It can be frustrating when you try to watch a video on Facebook only to have the screen go black. There are a few common reasons why Facebook videos may not play correctly or go black when trying to watch them.
Video Format Issues
One of the most common reasons a Facebook video may go black is because of incompatible video formats. Facebook supports the following video formats:
- MP4
- MOV
- AVI
- WMV
- MPEG4
- MPEGPS
- FLV
- 3GPP
- WebM
If you try to upload a video in a format that Facebook does not support, the video may appear black when trying to play it. Some common unsupported formats that could cause black videos include MKV, AVCHD, and certain QuickTime formats.
To fix this, you need to convert your video file to one of the supported formats above before uploading it to Facebook. There are many free online video converters available that make this easy to do.
Video File Corruption
In some cases, a video file may become corrupted, resulting in a black screen when trying to play it on Facebook. This can happen for a few reasons:
- A bad upload – Errors during the file transfer to Facebook could corrupt the video.
- Faulty storage device – If the disk or drive the video is stored on has errors, it could cause file corruption.
- Bad footage – Corrupt frames within the raw video footage itself can lead to black videos.
If corruption is the cause, you will need to re-export the video from your editing software or camera before re-uploading a fresh copy to Facebook. Check closely for any glitches or errors in the original source footage that could be leading to the corruption issue.
Unsupported Video Codecs
Video codecs encode and compress video files to make them smaller and easier to stream online. Facebook requires videos to use certain codecs that ensure best compatibility across platforms and devices.
The following codecs are supported by Facebook:
- H.264 – The most popular and versatile codec for HD video.
- H.265 – Newer than H.264, but provides great quality at lower bitrates.
- VP8 – Open source codec often used for web video.
- VP9 – Successor to VP8 developed by Google.
- QuickTime Animation (RLE) – For quick compressing of lossless animations.
If your video uses an older or more obscure video codec, Facebook may not be able to properly decode it which can result in black screens. You will need to re-export your videos with one of the supported codecs above before uploading.
Upload Errors
In rare cases, a video may go black due to an error or interruption while uploading to Facebook. This can sometimes corrupt the file or cause only a partial upload.
Possible upload errors that could cause this include:
- Unstable internet connection dropping packets
- Uploading from a mobile device that loses connectivity
- Exceeding file size or length limits for the video
- Service or server issues on Facebook’s end
- Exiting the upload flow before it completes
To troubleshoot upload issues, first retry uploading the video. If the problem persists, try the following:
- Upload over a wired internet connection instead of wireless
- Compress the video file to reduce its size before uploading
- Split longer videos into segments before uploading
- Avoid uploading during high traffic periods
Restricted Video Settings
Facebook automatically encodes videos to stream properly across different devices, resolutions, and bandwidths. To ensure smooth playback, they restrict videos to:
- Minimum resolution of 720p
- Maximum resolution of 4K
- Minimum frame rate of 24 fps
- Maximum bitrate of 8-10 mbps
If your video has settings outside of these ranges, such as very high resolution or frame rate, Facebook may fail to encode it properly causing black screens on playback.
Before uploading, check your export settings and make sure your video meets Facebook’s resolution, frame rate, and bitrate requirements. If needed, down-convert ultra high definition footage to 4K.
Account and Privacy Settings
On very rare occasions, your personal account settings or privacy options could cause uploaded videos to appear black. Check the following settings to ensure they are configured correctly:
- Video privacy – Should be set to “Public” or available to your desired audience.
- Restricted mode – Disable this if enabled as it can block certain content.
- Block settings – Remove any blocked keywords that could affect your video.
- Age restrictions – Videos may be blocked if underage audience restrictions are set.
- Region settings – Content rules can vary, so check your country/region location settings.
You may also need to double check your security and logging settings. Requirements like two-factor authentication can very occasionally disrupt video uploads.
Facebook Software Bugs
In rare instances, black videos may be caused by a software bug or glitch within the Facebook platform itself after a recent update. Some possible Facebook bugs that could impact videos include:
- Video encoding errors
- Incorrect video metadata parsing
- Playback buffering issues
- Errors managing digital rights / DRM
- Problems with new video player coding
Since these bugs originate internally with Facebook, there is usually not much you can do except wait for Facebook to release a patch. If you are experiencing unexplained black videos, check Facebook’s developer forums to see if other users are reporting potential bugs with the platform.
