Videos Not Playing on iPhone? Here's Why + How to Fix It

Troubleshooting the Photos App

Close the Photos app and open it again. Swipe up from the bottom (or double-click the home button) to bring up the list of open apps. Swipe up on the Photos app to close it. Wait a few seconds, and then open it again.

Update your iPhone. If there's a software bug affecting videos on your iPhone, updating to the latest version is your best bet at fixing it.

Check your internet connection. If you have your videos saved to iCloud or another cloud service, an unstable internet connection can cause the video to buffer when trying to view it.

Disable Background App Refresh. This feature keeps apps up-to-date when not in use, but it may use more resources than your device has. To disable it, do the following: Open Settings. Tap General. Tap Background App Refresh. Tap Background App Refresh again. Tap Off.

Disable Low Power mode. This feature reduces some functions to optimize performance, and it may affect other apps. To turn off Low Power mode, do the following: Open Settings. Tap Battery. Toggle off Low Power Mode.

Restart your iPhone. A quick restart can fix common issues. Do the following: On iPhones without a Home button, press and hold the Power button and Volume Up button until the Power slider appears. On iPhones with a Home button, press and hold the side button until the slider appears. Slide the slider with your finger and wait for your iPhone to turn off. Wait 30 seconds, and then turn it back on.

Clear up storage space. If you don't have any available space on your iPhone, you may be unable to play videos. You can transfer files to a computer, or use a cloud service to hold your photos and videos. You can also uninstall apps to free up space.

Transfer the videos to another device, and play it there. You can transfer videos from your iPhone to a computer using your email, a cloud service, or a wired connection. If the video plays on another device, the issue is likely with your iPhone.

Check Apple's website for outages. If Photos is offline, you'll see Unavailable next to it.

Troubleshooting Videos in Other Apps

Restart the app. Force-close the app, wait a few seconds, and then open the app.

Make sure the app is updated. If you're running an older version of an app, such as YouTube, you may encounter streaming and playback issues.

Try a different app. If available, open the video in a different app. Tap the Share menu and select another app to open the video.

Check your internet connection. If you have an unstable connection, your videos will need a lot more time to buffer and load.