Sometimes, when you send or receive a video via WhatsApp, it may fail to play, and display errors like “video file cannot be played” or “there was an error playing the video file”. Such errors come up when the file is not fully downloaded, your network connection is unstable, or the app needs a refresh.
Other common causes include low storage on the recipient’s device or an unsupported video file format. Here’s how the causes are divided based on format compatibility, storage, and network issues.
Causes of WhatsApp Video Not Playing
We have broadly divided the causes into two categories.
- Video format Issues
Unsupported file formats – WhatsApp primarily supports all popular video file formats, including MP4, MOV, and 3GP. However, if someone sends you an AVI, WMV, M2TS, FLV, MKV, or any other incompatible video file, WhatsApp will likely fail to play it.
Incompatible Video Codecs – While a video file may seem to end with .mp4 or .mov, it might be using a codec that WhatsApp cannot read. In that case, the video might fail to load.
File corruption or damage – For users on a slower connection, the default video size limit is 64MB/480p, while on a faster internet connection, it’s 100MB/720p. So, when you send an HD or 4K video via WhatsApp exceeding 64 MB limit, it may sometimes get compressed improperly and become corrupted. WhatsApp may fail to play such video files.
- Device and Network Issues
Poor Network Connectivity – If your internet connection is choppy and weak, the video files may fail to download properly and will not play on your device.
Insufficient Storage – WhatsApp needs temporary storage to download and play video files on your device. If your device has insufficient storage, the video file may freeze, fail to load, or show any playback error.
Corrupted Device Cache – WhatsApp accumulates temporary data whenever you open the app. These cache files can become corrupted with time and cause the app’s media player to glitch.
Outdated App Version – If your WhatsApp version is old, it may contain bugs that can clash with newer mobile OS and video formats causing issues in the video file playback.
Too Many Background Apps – Running too many background apps can consume most of your device’s RAM. As a result, WhatsApp will lack the memory required to render the video.
Common WhatsApp Video Error Messages
If WhatsApp shows you an error message itself, this narrows down the cause behind the playback issue.
Error 1 – There was an error playing the video – This error points to an outdated WhatsApp app version, corrupted app cache, or a temporary server issue.
Error 2 – This video is not available because something is wrong with the video file – As the name suggests, this one points at the video file itself. If it shows up only for a specific video, skip to the corruption section below.
First Try These General Fixes (For Android and iPhone)
- Check your Network Connection. Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data (or vice versa), and confirm your internet connection works fine.
- Update WhatsApp app. Open the Play Store or App Store, Search WhatsApp, then check for an update and install it if available.
- Restart the app, or the phone. Close WhatsApp completely, then reopen it. If that doesn’t help, restart your device.
- Check your device’s free storage. Free up some space if your phone is more than 90% full. Low storage can quietly break media playback.
Fix WhatsApp Video Not Playing on Android
If you are experiencing “WhatsApp video not playing” error on your Android device, try out the below fixes.
Clear the WhatsApp cache
Outdated or corrupted cache on your WhatsApp can cause playback issues. Clearing the cache can help avoid the same.
- Go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage.
- Tap Clear Cache. Do not tap on Clear Data (It will delete all your WhatsApp data).
Reopen WhatsApp and try the video again.
Check WhatsApp app permissions
Make sure WhatsApp has Photos and Videos (media) permissions enabled on your device. The settings and permissions menu may vary with device manufacturer or Android version.
- Go to your Android phones Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Permissions.
- Now, click on Photos and Videos or Media from the menu.
- Click on Allow All or Always Allow all as per your device’s permission menu.
Reinstall the app
If clearing the cache doesn’t help, you can uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp, but make sure you backed up all your data before uninstalling WhatsApp from your device. Your chat history is safe even after uninstallation as long as backup is turned on.
Unsupported Video File
WhatsApp’s Android player cannot handle WMV, WebM, MTS, VOB, RMVB, or other less popular video file formats and newer codecs like H.265. If a WhatsApp video fails to play and it’s an MTS, WebM, or video encoded in H.265, save it to your gallery and open it in VLC, as it supports a much wider range of codecs than WhatsApp’s built-in player.
