Video playback troubleshooting
Fix common video issues for you and your clients.
Most video problems come down to file format, file size, or browser compatibility. Here's how to diagnose and fix the most common ones.
Issues you can fix (file problems)
Issues clients report (connection and device problems)
When clients can't watch a video, ask them to try these steps first:
- Clear browser cache and cookies
- Try a different browser — Chrome (updated) has the widest compatibility
- Update their browser to the latest version
- Disable browser extensions — especially ad blockers, which sometimes interfere with video
- Pause other bandwidth-heavy activity — streaming on another device, large downloads, etc.
- Try a different network — if they're on mobile data, try WiFi, or vice versa
- Try a different device — if they're using a mobile device, try laptop. If using the mobile app, try mobile or laptop web browser
Client can't access the video at all
If the client can access your library but can't play a specific video, confirm:
- The client is logged in with the correct email address
- The video is included in their membership or package (if it's subscription-only)
- The membership or package is active and not expired
If the client can't log in, check that the email they're using matches what's on their Arketa profile.
Video buffers or freezes in the app but plays on the website
The branded app has stricter streaming requirements than the website, so a large or uncompressed file that plays in a browser can still buffer in the app. When that happens even on a strong connection, the cause is usually how the video was encoded, not the client's internet speed.
- Confirm it affects more than one client. One client with a problem points to their device or connection. Several clients on the same video points to the file.
- Check the file size. Aim for about 0.5GB per 15 minutes of video. Larger files commonly buffer in the app — compress with Handbrake and re-upload.
- Check the recording source. Footage from professional cameras, iPhones in 4K or HEVC/H.265 mode, or editors like Final Cut and Premiere usually needs re-encoding through Handbrake before it streams reliably in the app.
- Test on Wi-Fi. If playback improves on strong Wi-Fi, the problem is the client's network. If it persists, it's the file.
- Try another video. If other videos play fine in the app, only the affected files need reprocessing.
If buffering persists across multiple videos and clients with good connections, consider Premium Video Storage. Mux re-encodes your videos for adaptive streaming, which makes the biggest difference in the app. Contact support to have existing videos processed.
Still stuck?
If you've tried everything and a video still has issues, chat with support from your dashboard or email support@arketa.com. Include the video title and a description of what the client sees — screenshots help.
As technology continues to evolve, apps and websites are regularly updated to support newer features, security standards, and performance improvements. Older devices and software may not fully support these changes, which can sometimes result in slower performance, missing features, display issues, or certain functions not working as expected. In many cases, this is due to compatibility limitations between older technology and newer digital platforms.