Facebook Videos: 7 Quick Fixes to Make Them Load ✅

Although Facebook wasn't primarily designed as a video platform, its video library has grown impressively in recent years.

On Facebook's mobile app, there's even a dedicated "Watch" tab for watching videos shared by other users. Videos also appear randomly in news feeds.

However, a common issue users face is videos not playing on the mobile app. If this is happening to you, here's how to fix it.

Why aren't videos playing on Facebook?

There are usually several reasons why videos won't play on Facebook. If the video won't load, you'll usually see a black screen in the player.

The most common causes include:

Your internet connection is not active or is unstable.
The autoplay feature for videos is disabled on Facebook.
Facebook's data saving mode is enabled.
The video is not available for your geographic location.
You are using an outdated version of the Facebook app.

To resolve this issue, we recommend following a series of diagnostic steps below.

1. Check your internet connection

If no video plays in the Facebook app, the first thing you should check is your internet connection. Your connection may be inactive or intermittent.

A slow connection may allow you to view posts, but videos may take a long time to load or simply won't play. Make sure your internet is active and has a strong signal before continuing.

2. Check the status of Facebook servers

Like any web service, Facebook's servers may experience downtime or maintenance. When this occurs, some features, such as video playback, may be affected.

You can check the server status on sites like Downdetector. If they're down, just wait for them to recover.

3. Adjust the video quality

Facebook allows you to adjust video quality to suit your internet speed. If you have a slow connection, lowering the quality can prevent interruptions in playback.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the application Facebook on your phone.

2. Play the video you want to adjust.

3. Tap the video and select Configuration.

4. In the menu, select Quality.

5. Select a resolution lower so that the video loads without interruptions.

With this tweak, videos should play without pauses or buffering, even on slow internet.

4. Disable data saving mode

Facebook includes a data-saving mode that reduces playback quality to protect your internet usage. However, this feature can sometimes prevent videos from playing properly.

Here's how you can disable it on Android:

1. Open the Facebook app.

2. Tap the menu icon in the top right corner.

3. Scroll down and open Settings and privacy.

4. Select Media.

5. Uncheck the option Data saving.

5. Activate autoplay of videos on Facebook

If autoplay is disabled, videos appearing in your feed won't play on their own and you'll have to tap them to watch them.

You've likely disabled it previously to save mobile data. To enable it again, follow these steps:

1. Open the Facebook app and tap the menu in the top right corner.

2. Deploy Settings and privacy and select Configuration.

3. Enter Media.

4. In the AutoPlay section, select 'On mobile data and Wi-Fi'.

After this change, restart the Facebook app for the settings to take effect.

6. Disable VPN or proxy app

Using a VPN or proxy while browsing Facebook can cause issues with video playback. This happens because the video isn't available for the location your VPN simulates.

It's best to disable these apps and check if the videos play correctly.