These fixes help if your videos aren’t playing on Android device.
Fix WhatsApp Video Not Playing on iPhone
If you are facing the WhatsApp Video Not Playing error on iPhone, try the below fixes. These fixes are very similar to your Android device and only the steps will vary.
Offload and reinstall the app
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > WhatsApp, then tap Offload App.
This clears any temporary app glitch without deleting your chats and data. Later, reinstall the WhatsApp app from the App Store.
Check permissions
Under Settings > WhatsApp, confirm Photos and Cellular Data access are turned on.
Turn on Background App Refresh
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and make sure it’s enabled for WhatsApp.
If this is disabled, videos can fail to finish downloading when the app isn’t open.
Fix WhatsApp Video Not Playing on WhatsApp Web on Desktop
The above fixes work for Android and iPhone devices, but if you are getting this video cannot be played error on WhatsApp Web (Browser), the fixes are a bit different. Let’s go through them one by one.
Clear your PC’s browser cache
A corrupt cache is one of the most common causes of playback failures on WhatsApp Web. Clear your browser’s cached images and files, then reload web.whatsapp.com.
Disable browser extensions
Ad blockers and privacy/VPN extensions can also sometimes interfere with WhatsApp Web’s media player. Try disabling them, or open WhatsApp Web again after relaunching the web browser.
Turn off hardware acceleration
In your browser’s or Chrome’s settings, look for a hardware acceleration (go to Settings > System > Use Graphics acceleration when available) and toggle it off, then restart the browser.
How to Fix WhatsApp Status Video Not Playing?
WhatsApp status videos have their own playback problems and fixes, and luckily, these are easy to fix. WhatsApp caps each status clip at about 90 seconds, but if a WhatsApp status video is not playing, the issue is likely a bad upload or poor connectivity. If you are not able to play another person’s WhatsApp status video, check and fix any network connection issues, or move to a location with strong network connectivity.
However, if your own WhatsApp Status doesn’t load, you can re-upload the same, or try other general fixes shared above.
How to Fix a Corrupted WhatsApp Video File?
When we share video files via WhatsApp, it prioritizes fast sharing and low data consumption. When you upload a video, the app’s aggressive compression algorithm heavily shrinks the file size. This reduces the video’s bitrate and resolution, leading to quality degradation. Sometimes, it may corrupt the video file (especially large 4K or 8K files) and render it unplayable.
If you are only facing errors while playing a video file on WhatsApp while it works seamlessly on VLC or other playback apps, the issue is with WhatsApp. You can try the above fixes and get it playing again. But, if it fails everywhere else, the video file shared via WhatsApp is likely corrupted.
Here, you will require a specialized online video repair tool – Stellar Online Video Repair, the tool supports most popular video file formats and works directly on your browser. Just go to the online video repair page, upload the corrupted video file from your device’s gallery, add a sample file, start the repair, and then preview and download the repaired video file.
It also repairs a single corrupted file for free directly in your browser and supports the same range of common formats.
You can also try the desktop-based video repair tool – Stellar Repair for Video to fix severely corrupted videos or videos that won’t play, show artifacts, black screen, or play with no sound.
- Download and install Stellar Repair for Video on your Windows or Mac PC and then open it.
- Click Add Videos and select the corrupted WhatsApp video.
- Click Repair and let the tool process the file.
- Preview the repaired video to confirm it plays correctly, then save it to your preferred location.
If the video file is severely corrupted and does not get fixed in the first attempt, you have the option to add a Sample file captured from the same device and of the same file format. This helps with fixing any severe corruption issue with the video file and make it playable again.
Conclusion
Most times the WhatsApp video playback issues come down to an interrupted transfer or incomplete download, a poor network connectivity, or an app that needs a cache clear or update. The fixes provided in this blog resolve the vast majority of cases in no time. If you’ve tried the above fixes and the video still won’t play inside or outside WhatsApp, it is file corruption rather than an WhatsApp app problem or software glitch. Consider repairing it directly with Stellar Repair for Video.
