Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage services today, that’s why many people store their files on this service.
People usually use Google Drive to save files and delete them from their devices so that their devices don’t fill up their internal storage quickly.
One of the most frequently uploaded file types to Google Drive is video because videos are usually large and consume internal storage quickly.
But unfortunately I often get questions why videos can’t be played after uploading to Google Drive, either through a browser on a computer or on Android.
Therefore in this article I will try to answer these questions and provide some solutions that you can do.
Also read: How to Fix Google Drive Storage Full
Contents [ hide ]
- Update Browser
- Clear Cache and Cookies
- Update Google Drive App
- Check whether the Video File is Corrupt or Not
- Use a Fast Internet Connection
- Video Format Not Supported by Google Drive
- Videos Are Pirated Videos
- Update Browser
If you try to watch videos stored on Google Drive via a browser and then experience problems, it’s possible that the browser you are using is not supported by Google Drive.
Usually older versions of browsers are not supported by Google Drive like Internet Explorer.
Even if you use Firefox or Chrome, it may still not be supported by Google Drive because the browser version you are using is too old.
To solve this, try updating your browser to the latest version.
- Clear Cache and Cookies
Cache and cookies are files stored by the browser in order to speed up the loading process of the site.
If you frequently visit the same site, the cache and cookies from that site will be stored on your device a lot.
But if it’s too much, sometimes cache and cookies are one of the reasons why videos on Google Drive can’t be watched.
Therefore, once in a while you need to clear cache and cookies from the browser , the method is as follows:
- Tap the three-dot button on Chrome then select the Settings menu ;
- In the Settings menu select the Privacy and security tab ;
- Then select Clear browsing data ;
Then try to reopen the video you want to watch on Google Drive.
- Update Google Drive App
If you are trying to watch videos directly from the Google Drive app on your Android or iPhone, it’s possible that the problem is with the Google Drive app you’re using.
Try opening the Play Store or App Store, check if there is an update for Google Drive or not.
If there is, then immediately update the Google Drive app on your device.
Because it could be the reason why you can’t play videos is because the Google Drive application that you are currently using is very old, so it needs to be updated.
- Check whether the Video File is Corrupt or Not
In computer terms, corrupted files are often also referred to as corrupt .
File damage can occur due to several things, either because the storage media is bad, it has not been opened for a long time, or because it is exposed to a virus .
Please check again whether the video you want to watch is damaged or not.
One way to find out is to see if the thumbnail that appears for the video exists or not.
Broken or corrupt videos usually don’t have thumbnails .
- Use a Fast Internet Connection
If you are trying to watch high-resolution videos stored on Google Drive, then you need a fast and smooth internet connection.
That way you can watch the video without any problems.
On the other hand, if the internet connection you are using is not very fast and stable, you will have difficulty watching the video.
Imagine like you are watching a video on YouTube using a slow connection, then you will continue to see buffering , as well as when you try to watch a video on Google Drive.
Therefore, try to use a faster internet connection if you have problems watching videos from Google Drive.
- Video Format Not Supported by Google Drive
Another reason why your video can’t be watched is because it’s in a format that Google Drive doesn’t support.
Some of the popular video formats supported by Google Drive include:
- MPEG4
- WebM
- WMV
- MOV
- 3GP
- FLV
To see the full list, you can see it on the official Google Drive page here .
If the video you are watching has a different format that is not on the list above, then it will be very sad if you can’t watch the video.
But don’t worry, you can download it first, then play the video using VLC .
- Videos Are Pirated Videos
As a large company, Google always tries to maintain its good name.
The free services they provide are often used by pirates to share pirated content, which violates copyright.
And Google Drive is one of the most frequently used applications to spread the copyright infringing content.
If you get videos from video sharing sites and pirated movies and then save them on Google Drive, then after that the video can’t be watched, then it’s likely because Google has detected it is a pirated video.
Therefore, avoid uploading pirated videos to your Google Drive account