AVI, ASF, WMV, MKV, FLV, DIVX, WEBM, MJPEG, MPEG, AVCHD, MTS, MOV, MP4, M4V, 3G2, 3GP and F4V. It can repair corrupted or unplayable videos stored on microSD card, microSDHC card or microSDXC card of any Android phone, etc.

Once repaired, save the videos to your computer, microSD card, or transfer them to your Android phone.

8. Method 8: Reset your app preferences

Resetting your app preferences allows you to choose which video player you want to use to play videos.

How to reset app preferences on an Android phone?

1. Step 1:: Go to Settings > Application Manager or Applications
2. Step 2:: Tap the three dots in the top right corner. Tap Reset app preferences.

Now try to play your videos on your Android phone.

9. Method 9: Factory reset your smartphone

If none of the above methods can play videos on your Android phone, the last resort is factory reset.

Factory reset erases all data and makes your smartphone as good as new. So, before doing so, make sure you have backed up all your contacts, photos, videos, and other data on your smartphone.

Can't play videos? Facebook, YouTube or other web videos on your Android phone? Try the following fixes:

1. Check your wifi network
2. Update your internet browser
3. Clear cache and history files on Android phone
4. Clear cache on YouTube app
5. Update your YouTube or Facebook app
6. Uninstall recently downloaded apps
7. Update your Android operating system

Other methods to fix videos not playing on Android mobile phone

Now, let's discuss each of these scenarios with dedicated video solutions for repairing mobile devices.

Part 1: Why Videos Won't Play on an Android Mobile Phone

Ideally, there could be different reasons for getting the video playback error on Android, depending on whether you are on an app like YouTube or whether the video is saved on your phone.

What causes YouTube or online videos not playing on Android?

YouTube is one of the most popular apps for watching online videos, but there are times when the app itself seems to malfunction. Here are some of the top reasons why YouTube videos won't play on Android:

1. You may be running an outdated version of YouTube on your phone.
2. The hosted video may be corrupted or missing some frames.
3. You may not have permission to access the specific video.
4. There may be some issues with the mobile or WiFi network on your device.
5. Even a small change in your phone's network settings can cause this problem.
6. An VPN, a firewall, antivirus or any other third-party application may also cause the video to become unplayable.

Why videos not playing on Android phone?

If the video has already been downloaded, but you can't play it on your Android phone, it may be due to the following reasons.

1. The video could not be downloaded correctly from its source.
2. The video file header might be missing or corrupted.
3. There may be issues with the timing of your video or audio component.
4. The file may not be compatible with your Android phone or the media player you are using.
5. Most likely the SD card where your video was stored is also damaged.
6. If the video was recorded on your phone, some settings or encoding changes may have caused the video to be incompatible.

Part 2: How to fix videos not playing on Android

If the video is already saved on your Android phone and you can still play it, you can consider the following suggestions to fix the video playback error on Android.

Solution 1: Try downloading the video again

If the downloading process stopped in the middle, you might encounter an issue like this. The easiest way to fix videos not playing in Android gallery is by downloading them again. That is, you can simply go to the online source and download the video once again. class=»img-fluid» Alternatively, you can copy it from your computer or get it from any other source as well.

Solution 2: Restart your phone

As surprising as it may seem, sometimes a simple trick like this can help you if your phone won't play videos. All you have to do is hold down the button Power On and touch the function «Restart» once you get the options On. Please wait a moment for your phone to reboot and play the video now.

Solution 3: Download a compatible media player

Most likely, the video format you have is not supported by your Android's native media player. To fix this, you can download a third-party video player like VLC o MX Video player. Both video players are available for free and can be downloaded from their Play Store page.

Solution 4: Clear the cache of the media player

Even if there is no problem with the downloaded video, the problem can also occur due to a malfunctioning media player. For example, if you are using VLC Media Player, then the accumulated cache data can also cause videos not playing on Android phone issue. To resolve this, do the following:

1. Step 1:: simply go to Your phone Settings > Applications > VLC Media Player > Storage
2. Step 2:: Then, tap the “ buttonClear cache«. Additionally, you can also clear the app data from here to boost the app.

