Videos Not Playing on Mac

Why won't videos play on your Mac?

There are many reasons for videos not opening on your Mac. They include file corruption, unstable or slow internet connectivity, missing video codecs, security setting issues, outdated software, problems with JavaScript, third-party app conflicts, and even malware. You may be able to fix the problem by restarting your Mac, clearing cached data, or using a different video player.

If you suspect file corruption, check out our guide on how to fix corrupted files on Mac.

A note from our experts: 

 

If you try all our tips and still find videos not running on your Mac, don’t despair. Our MacKeeper’s Premium Services team can help you find the solutions you’re after.

 

Here’s how to contact them:

1. Download MacKeeper. Install and run it.
2. Select Premium Services from the side menu.
3. Click Chat Now, and explain your issue to our online agent.

How to fix videos not playing on Mac?

There are lots of ways to deal with video playback issues on Mac. For online videos, you should check your internet connection, restart your web browser, and try removing third-party extensions. If you’re trying to play video files stored on your Mac, restart your video player app, reboot your Mac, and also try a different macOS video player.

1. Enable JavaScript in your browser

Without JavaScript, most online video sites won’t work properly. So if you find YouTube not working on your MacBook, make sure JavaScript is enabled in your web browser.

Here’s how we check JavaScript in Safari:

1. In Safari, select Safari > Settings in the menu bar.
2. Open the Security section, then make sure Enable JavaScript is ticked.
3. With JavaScript enabled, reload the page and try the video again.

You can also check that JavaScript is working in Chrome:

1. In Chrome, open Chrome > Settings from your menu bar.
2. Select Privacy and security in the sidebar.
3. Select Site settings > JavaScript.
4. Under Default behaviour, make sure Sites can use JavaScript is enabled.
5. See if your video is playing properly.

2. Open the video in a private window

When you open a web page in a private window, it doesn’t save to your history. But it also loads the page without third-party extensions, which could be exactly what’s stopping your video from playing.

To open a private window in Safari or Chrome, simply press Cmd+Shift+N. If your video plays in the private window, then we suggest disabling browser extensions. If you remove extensions one by one, rather than all at once, you can work out which one is causing your playback issues.

3. Remove browser cache

Cached browser data can build up over time, slowing down your machine and even causing issues with videos. Fortunately, we can remove cached data in just a few clicks.

This is how to clear Safari’s cache:

1. Open Safari > Settings > Advanced.
2. Enable Show features for web developers.
3. In your menu bar, select Develop > Empty Caches for All Profiles.
4. Try playing the video.

To clear Chrome’s history and cache:

1. Click the three dots in the top right of Chrome.
2. Select Delete browsing data.
3. Choose All time at the top, then click Delete data.
4. Now see if videos are working properly.

4. Delete unknown extensions

We use third-party browser extensions all the time, but if we were having problems with videos not playing on Mac, we’d try removing some of those extensions.

Do as follows to remove Safari extensions:

1. Open Safari’s Settings panel, and select Extensions.
2. If there’s an extension you don’t recognize, select it, and click the Uninstall button.
3. Click Show in Finder.
4. Send the extension to your Trash, then try playing your video again.

Removing Chrome extensions? Here’s how:

1. Go to Chrome > Settings > Extensions.
2. On any extension you don’t recognize, click the Remove button.
3. In the pop-up dialog, click Remove.
4. Now try your video again.

5. Use a different media player for video

If you’re trying to play a video that’s stored on your computer and it won’t play, try a different video playing app. Your current video player may not support the video file format.

There are many third-party video player apps for Mac. Give a few of these a try if you have a problem with videos not working on Mac.

Here are just a few we’ve found:

• VLC
• IINA
• Elmedia Video Player
• MKPlayer
• Final Video Player
• Infuse
• OmniPlayer

6. Check for malware on your Mac

We don’t want to panic you, but video playback issues can also be caused by malware. The good news is you can get malware off your system quickly with MacKeeper’s Antivirus.

Here’s how:

1. In MacKeeper, select Antivirus from the side menu.
2. Click Start Scan, and wait for the scan to finish.
3. If malware is found, select it from the list and click Delete.
4. Now reset your Mac, and try playing your video again.

Malware can cause all kinds of other issues too, including downloads not working on your Mac, so make sure you’re protected.

Say goodbye to video playback issues

Let’s end with a quick action replay. As you’ve seen, there are lots of potential ways to deal with videos not playing on Mac. For online videos, issues are usually caused by interruptions to your internet connection or problems with your web browser. If your playback issues are persistent, we also suggest removing third-party browser extensions and clearing your cache. With videos stored on your Mac, playback issues are usually caused by file corruption or missing codecs, which you can solve by downloading the file again and trying a different video player.

Ultimately, though, the tips we’ve suggested here may not be enough to get videos playing properly on your Mac. But don’t worry—we can still help. Our MacKeeper’s Premium Services team offer fully bespoke support on demand, and they have a wealth of experience, having fixed over 332,000 Macs and closed over a million cases. Reach out to them today, and see what they can do for you.