From 3G to 4G and the 5G on the way, the increasingly accelerated network allows us to deploy mobile devices on a broader level. The beneficial impact is obvious; equipped with cloud storage and super-fast connection, we get to enjoy the entertainment on mobile phones more easily. Despite the convenience, some issues still get reported on Android devices as many people find video won't play on Android recently. Want to know how to fix it? Just read on.

Part 1: Why Video Won't Play on Android?

It's hard to say what exactly caused the problem of "Video won't play on Android" without context, like the file format, phone settings, etc. But based on the use cases, there are some general causes for this issue, and the most often seen are:

Connectivity

If the video won't play on Android when you are watching it online using an app or browser, it could be something to do with the network. The quality of the network, like signal and speed, is important when playing online video. If you don't have a good connection, it's likely the video won't play on Android.

Video and format

This is one of the most commonly seen errors when video won't play on Android. The video you downloaded could be in a format that is not supported on your Android phone. Or the video file is corrupted, even not downloaded completely from the source.

Cookies & cache

Cookies and cache are generated when you use apps or from your browsing history. When these temporarily stored files get filled up, they become corrupted over time and reduce the memory available on your phone. They will likely cause all sorts of playback issues such as "video won't play on Android."

Corrupted SD card

If you use an SD card to store your video, and the experience video won't play on Android, then you should also look into your SD card once you have ruled out the problem of the video file. There are chances that your SD card is damaged because of malware or mishandling or running out of storage to let you load the video.

Outdated media player

If you have ruled out the problem of your video file and made sure they are supported format but the video won't play on Android, it could be something to do with your media player. It's either outdated or damaged that needs to be updated to fix bugs and work properly. An outdated media player sometimes may not be able to recognize a codec or format on the latest Android.

Outdated browser

An outdated browser can cause a lot of issues, especially when it comes to video playing. Some features updated on Android may not work well on the outdated browser. What's more, bugs can cause more errors when you haven't updated the browser for a while.

Android system not updated

Similarly, your Android system should be kept up to date to avoid various kinds of problems, and video playback is one of them. Once the video won't play on Android, it's important to check if your Android OS is updated to the latest version.

low system resources

Just like the computer system, your Android could run out of resources sometimes so it can't support media playing. Moreover, when you have too many tasks and processes running in the background, there is no sufficient memory/RAM available, thus the video won't play on Android.

Part 2: Solution to Video Won't Play on Android App

Now you have learned all the possible causes for the video won't play on Android. Let's see how to fix the problem on Android with the methods below.

Reboot/Restart your device

 Video-won't-play-on-android-restart

The simplest way to troubleshoot the problem of "Video Won't Play on Android" is to reboot/restart your device. Close all the applications, and turn off your Android phone. Restart it and check if the video can play properly.

Repair video file

When the video won't play on Android, especially for those stored in the SD card, the first thing to look into is the video file. Check if the video file has got corrupted. You can either transfer the video to your computer to see if it can properly play with a different device and media player. If not, a video repair tool can be a great help or you can try to download the video again.

Convert video file

If your video format is simply not supported on your Android phone, you can convert the video to a compatible format. Try Leawo Video Converter, a great tool that can handle a lot of video formats and is capable of converting your video to any format supported on your Android.

Install another media player

If your current media player can not support the video format, you can always turn to another one that can support the video codec. Install a third-party player like a VLC player on your Android phone, and replay the video to see if the "video won't play on Android" issue can be fixed.

Update Android app

If your video won't play on Android with the apps, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc., then check if these Android apps are up to date. Just as a media player, some video apps also require constant updates to make sure they can work well.

Uninstall unsecured app

If you have downloaded any app from an untrusted source, or the "video won't play on Android" happened sometime since you have installed some unsecured app, it could be that the app is disrupting the function of your phone, including blocking the video playback or making your videos corrupt.

Update Android OS

You can update your Android OS to fix video won't play on Android. Just follow the steps below to update your system.

  • - Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi. Open "Settings" and scroll down, then tap "About Device."
  • - Tap "Update" or "Software Update" or "System Firmware Update" as it varied in different Android versions.
  • - Tap "Check for Updates" and "Update" to proceed.
  • - Tap "Install/ Reboot and Install" to begin the installation process.

Part 3: Solution to Video Won't Play on Android Browser

What can you do if your video won't play on the Android browser? Don't worry, there are several ways to fix it. Check out the methods below to see how to solve the problem.

Check your network

Since your video won't play on an Android browser, it means that's a video on the internet. Always check your network when there is a problem with video playback online. Your internet speed and quality of connection are important to online media playing, especially streaming. Some online video requires a high-speed network to ensure flawless streaming.

Clear cookies and cache

Clearing the corrupted cookies and cache is essential when addressing several playback issues. You can clear cookies and cache with these steps: go to Settings > Apps > See all apps > Storage and cache > clear storage and clear cache. Then go back to the browser to check if the "video won't play on Android" issue is fixed.

Update your browser

If the video won't play on Android with your browser, try to switch to another one to see if the issue still occurs. If not, check if the current browser is updated to the latest version. Update it if necessary. On top of that, please note that you should update your operating system from time to time, otherwise it might cause different bugs or playback errors.

Factory Reset

If none of the above seems to do the trick when the video won't play on both Android app and browser, the last resort is Factory Reset. Please be aware that Factory Reset will wipe out all the data so it's better to back up all your files and information before doing so. To factory reset your phone, just follow the steps below.

  • - Open the "Settings" and select "System."
  • - Tap "Advanced" to expand the menu, select "Reset options."
  • - Tap" Erase all data(factory reset)" and enter your PIN if prompted.
  • - Select "Erase all data" to start the factory reset.

Part 4: Best Converter to Solve Issue of Video Won't Play on Android

Most "Video won't play on Android" can be fixed via restarting your phone or clearing the cache. However, if the video format is simply not supported on your Android, a quick solution is to convert them using the Leawo Video Converter. It's the best converter on the market that allows you to edit video and audio, burn videos and images to DVD/Blue-ray, convert media to various formats. With Leawo Video Converter, you can reduce video file size without losing quality. That's not just it, if you like watching 3D movies, you can even make your own side-by-side 3D movies based on 2D movies via Leawo Video Converter!

  • Leawo Video Converter
  • Leawo Video Converter

    1. Convert video and audio files between 180+ formats without quality loss
    2. Support 720P, 1080P and even real 4K video output
    3. Create photo slideshows from photos stored on camera, computer, camcorder, etc
    4. Built-in video editor to trim, crop, add watermark, apply special effect, etc
    5. 2D to 3D converter with 6 different 3D movie effects available

Now let's see how to do video editing with Leawo Video Converter. Before everything else, you will need to download the software from the links below.

Step 1: Launch Leawo Video Converter

You can see Leawo Video Converter is a module of Leawo Prof. Media. Click the "Video Converter" on the main screen, or open the "Convert" module to enter the video converter module.

Step 2: Add Source Video Files

Click the "Add Video" button to browse and add video files from the local drive. You can also simply drag and drop.

Step 3: Set Output Format

Next to the green"Convert" button on the right you can find "MP4 Video". Click the button and you'll see a drop-down menu, select the "Change" option to enter the "Profile" panel, this is where you can set the output format.

On the "Profile" panel, you can choose any format you like, from either "Format" or "Device".

Step 4: Set Output Directory

After adjusting parameters, format, and video editing, click the big green "Convert" button to continue to the output directory setting.

Step 5: Start converting

Set output directory in the popup sidebar. Click "Agree" in the red notice, and click "Convert" to start conversion.

With Leawo Video Converter, you don't need to get another media player when your video won't play on Android because of incompatible formats. Simply convert your video file to the format supported by the current media player. If you have to regularly edit video and audio, this is the ultimate solution to satisfy all your needs!