This Video Cannot Be Played in Google Drive: 7 Fixes I Use

You double-click a video in Google Drive and, instead of playback, you get a gray box with a message. Here’s the exact one Drive showed me when I opened a damaged clip:

This video file is an invalid format and is not supported by Drive.

Other times it just says the video can’t be played or is still processing. The fix that works most often is simple: give Drive a few minutes to finish processing, then reload the page.

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through every fix I use for the this video cannot be played Google Drive problem, from the quick checks to the file itself. I’ll start with the most likely cause and work down, so you can stop as soon as your video plays.

What each video message in Drive means

Drive doesn’t use one error for everything. The wording tells you where to look, so read it closely before you start changing settings. These are the messages Google’s help lists, plus the one I hit:

• Video is still processing. Try again later. The upload worked, but Drive isn’t done preparing it. Big files take longer.
• This video is currently unavailable. It isn’t ready yet. Try again in a few minutes.
• Video is unplayable. The file is probably damaged or in a format Drive can’t play.
• This video file is an invalid format: Drive can’t read the file at all.
• Playback limits: you’re watching a shared video without signing in, and you’ve hit the limit.

If you can’t open the file at all and see a request access screen instead, that’s a sharing issue, not a playback one. My guide to requesting access in Google Drive covers it.

Wait for Drive to finish processing the video

This is the cause I see most often. Right after an upload, Drive can play the video for you in the same browser session, but it may still be processing it for your other devices and for anyone you shared it with.

On a fresh upload I got this banner at the top of the preview:

This video is ready for you to watch. More features will be available once processing is complete.

So it played in my browser, but Google says other devices and the people you share it with may have to wait until processing ends. Here’s how to tell it’s processing and what to do:

1. Look for a processing message or a blank thumbnail on the file.
2. Close the preview and leave the video alone for a few minutes. Long or high-resolution videos can take much longer.
3. Reload the Drive page and double-click the video again.

Once processing finishes, the preview looks like this one and plays normally. If the upload itself never finished, start again with my tips to upload large video files to Google Drive.

Check the format, codec, and resolution

If waiting doesn’t help and the message mentions an invalid format or says the video is unplayable, the file is the problem. Google’s help says this usually means the file is damaged or in a format Drive doesn’t support.

To test it, I uploaded a file that only looks like an MP4. Drive refused it right away and offered a Download button plus third-party apps to open it with.

Drive plays these video types: WebM, MPEG4, 3GPP, MOV, AVI, MPEGPS, WMV, FLV, MTS, and OGG. The codec inside matters too. An MP4 or MOV plays best with H.264 video and AAC audio.

Size limits also apply. You can upload any resolution, but Drive only plays videos up to 1920 x 1080, and a file must be at least 4 KB. A 4K clip may store fine and still refuse to play in the preview.

The fix is to export the video again as an MP4 with H.264 and AAC at 1080p or lower, then upload that copy. If the original also won’t play on your computer, the file was damaged before it reached Drive.

For other odd file types, I explain how to open unsupported files in Google Drive with connected apps.

Turn on third-party cookies for Drive

This one surprises people. Google’s help says plainly that Drive needs third-party cookies to play videos. If your browser blocks them, the player can fail even though the file is fine.

You’ll know this is it if images and documents open but every video fails. To allow them for Drive only in Chrome:

1. Type chrome://settings/cookies in the address bar and press Enter.
2. Next to Sites allowed to use third-party cookies, click Add.
3. Enter drive.google.com, check Including third-party cookies on this site, and click Add.
4. Reload Drive and play the video again.

The same cookie setting also fixes many download failures. I cover that side in my post on the failed server error in Google Drive.

Try a private window with one account signed in

Extensions like ad blockers and privacy tools can stop the Drive player. Google’s help also warns that antivirus and adblockers can interfere with Drive files.

Being signed in to several Google Accounts causes trouble, too. The browser may open the video as an account that doesn’t have access. A private window clears up both at once:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+N in Chrome (Cmd+Shift+N on a Mac).
2. Sign in with only the account the video was shared with.
3. Open the video link again.

If it plays there, turn your extensions off and back on one at a time to find the one causing it. If you see Playback limits, you’re not signed in, so sign in and keep watching.

Clear the cache and update your browser

Old cached files can trip up the player after a long session. Google lists clearing your cache and cookies as a standard Drive fix, and it doesn’t touch your files.

1. In Chrome, click the three-dot More menu.
2. Choose Delete browsing data and pick a time range.
3. Check Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
4. Click Delete data, then sign back in to Drive.

Drive supports the two most recent versions of the major browsers, so update yours while you’re at it. My guide to clearing the cache in Google Drive covers phones as well.

Lower the playback quality on a slow connection

Google’s help notes that internet speed affects playback quality. If the video starts, then freezes or spins, your connection probably can’t keep up with the current quality.

1. Start the video in the Drive preview.
2. Click the Settings gear at the bottom right of the player.
3. Choose Quality.
4. Pick a lower option, such as 360p.

The same gear menu also holds Playback speed, Subtitles/CC, and Picture in picture. If Drive feels slow everywhere, not just in videos, read why Google Drive is so slow.

Download the video and play it on your computer

When the preview still won’t cooperate, download the file and open it in your computer’s own video player. This works for your own videos and for shared ones where the owner allows downloads.

1. Right-click the video in your Drive file list.
2. Click Download.
3. Open the downloaded file in your usual video player.

If it won’t play on your computer either, the file itself is damaged. Ask whoever made it to export and upload it again.

If Download is missing on a shared video, the owner has turned it off for viewers. Ask the owner, since that’s their call. My post on whether viewers can download Drive files explains the roles.

Still not playing? How to prevent it next time

A few habits keep these messages away for good:

• Export as MP4 (H.264 + AAC) at 1080p before you upload.
• Give big uploads time to process before you share the link.
• Keep enough storage free. A video can’t be bigger than your available Drive space.
• Keep your browser current with cookies and JavaScript turned on.

If none of the fixes work, check the Google Workspace Status Dashboard for a Drive outage. It’s public, so personal accounts can use it too.

On a work or school account, your organization may limit how files are shared outside it. If a video from another company won’t open for you, ask your admin or the sender’s admin.

More Drive video guides you might want next:

• embed a video from Google Drive
• upload a Google Drive video to YouTube
• fix files that cannot download from Google Drive
• Google Drive keeps going offline

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