Why Aren’t My Videos Playing in My Camera Roll?

Are you experiencing issues with videos not playing on your iPhone Camera Roll? It can be frustrating when you want to watch videos that you’ve captured or saved on your device, but they won’t play properly. Fortunately, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve this problem. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of fixing videos not playing on iPhone Camera Roll, providing you with practical solutions to get your videos working again.

Restart Your iPhone

Sometimes, a simple device restart can fix various glitches and issues, including videos not playing on the iPhone Camera Roll. This method helps clear the device’s RAM and allows it to optimize and manage media files properly. To restart your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Press and hold the Power button on your iPhone until the “Slide to Power Off” slider appears.
2. Slide the power icon from left to right to turn off your device.
3. Wait for a few seconds, then press and hold the Power button again until the Apple logo appears.
4. Release the Power button and allow your iPhone to restart.

Once your iPhone restarts, check if the videos in your Camera Roll are playing correctly.

Clear Recently Deleted Media

When you delete photos and videos from your iPhone, they are stored in the “Recently Deleted” folder for 30 days before being permanently deleted. If you have deleted a large number of media files, your iPhone may optimize storage by compressing the videos in your Camera Roll. This optimization process can sometimes cause playback issues. To clear the recently deleted media and resolve the problem, follow these steps:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Navigate to the Albums tab and scroll down to find the Recently Deleted album.
3. Tap on the album to open it.
4. Select all the videos and photos in the album by tapping on “Select” in the top right corner.
5. Once selected, tap on the “Delete All” button to permanently delete the media files.

After deleting the recently deleted media, check if the videos in your Camera Roll are playing without any issues.

Disable App Restriction

If you have enabled app restrictions on your iPhone, it can prevent videos from playing properly in the Camera Roll. To fix this problem, you need to disable the content and privacy restrictions. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Screen Time.
3. Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
4. Disable the Content & Privacy Restrictions option by toggling the switch to the off position.

Restart your iPhone to apply the changes and check if the videos in your Camera Roll are playing correctly.

Rollback Video Edits

The iPhone’s built-in Photos app allows you to edit videos by cropping, rotating, and applying color filters. However, these edits can sometimes cause videos to become corrupted and fail to play. To fix this issue, you can revert back to the original version of the video. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Navigate to the video you wish to fix in your Camera Roll.
3. Tap on the Edit button.
4. Tap on the Revert button.
5. Confirm the action by tapping on Revert to Original.

By reverting back the video edits, you should be able to resolve the playback issues in your Camera Roll.

Turn Off Storage Optimization

If you have enabled storage optimization on your iPhone, it may cause video playback issues when you have a poor internet connection. Storage optimization allows you to keep photos and videos on iCloud and view them on your iPhone whenever you want. However, if you don’t have a stable internet connection, it can lead to videos not loading properly. To turn off storage optimization, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on iCloud.
3. Tap on Photos.
4. Select the Download and Keep Originals option.

Once you choose this option, your iPhone will offload all the iCloud videos to your device. It may take some time for the process to complete. After the offloading is finished, check if the videos in your Camera Roll are playing correctly.

Note: If you prefer to use the storage optimization feature, make sure you have a good internet connection to load videos in full resolution. With storage optimization enabled, your photos and videos are stored in iCloud instead of on your device, requiring a stable internet connection to view them.

Convert via Messenger

If none of the above methods work for you, it’s possible that the video format is not compatible with the iPhone or the video itself is corrupted. However, you can still access the video by converting it through a messenger app like WhatsApp. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Select the video file that is causing the problem.
3. Tap on the Share button and choose to share it via WhatsApp or any other messenger app installed on your device.
4. Open the file on the messenger app and click on the Export button.
5. Finally, click on the Save button to save a working copy of the video file on your iPhone.

By following this method, you should be able to play the video in your Camera Roll without any issues.

Download VLC Media Player

If you frequently encounter video not loading issues on your iPhone, it’s worth trying an alternative media player like VLC. VLC is a free app that can play various video formats and codecs. To download VLC Media Player on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone.
2. Search for “VLC for Mobile” using the search bar.
3. Tap on the Get button next to the VLC app.

You can also download VLC Media Player by clicking here.

VLC Media Player provides a reliable and versatile solution for playing videos on your iPhone. It supports a wide range of video formats, ensuring compatibility with most file types.

Conclusion

Experiencing videos not playing on your iPhone Camera Roll can be frustrating, but with the troubleshooting steps outlined in this article, you should be able to resolve the issue. By restarting your iPhone, clearing recently deleted media, disabling app restrictions, rolling back video edits, turning off storage optimization, converting videos via messenger apps, or using VLC Media Player, you can overcome the playback problems and enjoy your videos seamlessly.

Remember, if you have downloaded a video file from the internet and it’s causing playback issues, try re-downloading the file to ensure its integrity. If the problem persists, consider reaching out to Apple Support or visiting an authorized service center for further assistance.