Solution 5: Transfer the video to the phone's internal storage

Last time we found out that the phone can't play videos, we knew that the problem was with a corrupted SD card. So, if the SD card you have on your Android is corrupted, then you should consider moving your videos to your phone's internal storage. Just do the following:

1. Step 1:: open the File Manager
2. Step 2: Find the SD card and select the videos you want to move.
3. Step 3: Copy them from the SD card and then paste them into your phone's internal memory.

Solution 6: Update your Android firmware

In case you are running your device on an old or outdated Android version, then you should consider updating it. Outdated firmware can lead to several issues including the problem of videos not playing on Android.

You can simply unlock your device and go to Settings> About phone> System update and check for the latest compatible Android version that is available. You can later download the update and install it on your phone.

Solution 7: Use a professional video repair application

If you are sure that the problem is not with the device or settings, but with the video itself, then you can use a repair tool. We would recommend Wondershare Video Repair as it supports all major video formats and various issues related to them.

You can repair corrupt video, damaged header and solve problems with your audio, video, missing frames, blurry image, etc.

All you have to do is first move the video from your Android device to your computer and then use Wondershare Video Repair. The app is quite easy to use and features two different repair solutions. It can let you repair multiple videos in one go and you can even preview your videos beforehand. Here’s how you can learn how to fix videos not playing on an Android phone.

Try it for free

Part 1: Add the corrupted videos to the app

1. Step 1:: To start things off, you can simply copy your videos from your Android phone to computer and launch the Wondershare Video Repair application.
2. Step 2:: Then drag and drop the videos to the interface or click the Add button to manually locate corrupted videos.

Part 2: Make a quick video repair

1. Step 1:: Once you have added the videos you want to repair into the Recoverit interface, you can view the details. Just click the “Repair» now to start the quick repair process.

2. Step 2:: When the repair process is complete, the app will inform you and also let you preview your videos. You can now save them to any safe location.

Part of it 3: Perform advanced video repair (optional)

1. Step 1:: If the video is seriously damaged and Quick Repair cannot get the expected results, you can also perform Advanced Video Repair. Just click its option from the bottom of the interface.
2. Step 2:: To perform an advanced repair, you must first add a sample video.

NOTE: : The sample video should work (without any issues) in the same format as the corrupted video and also filmed on the same device (like your Android phone).

3. Step 3:: Once the sample video is added, click the “Repair» to start the advanced repair process.

Step 4: Preview and save your videos

After the quick or advanced video repair operation is completed, the application will inform you and also allow you to preview the video. If you are satisfied, you can save the repaired video files to any preferred location.

Part 3: How to fix YouTube videos not playing

Used by over a billion people worldwide, YouTube makes it easy for us to watch all kinds of videos online through the free app. However, if YouTube videos are not playing on Android, you can consider following these suggestions:

Solution 1: Reopen the YouTube app

1. Step 1:: To start with, you can try the easiest solution to fix YouTube not working on Samsung phone issue.

NOTE: : If the app has crashed, you can close it and prevent YouTube from running in the background.

2. Step 2:: Simply tap on the app switcher icon on your phone and swipe the YouTube app card. You can also restart your phone if you want and then launch YouTube to check if it has fixed the issue of online videos not playing on Android.

Solution 2: Check your phone's internet connection

Before proceeding with other solutions, make sure your Android is connected to a stable internet connection.

1. Step 1:: You can go to your network settings to make sure you are connected to a stable WiFi network and mobile data is enabled.
2. Step 2:: In addition, you can also go to the Configuration or Control center to activate the airplane mode.
3. Step 3:: Now, wait a moment and disable the airplane mode to re-enable your phone's connection.

Solution 3: Update your YouTube app

If you are running an older, outdated version of YouTube on your device, it can also cause online videos not to play on Android. Once you launch an outdated version of YouTube, you will get a prompt to update the app. Alternatively, you can also launch the Play Store and update YouTube from there as well.

