Four reasons Safari might not play videos on your Mac

User scenario: "I'm having an issue with Safari where it won't play any media content sometimes, but other browsers don't have this problem. What should I do?" You could try clearing website data to see if something stored is causing the issue. — From an answer on the Apple Community

If that doesn't work, try these solutions to fix issues with playing videos in Safari on your Mac.

Solution 1: Open Safari in Private Browsing mode

Your Safari browser might have a corrupted cache that's causing the videos not to play. The easiest way to fix video playback issues is by turning on Safari's Private Browsing mode. This can also be an effective solution when you encounter problems with YouTube videos not playing on your Mac. Follow these steps: **Step 1.** Open Safari on your Mac and select "File" from the top menu.

Step 2: Open a new private window.

Step 3: Go to the website where you watch your videos, and try playing a video.

Solution 2: Reload the webpage in Safari

If a webpage isn't loading properly in Safari, it could be causing issues with the browser's ability to play videos. Try refreshing your MacBook, reloading the webpage, and playing the video again.

Step 1: Open Safari on your Mac and play the video.

Step 2: Click the refresh button in the address bar. Now, reload the page and see if the error is still there.

Solution 3: Clear Cookies and Website Data

You can also clear Safari's cookies and website data to help videos play smoothly.

Step 1: Open Safari, then click on the menu in the top left corner and select "Preferences."

Step 2. In the Safari preferences window, select the “Privacy” tab and then click on “Manage Website Data.”

Step 3: Click “Remove All,” and then play your video.

Solution 4: Update macOS

Safari is an integral part of macOS, so updating macOS may help you get the latest Safari update. You can do this by:

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner, and then select “System Preferences” from the menu.

Step 2: From the sidebar, select "General."

Step 3: Now open Software Update and install the latest version of macOS.

If you encounter issues while updating macOS, please refer to this post:

How to Fix a Mac Update That's Stuck [Guide for 2023]

This post will help you address common errors you might encounter when updating macOS.

#5 Bonus Tip: How to Fix Safari Not Playing Video Due to Damaged Files

If you've tried all of the above and are still having issues, the problem might be with the video itself. This is especially true if the video is saved locally, as it may have become corrupted. So, what can you do when Safari won't play a video due to corruption? In that case, a tool like Fixo Video Repair can come to the rescue.

Here are some of the features that make it stand out:

• This video repair tool can fix corrupted videos that have been edited, converted, or transferred.
• It can resolve streaming video errors like YouTube video glitches, YouTube not playing videos, VLC not playing YouTube videos, and more.
• It is compatible with all popular video formats, including 3GP, M4V, FLV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MKV, and others.

Common issues with playing videos in Safari on Mac

You can read through this Safari playback issue FAQ for more help with that:

1. Why can't I play videos in Safari?

Your Safari might be using an outdated operating system, have a corrupt webpage or cache, or the video you're playing might be locally saved and unexpectedly damaged.

2. Why won't a video play on my Mac?

There are different reasons for choosing to watch a video online or offline.

For online video:

Outdated browser Poor internet connection Outdated Adobe Flash Player

For offline videos:

• Corrupted video file
• Missing necessary codecs
• Outdated media player

How do I enable video in Safari?

Open Safari's Settings. Go to the Websites section. Navigate to the Camera and Microphone tabs. Change the access to Allow.

Last Words

There can be several reasons why Safari on Mac isn't playing videos, such as corrupted cache, an outdated macOS version, or incorrect website settings. You can resolve these issues by clearing website cookies and data, updating macOS, or reloading the webpage. However, if your video files are damaged, the Fixo Video Repair tool comes in handy.