What to Do if You Can't Play a Video on an Android Phone?

Fortunately, our guide to fixing this Android video playback problem can help. We’ll cover the most common reasons why videos are not playing on your phone  and the top ten methods for eliminating it. Learn how to get your Android videos playing again in no time.

In this article

01Reasons You Can’t Play Videos on an Android Phone

02Top 10 Fixes if You Can’t Play Videos on an Android Phone

Part 1. Reasons You Can’t Play Videos on an Android Phone

Even though you’ve recorded a particular video with your phone, you may face issues playing it. There are numerous causes for your video being unplayable. Thus, before fixing the problem, understand what caused it in the first place.

These are the most common reasons why videos won’t play on your Android phone:

Part 2. Top 10 Fixes if You Can’t Play Videos on an Android Phone

Now that we’ve covered the possible reasons for your video not playing on your Android phone, it’s time to fix it. We’ve prepared the top ten methods to help you eliminate your problem with unplayable videos. Our step-by-step instructions will help you resolve the issue and play your videos in seconds.

Fix 1: Repair Videos Using Repairit Online Video Repair

The best way to make your corrupted videos playable again is to use a video repair tool. Repairit is the best one to help you fix unplayable videos. We recommend the Online Video Repair version since you’ll use it on your phone.

Repairit Online Video Repair can help you repair corrupted and damaged videos in just a few taps. Follow these steps to fix your videos using Wondershare Repairit’s Online Video Repair:

Step 1: Go to the Repairit online video repair page on your Android phone. Tap Add Video to upload your corrupted videos.

Step 2: You’ll see all the videos you’ve uploaded on the screen. Tap Repair to start the process.

Step 3: The program will begin fixing videos one by one. You can monitor the process next to each video.

Step 4: Preview the videos, tap Download All, and wait for the files to download to your Android.

Fix 2: Clear Cache on Your Android Phone

Cache reduces load time by storing a copy of specific data on your device. For example, once you visit a webpage, your phone saves data in its cache memory, helping you access that page faster next time. However, if cache data gets corrupted, you must clear it.

Cache data can get corrupted if it accumulates a lot. Thus, clearing the cache can free up some storage space and allow other apps to function correctly. Follow these steps to clear the cache on your Android:

Step 1: Go to Settings on your phone.

Step 2: Find and open Storage / Application Manager.

Step 3: Tap Clear Cache.

Step 4: If you don’t have the option to clear all cache, go app-by-app and clear the cache for each app. Start with your Camera app.

Fix 3: Restart the Phone

You can often fix video playback problems with a simple restart. If your Android starts malfunctioning, restarting it will probably eliminate the issue.

Start by closing all apps on your Android and then restart it. When it turns back on, go to your Gallery and try to play your video. If it works, you have nothing to worry about. Otherwise, try other methods.

Fix 4: Install a Different Media Player

Another reason your video may refuse to play is incompatibility with your media player. If your media player has an unsupported video codec or other compatibility issues, you won’t be able to play your video.

You can fix that by installing a different media player that supports your video format. Install a reliable one like VLC Media Player from Google Play.

Fix 5: Update Your Media Player App

Before installing a different media player, ensure the one you’ve been using is up to date. If your media player is outdated, you could experience performance issues, such as videos being unable to play.

You can fix the problem by updating the media player to the latest app version. Follow these steps to update your media player app on your Android:

Step 1: Open the Play Store and search for your media player app.

Step 2: Open it in and check the status. If the options say Uninstall and Open, your media player has no updates. If you see Uninstall and Update, tap Update and wait for the media player to finish updating.

Try playing your video again to see if the update has resolved the problem.

Fix 6: Update Your OS

If your Android OS is outdated, it can experience bugs and glitches. Thus, updating the operating system to the latest version might resolve many problems. That means you’ll probably fix your video not playing by updating your OS.

Before updating your Android OS, back up your data to avoid losing it. Once you create a backup, follow these steps to update your Android operating system:

Step 1: Connect your Android to Wi-Fi.

Step 2: Go to Settings and select About Phone or My Phone.

Step 3: You’ll see the Update, Software Update, or System Update option depending on your Android model. Select it.

Step 4: Tap Check for updates.

Step 5: If Android OS updates are available, they’ll be on the screen. Tap Update.

Step 6: Tap Install and wait for the update to finish.

Fix 7: Update the Firmware

Another reason for your video’s inability to play could be outdated firmware. Thus, you can fix the problem by updating it. The process differs from updating the operating system, but it’s not that challenging.

Follow these steps to update your Android firmware to fix the “video not playing” problem:

Step 1: Go to your Android official download center webpage and download the .zip file for your firmware.

Step 2: Set the destination for the .zip file as the root directory of your Android phone’s internal storage. If you can’t do that, copy or move the file from the Downloads folder to the root directory.

Step 3: Restart your phone. Once it turns back on, you’ll see a firmware update notification.

Step 4: Swipe down the status bar and tap the message saying System update file detected.

Step 5: Follow the prompts on the screen to finish updating your firmware.

Fix 8: Remove Suspicious Apps

One of the common reasons for Android performance issues is suspicious apps. If you install questionable apps on your Android, you can get viruses and malware that cause problems on your phone. They can manifest as an inability to play a video.

Thus, avoid installing apps from untrusted sources on your Android phone. The safest solution is to only download from the Play Store. If you have any suspicious apps, remove them to fix your video not playing.

Fix 9: Reset Network Settings on Android

If you have video playback issues or similar problems, you can fix them by resetting the network settings on your phone. Don’t worry; it won’t affect your data, and you won’t lose files.

Follow these steps to reset network settings on your Android:

Step 1: Open Settings on your Android.

Step 2: Scroll down to find System settings. Open them.

Step 3: Select Reset Options.

Step 4: Tap Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.

Step 5: Tap Reset settings.

Fix 10: Enable Automatic Date & Time

Even though it seems unrelated, an incorrect date and time on your Android phone can lead to videos not playing. Fortunately, that’s an easy fix requiring just a few taps. If you’ve manually set your date and time or it’s outdated, you’ll encounter several issues, including video playback errors.

Thus, enabling automatic date and time on your Android phone can help you fix the problem and enjoy your videos again. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Settings on your Android phone.

Step 2: Scroll down to find Date & Time. Tap to open it.

Step 3: Toggle the switch next to Automatic date & time and Automatic time zone to enable them.

With these 10 fixes in mind, you'll be well on your way to resolving video playback issues on your Android device.

Conclusion

Don’t worry if you can’t play a video on your Android phone. The “Video cannot be played” error can appear for various reasons, such as video corruption, media player issues, SD card corruption, outdated software, and incorrect settings.

Fortunately, there are several effective ways to fix the problem. Using tools like Wondershare Repairit’s Online Video Repair, updating your media player and Android OS, clearing cache, or resetting network settings can help restore your videos in no time.

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