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Firefox not playing videos can interrupt video streaming and important meetings, causing hindrance in the workflow. Even though this issue is easy to fix, you must know the actual root cause of the issue instead of just trying random fixes. This article will list all the potential reasons behind the Firefox video playback issue and outline the best practical ways to troubleshoot this issue and restore video files to the original state.
Why is Firefox not playing videos?
It’s important to know exactly why Firefox is not playing videos before trying to fix this issue.
- Corruption in Cache files: Cache files are used by Firefox to load websites quickly. Outdated or corrupt cache files can sometimes create issues with video playback and may even cause buffering loops.
- Accumulated cookies: If cookies get accumulated for a long time, it can interfere with a website’s stored preferences and may even affect the video’s functionality.
- Issues with hardware acceleration: A video’s performance depends on a computer’s GPU via hardware acceleration. If there are any issues with the hardware acceleration, then issues like video file freezing, black screen, and video not playing issue can occur.
- Outdated Firefox application: An outdated version of Firefox can give rise to compatibility issues with newer website features.
- Autoplay feature is disabled: Firefox has an autoplay feature that automatically plays videos in the browser. If Autoplay is disabled in Firefox, the video may fail to play unless this feature is enabled from the settings.
- Graphic card issue: If the graphic card of your system is outdated or has been corrupted, then the video file can face playback issues. Video can start stuttering or flickering due to Graphic card errors.
- Disabled DRM: Major platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Spotify Web Player, Netflix, etc. use Google Widevine DRM for video playback of copyrighted files. If DRM is disabled in Firefox, some protected videos might not play properly.
- Codec issues: Sometimes a video doesn’t play because of missing codecs. Most of the websites use H.264 and AVI codecs for media playback on web browsers. If these codecs are missing or outdated on Firefox, then the video won’t play.
Methods to fix Firefox not playing issue
There are different ways to fix the Firefox does not play videos error. Here we’ve discussed some effective ways to resolve this issue.
Note: Before trying anything, try refreshing your Firefox browser once. If that doesn’t help, check your internet connection and update your browser to the latest version.
Method 1. Clear accumulated cookies and cache in Firefox
Firefox stores cache and cookies to save your browsing preferences and to help load websites faster. With time, though, this stored data can become corrupted and may even interfere with video playback. Clearing the accumulated cache and cookies may help fix the video playback issue. Follow the steps below to do this:
- Open Firefox and click on Menu (three lines in the top-right corner) > Settings.
- Click on Privacy & Security tab in the new window.
- In the Cookies and Site data section, select Clear Data option.
- Uncheck either of the options or select both of them to clear Cookies and Cache data, then click on Clear.
Method 2. Disable faulty add-ons/extensions
Some add-ons or extensions may restrict videos from playing on the Firefox web browser. So, it is advised to disable such add-ons from your browser at once.
- Run the Firefox web browser on your system. Click on 3 bars on the top right and select Add-ons and themes option.
- On the next page, go to the left panel and click Extensions.
- Now, move to the faulty add-on or extension, click on 3 dots on the top-right, and select Disable option.
- Similarly, perform it for the other suspected extensions.
- Try running the videos again from the browser.
Method 3. Disable hardware acceleration
Graphics hardware acceleration feature is added to Firefox as an advanced feature, but even after regular updates, some bugs are not fixed, which could result in videos not playing. So, users can try to disable this feature by following the procedure given below:
- Click on Menu > Settings.
- Now, go to the Performance section and uncheck Use recommended performance settings, then uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.
- Close your Firefox web browser.
- Restart the Firefox browser and run videos through it.
Method 4. Enable Autoplay
Firefox web browser by default has disabled “automatic play of all media with the sound section” which comes into effect with the latest update. This setting is done by default to stop the automatic playing of ad videos, annoying most of the users. Sometimes, this default setting interferes with the regular playing of the videos and so, it is suggested to enable this feature manually. Follow the steps mentioned below to do so:
- Open Firefox, then click on Padlock >Connection secure >More information.
- Now, go to Permissions tab and tick Allow Audio and Video option under Autoplay.
Method 5. Change browser settings
Another fix could be checking and modifying browser settings for cache, cookies, pop-ups, history, etc. to make the videos playable on the Firefox browser again.
- On your Firefox web browser, click on 3 bars on the top-right corner and select Settings.
- Now, click Privacy and Security option from the left panel.
- Next, look for the History section and from drop down menu select Use custom settings for history > select the checkbox saying Clear history when Firefox closes and click on Settings option against it.
- On the Settings for Clearing History page, select the checkbox Cache and click OK.
- Similarly, you can set the pop-ups settings by removing Firefox from Block pop-up windows section.
- Restart the browser to effect the changes.
Method 6. Enable DRM (Widevine) settings in Firefox
Major streaming and OTT platforms like Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime Video, and Spotify Web Player use Digital Rights Management (DRM) to protect copyrighted content on their platform. If the DRM (Widevine) isn’t working properly or is disabled on Firefox, it can stop the video from playing properly. Follow these steps to enable it:
- Click on Menu > Settings.
- In the General tab, scroll down to the Digital Rights Management Content section.
- Tick the Play DRM-controlled content checkbox.
Method 7. Update Firefox
If the user has not updated the Firefox web browser, it is possible that the videos are not playing because of that. It is always advised to use the updated and recent version of the web browser, not the obsolete one, to avoid any kind of bugs and issues. So, update it and check if the video is playing.
How to check if Firefox browser is the issue?
We have explained different scenarios in the table below to understand if this issue is occurring because of Firefox browser, or if there’s corruption in the video file itself.
| Issue with the browser | Corruption in video file |
|---|---|
| Multiple videos fail to play in Firefox. | Playback issue is with only one file. |
| Video plays perfectly in Google Chrome. | Video doesn’t play in Chrome. |
| Video plays after refreshing Firefox. | Refreshing the webpage doesn’t work. |
| Video starts playing after clearing the cache. | Video doesn’t play even after clearing the cache. |
| Video plays after updating the Firefox browser. | Video doesn’t play even after updating the browser. |
What if Firefox isn’t the problem after all?
Still can’t play videos in Firefox after trying the above methods? Maybe the issue doesn’t lie in Firefox then. As stated in the table above, if the video fails to play in any other browser, then the video file might be corrupted.
In this case, it would be wise to look for ways to repair a corrupt video file with trusted Video Repair software, as soon as possible. Not only would this save your time, but it would also avoid further damage to the video file. Kernel Video Repair is a good choice for this task, as it efficiently scans and repairs the corrupt video file without compromising the original quality.
Conclusion
If you are facing Firefox not playing videos issue, it needs to be resolved quickly. Try the methods provided in this article and enjoy watching your videos. If you are unable to fix this issue with manual methods, then it is due to a corrupted video file. Repair corrupt videos as soon as possible to prevent any further damage. Also, take a backup of your video files to avoid losing data and for instant recovery in case of an unfortunate scenario.
Frequently asked questions
A. The reason why Firefox plays audio but not video can be because of issues with the Hardware Acceleration or due to outdated graphic drivers.
A. Maybe there’s an issue with the third-party add-ins or there’s corrupted site data.
A. Update Firefox to the latest version and make sure you’ve installed the correct codecs for the video file.