Solution 4: Clear YouTube cache data

Sometimes, too much cache data buildup in the app can cause it to malfunction. To fix YouTube videos not playing do the following:

1. Step 1:: you can simply clear the cache.
2. Step 2:: go to Settings > Apps > YouTube > Storage and tap the button «Clear cache«.
3. Step 3:: Then, confirm your choice and wait for YouTube to clear the app cache.

Solution 5: Turn off the VPN feature

A VPN helps us browse the web or use apps like YouTube safely. However, sometimes the presence of a VPN can cause online videos not to play on Android. To resolve this, do the following:

1. Step 1:: go to Configuration from your phone > wireless networks y networks > VPN
2. Step 2: disable the feature from now on.

NOTE: : If you use a third-party VPN app, simply launch it and turn it off.

Solution 6: Reset network settings

Have you recently made some changes to your phone’s network settings that have caused videos not to play in the Android gallery? Well, in this case, you can simply reset your network settings to their default value. To do so, do the following:

1. Step 1:: go to your Settings > System > Reset
2. Step 2: Select the option «Reset Network Settings«.
3. Step 3: Confirm to reset your phone's network settings and wait for a moment as your device will reboot with factory network settings.

Solution 7: Disable data limit

Almost all new Android phones have a feature to limit mobile data usage. Ideally, the feature is to protect you from over-using mobile data, but sometimes it can result in YouTube videos not playing on Android as well. Well, to fix this do the following:

1. Step 1:: you can go to the settings Red or General to locate the data limit feature on your phone.
2. Step 2:: Additionally, you can also find the function in YouTube Settings > General which you can disable to turn off any limits on app usage.

Solution 8: Adjust the date and time on your phone

You may be surprised, but if your phone's date and time are not correct (outdated), it can cause video playback errors on Android. The good thing is that it can be easily fixed by visiting Settings > Date and time and manually entering the correct date. To make things easier, you can simply turn on the automatic date and time feature here as well.

Solution 9: Use a video repair tool

You might be surprised, but the video uploaded to YouTube could also get corrupted. In this case, I would recommend downloading the video to your computer first. This way, you can take help from a reliable application like Wondershare Video Repair to repair damaged video.

1. Step 1:: Just follow a simple click process which has already been discussed above to fix all kinds of issues with downloaded YouTube video.
2. Step 2:: Later, you can watch it at your convenience or even share the repaired video with others.

Part 4: How to prevent video playback errors on an Android phone

Since prevention is better than cure, you need to follow some measures to ensure that you won’t encounter video playback errors on Android. To avoid videos not playing on Android issue, follow these steps:

1. Avoid downloading apps or videos from sources you don't trust, as they can harm your device.
2. Always keep a backup of your videos to ensure you have a second copy in case of data loss or corruption.
3. Keep an antivirus or firewall active on your device to keep it protected from any malicious threats.
4. Make sure the video you're playing is compatible with your phone, and if you're using a third-party player, choose a reliable option like VLC.
5. Avoid heavy chatter or editing of videos that may corrupt your header or metadata.
6. Try not to restart or turn off your device when the video is still playing in the background.
7. Keep your phone and video apps updated to avoid any security or compatibility issues.

Here you can learn about: Solution to Green Screen in Videos with Windows 10

Conclusion

We are sure that after following this guide, you will be able to fix issues like videos not playing on Android. As you can see, we have already listed specific app and device-related solutions to resolve videos not playing in your Android Gallery.

However, if there is a more serious problem with the video file, seek help from Wondershare Video Repair. An all-in-one video repair app, you can fix various video issues through the easy-to-use DIY solution.

Most of the 'video not playing' issues on Android are resolved by clearing the cache or resetting your smartphone. However, if the mobile video file is corrupted, we recommend using Stellar Repair for Video.

This software is an efficient video repair utility that fixes all types of corruptions. It can repair multiple corrupted videos at once, saving a lot of time.

So now there is no need to worry about videos not playing on Android phone. Try the above methods and enjoy videos again on your Android mobile device. We hope we have helped you with this information.