Facebook Video Playback Errors
In some cases, Facebook videos may initially upload successfully but then fail to play back correctly later. Some common Facebook playback problems include:
- Missing videos – Video thumbnails are visible but content is gone.
- Buffering issues – Video stalls and fails to load.
- No sound – Video plays but has no audio.
- Error messages – “Video Unavailable” or “Something Went Wrong” errors.
These playback problems are usually not an issue with your original video file but rather an error that occurs when users view the video through Facebook’s platforms. They originate with Facebook’s content delivery network (CDN) and cloud infrastructure.
Potential causes of Facebook playback failures include:
- Overloaded servers
- Network connectivity issues
- Corrupted player cache
- Device limitations – low memory, storage etc.
- Restricted access in certain countries or regions
To troubleshoot playback problems, you can try the following:
- Retry playing the video later during lower usage hours
- Clear your browser cache and cookies
- Try on a different device or Internet connection
- Ask viewers to refresh the page or re-upload the video
Unfortunately playback issues are largely out of your control as a video creator on Facebook. You will need to wait and hope that Facebook resolves them on their back end.
Facebook Video Compression
To optimize delivery of videos, Facebook compresses and down-samples uploaded videos by encoding them into multiple quality levels. This can very occasionally cause artifacts or quality loss that affects playback.
Some common compression issues include:
- Blocky pixelation in high motion scenes
- Blurring or softening of details
- Banding artifacts in gradients and skies
- Highlight clipping causing blown out bright areas
- Increased video noise especially in dark scenes
Unfortunately excessive compression is difficult to avoid on Facebook. To help maintain quality:
- Upload the highest resolution and bitrate video possible
- Use clean and sharp footage without noise/grain
- Minimize fast motion and challenging elements like water or fire
- Test videos before posting publicly to check quality
Also keep in mind that compression and quality loss will be less noticeable on small mobile screens that most Facebook viewing occurs on.
How to Prevent Black Videos on Facebook
Here are some key tips to help prevent your Facebook videos from going black:
- Convert videos to a supported format like MP4 before uploading
- Export videos using recommended codecs like H.264
- Ensure videos meet Facebook’s recommended resolution, frame rate, etc.
- Avoid uploading over unstable connections or during high traffic periods
- Be mindful of length and file size limits when uploading
- Double check your account settings and privacy options
- Retry failed uploads and troubleshoot potential issues
Testing your videos first before publishing them publicly can also help identify and fix any potential problems that could make videos go black for your audience.
With the right encoding settings and upload practices, you can help ensure your Facebook videos play reliably in all their full color for every viewer.
Fixing Black Videos on Facebook
If you’ve uploaded a video that has already gone black, here are some troubleshooting steps to try:
- Confirm the video plays properly on your own device or computer first. This helps narrow down where the issue originates.
- Repair and re-export the video if needed using video editing software before re-uploading.
- Try converting the video to different formats and codecs in case compatibility is the issue.
- Clear browser caches and try uploading from different devices and connections.
- If the original video has no issues, the problem likely lies with Facebook’s encoding process. Delete the video and re-upload a fresh copy.
- Check Facebook’s developer forums for reports of platform bugs that could be affecting video playback.
- As a last resort, you can request manual review of the video through Facebook’s help page for possible restoration if all else fails.
With patience and testing, you should be able to troubleshoot what is causing the black videos and correct it. Be sure to iterate and test different solutions until your videos play back reliably for your viewers.
Conclusion
Black videos on Facebook can be annoying but are usually caused by just a handful of common issues. With the right troubleshooting steps, you should be able to identify solutions like video conversion, proper export settings, Facebook bug fixes, or re-uploading to get your videos playing properly again.
Maintaining best practices for encoding and uploading videos can help avoid many problems in the first place. Test before publishing to catch potential issues early. If needed, be prepared to convert, compress, or tweak your footage to meet Facebook’s specifications for the best results.
With a few simple fixes, you can stop Facebook videos from going black and ensure your viewers always get perfectly clear and crisp footage every time.