- Why Videos Are Not Playing on X (Twitter)
- 1. Check Your Internet Connection
- 2. Restart the App or Browser Tab
- 3. Clear the App Cache
- 4. Update the App
- 5. Try a Different Browser or Device
- 6. Disable Browser Extensions
- 7. Check If the Video Was Removed or Restricted
- 8. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
- 9. Restart Your Device
- 10. Check If X Is Down (Server Status)
- Frequently asked questions
Most X video playback issues come down to your connection, cached data, or the app itself. Try refreshing first, then clear your cache or update the app. If it still fails, test another network, check if the video plays in a browser, or restart your device. One of these ten fixes almost always sorts it.
Why Videos Are Not Playing on X (Twitter)
Videos on X (formerly Twitter) can fail to load for a handful of reasons. Sometimes it is your connection, sometimes it is the app cache, and sometimes the video itself has been deleted or restricted by the person who posted it.
Before you try anything technical, refresh the page or pull down to refresh the app. This fixes more problems than people expect.
If refreshing does not work, work through the fixes below in order. Start with the simple ones.
1. Check Your Internet Connection
A weak or unstable connection is the most common cause of video playback problems. Video needs a steady stream of data, and if your signal drops even briefly, playback can stall or fail completely.
Switch from mobile data to wifi, or the other way round, and see if the video loads. If you're on wifi, try moving closer to your router.
You can also run a quick speed test. If your download speed is under 5 Mbps, that is likely your problem, not the app.
2. Restart the App or Browser Tab
Closing and reopening X clears whatever temporary glitch is blocking the video from loading. This is different from clearing cache, which I'll cover next.
- Fully close the X app, don't just minimise it
- Wait ten seconds
- Reopen the app and find the video again
- On desktop, close the browser tab entirely and open a fresh one
This sounds too simple to work, but it clears a surprising number of playback errors.
3. Clear the App Cache
Cached data can become corrupted over time, and that includes data used to load videos. Clearing it forces the app to fetch everything fresh.
On Android, go to Settings, then Apps, find X, tap Storage, and choose Clear Cache. Don't tap Clear Data, as that will log you out.
On iPhone, there is no direct cache-clearing option within iOS settings. Instead, delete the app and reinstall it. This has the same effect and only takes a couple of minutes.
4. Update the App
An outdated app version can lose compatibility with how X serves video content. This is one of the more overlooked fixes.
Check the App Store or Google Play Store for pending updates. If X shows an update available, install it and restart your phone afterwards.
Automatic updates are usually on by default, but it is worth checking manually if you have not seen a prompt in a while.
5. Try a Different Browser or Device
If videos won't play on desktop, try switching browsers. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all handle embedded video slightly differently, and one may work when another does not.
Also try opening the same post on your phone instead of your laptop, or vice versa. This helps you work out whether the problem is with the platform or with your specific device.
If the video plays fine on one device but not another, the fix is almost certainly local to the device that is struggling, not to your X account.
6. Disable Browser Extensions
Ad blockers and privacy extensions can stop video content from loading, since some of them block scripts that video players rely on.
Turn off your ad blocker for x.com specifically, or open the site in an incognito or private window where extensions are usually disabled by default.
If the video plays in private mode, you know an extension is the cause. You can then re-enable extensions one at a time to find the culprit.
7. Check If the Video Was Removed or Restricted
Sometimes the problem is not on your end at all. Videos get taken down for copyright claims, account suspensions, or content violations, and once that happens, nobody can play them, no matter what device or app they use.
If a video that used to work suddenly stops, and other videos on your feed play fine, this is a likely explanation. There is no fix on your end here, as the content is simply gone.
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8. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
Just like the app, your browser stores cached files and cookies that can become corrupted or outdated. This can stop embedded video players from working correctly.
Go into your browser settings, find the privacy or history section, and clear cached images, files, and cookies for the last 24 hours. Then reload x.com and try the video again.
This is worth doing every few weeks if you use X heavily on desktop, as a general maintenance step.
9. Restart Your Device
This one gets skipped because it feels obvious, but a full restart clears background processes and memory issues that can quietly interfere with video playback.
Turn your phone or computer off completely, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. Open X again once it has fully restarted.
If nothing else on this list has worked, this step is worth trying before you assume the problem is unfixable.
10. Check If X Is Down (Server Status)
Occasionally the fault sits with X itself rather than your device. When their servers have issues, video playback across the whole platform can be affected, and there is nothing you can do to fix it from your end.
Search for outage reports or check third party status-tracking sites to see if others are reporting the same issue at the same time as you.
If it is a widespread outage, the only real fix is to wait until X resolves it themselves.
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Frequently asked questions
Why won't videos play on X even with good wifi?
It could be app cache issues, an outdated app version, a browser extension blocking scripts, or the video itself being removed. Good wifi rules out connection speed but not other causes.
Does clearing my X cache delete my account data?
No, clearing cache only removes temporary files. Your account, tweets, and messages stay intact. Just avoid tapping Clear Data on Android, as that does log you out.
Why do videos play on my phone but not my laptop?
This usually points to a browser issue, such as an ad blocker or outdated cache, rather than a problem with X itself. Try a different browser or private window on the laptop.
Can I fix a video that's been removed from X?
No, if a video has been taken down for copyright or policy reasons, there is no way to restore or play it again. This is not something you can fix from your device.
More X and Twitter fixes: the X help guide.
