There are a few common reasons why videos may not play properly on Facebook when using your phone:
Outdated App
One of the most common reasons videos won’t play on Facebook is because you have an outdated version of the Facebook app installed on your phone. Facebook is constantly updating their app with bug fixes and new features, so it’s important to keep it updated to the latest version available in your phone’s app store.
To update the Facebook app on your iPhone, open the App Store app, tap on your profile icon in the top right, scroll down to see a list of apps that need updating, and tap “Update” next to Facebook. On Android phones, open the Google Play Store app, tap the three lines “hamburger” icon in the top left, tap “My apps & games”, swipe over to “Updates” and tap “Update” next to Facebook.
Connection Issues
Problems with your internet connection can also prevent videos from loading properly in the Facebook app. Things like using a weak Wi-Fi signal, having a poor cellular data connection, or using a VPN or ad-blocker can interfere with video playback.
Try disabling your Wi-Fi and switching to a cellular data connection, or vice versa, to see if videos load better. Make sure you don’t have any VPN apps enabled that could be routing your traffic in a way that blocks Facebook videos. Check that you don’t have any ad-blocker browsers or apps installed that block Facebook video ads.
Corrupt Cache
The Facebook app stores some data and cached files on your phone to help speed up load times. Over time, this cache can become corrupted and cause issues like videos not playing properly. Clearing the app’s cache can often resolve video playback problems.
To clear the Facebook app cache on iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap on Facebook, then tap “Offload App”. Open the Facebook app again and videos should now work. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Storage, then tap “Clear Cache”.
Buggy App Version
In some cases, a particular version of the Facebook app may have a bug that affects video playback for certain phones. If clearing the cache and troubleshooting your connection doesn’t fix the issue, the problem may be with your current Facebook app version.
Check if there is a Facebook app update available in your phone’s app store and install it. If videos still don’t load properly, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the Facebook app to fix any lingering bugs.
Incompatible Phone
Very old phone models may not be fully compatible with the latest version of the Facebook app and its video features. If your phone is more than 5 years old, it may simply not have the processing power or supported codecs to properly play Facebook videos.
Try updating your phone’s operating system to the latest available version and closing other resource-intensive apps to free up memory and processing power. If videos still won’t play properly, you may need to consider upgrading to a newer phone model.
Restrictive Network
Some school, workplace, and public Wi-Fi networks block access to certain sites and services, including blocking video playback on Facebook. Connecting through these networks may prevent Facebook videos from loading.
Switch to a personal Wi-Fi or cellular data connection without restrictions to access Facebook videos. You may also try using a VPN app to bypass network blocks, but access may still be limited.
Facebook Server Issues
In rare cases, playback issues may be caused by a widespread Facebook outage or server problems. Issues like these are usually temporary and resolved by Facebook engineers quickly.
Check the Facebook System Status page to see if there are any known issues with video playback affecting multiple users. Trying again later when the outage is resolved is typically the only solution in this scenario.
How to Troubleshoot Facebook Video Playback Issues
Here are the key troubleshooting steps to resolve any video playback problems on Facebook:
- Update the Facebook app to the latest version
- Try changing between Wi-Fi and cellular data
- Clear the Facebook app cache and data
- Check for Facebook app updates or reinstall the app
- Make sure your phone OS is updated
- Try disabling VPNs, ad blockers or switching networks
- Test videos in another browser or app
- Check Facebook System Status for known issues
Following these tips should help get videos playing again in most cases. If the problem persists, contacting Facebook support or your phone manufacturer may be needed to further investigate potential device compatibility issues.
Conclusion
With Facebook used by billions of people daily, video playback problems are bound to occur for some users occasionally. But in most cases, issues like outdated apps, network problems or corrupted caches are to blame – not a platform-wide failure. By keeping the Facebook app updated, managing your phone’s settings and caches, and troubleshooting methodically, you should be able to resolve any pesky video playback issues that arise.