Short answer: open the same video in an Incognito window (More, the three dots at the top right, then New Incognito Window). If it plays there, one of your extensions or something in Chrome’s saved data is blocking it, and the steps below show how to find it. If it doesn’t play there either, check that JavaScript is on, update Chrome, then reset Chrome’s settings. These steps follow Google’s Fix videos & games that won’t play.
This page is for videos that won’t start at all: the video won’t load, the player is blank, a gray box shows instead of the video, or Chrome freezes or crashes when the video loads. If the video plays but stutters, buffers or shows a black picture, see how to fix choppy or buffering video in Chrome instead.
1. Turn on JavaScript
Many video players need JavaScript. YouTube videos, for example, won’t run without it.
- In Chrome, select More, then Settings.
- Select Privacy and security, then Site settings.
- Select JavaScript, then Sites can use JavaScript.
- Go back to the video and select Reload at the top left.
More detail: how to turn on JavaScript in Chrome.
2. Find a blocking extension or bad saved data
Open an Incognito window and go to the video there.
If the video plays in Incognito
- Close the Incognito window and go back to a normal window.
- Select More, then Extensions, then Manage extensions.
- Turn off all of your extensions.
- Reload the video. If it plays, turn the extensions back on one at a time, reloading the video after each one.
- When the video stops playing, the last extension you turned on is the cause. Select Remove under it.
If no extension is the cause
Turn your extensions back on and delete Chrome’s saved data. This erases some of your settings for websites.
- Select More, then Delete browsing data.
- Choose a time range, such as Last hour, or All time to delete everything.
- Tick Cached images and files and the box for cookies and site data. Untick anything else you want to keep.
- Select Delete data, then reload the video.
More detail: how to clear browsing data in Chrome.
3. Update Chrome
Some videos need the latest version of Chrome. Select More. If you see Update Google Chrome, select it, then Relaunch. If you don’t see it, you already have the latest version. Full steps for every device: how to update Chrome.
4. Reset Chrome’s settings
Resetting puts settings such as your search engine, startup pages, site permissions and extensions back to their defaults. Your saved bookmarks and passwords are not deleted.
- Select More, then Settings.
- Select Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their original defaults, then Reset settings.
- Go back to the video and reload it.
More detail: how to reset Chrome.
5. Restart your internet connection
- Turn off your computer.
- Unplug your modem, and your wireless router if it is a separate box.
- Wait about one minute.
- Plug the modem back in and wait until its lights stop blinking. Then do the same with the router.
- Turn on your computer and try the video again.
Movies and TV shows from paid services won’t play
Films, shows and music you buy or stream are often copy-protected. If protected content is blocked in Chrome, you may get an error and the video won’t play. Google’s protected content help shows where to check:
- Select More, then Settings.
- Select Privacy and security, then Site settings.
- Select Additional content settings, then Protected content IDs.
- Under Default behavior, choose the option that lets sites play protected content.
Old Flash videos
Adobe no longer supports the Flash Player plugin, and Google says Flash content, including audio and video, no longer plays in any version of Chrome.