Snapchat, as one of the well-known social media, is followed by considerable users and installed on various devices including Samsung, LG, Nexus, Motorola, iPhone X/8, etc. But recently, there are some complaints about its ineffectiveness on video play. Such users are anxious to find a solution to “Snapchat videos won’t play”. If you also have the same question, do you know how to fix Snapchat videos not play? Read this post and find how to play videos on Snapchat.

Why wont my videos play

1. Snapchat Videos Won't Play Scenarios

There are some situations where Snapchat doesn’t work according to Snapchat users’ feedback. Look through the descriptions below and see whether you have the same problems on “Snapchat not playing videos” as well.

Situation 1: When taping the Snaps, there is only a black screen without any error message. Videos cannot be loaded or played no matter how long you left the video. How to view videos on snapchat in this situation?

Situation 2: “Snap videos not playing” only appears in terms of one of the friends on Snapchat Friends List, but received and sent messages from other friends are still available.

Situation 3: Sometimes, there is a grey picture on the screen that fails to play, despite how hard you try to tap the Snap. Why my Snapchat won't load?

Continue to read the next part and find the answers to why won't my Snapchat load.

Snapchat tap to load

2. Solutions to solve "Snapchat videos won't play"

Now, it is time we took measures to explore how to play videos on Snapchat and fix why my snapchat wont open. Based on the scenarios Snapchat users have encountered when using this software, there are 9 solutions recommended to help you find answers to “Snapchat videos won’t play”.

Solution 1: Restart mobile phones

This is the first method for “Snapchat not playing videos”. No matter what problem you may encounter when using a mobile phone such as "why won't load stories" and "Snapchat video not working on Android", "Snapchat won't download on iPhone", shutting off and powering back the device seems to be an almighty method in most cases. With such a wide array of smartphones like Android, iPhone, and others on the market, there are different ways for different phone users to restart their mobile devices. Do it based on your device, and why won't my phone play videos will be fixed.

Solution 2: Clear Snapchat Cache

“Snapchat videos won’t play” may be caused by something wrong with the download process in your Snapchat. It is common to see Snapchat fails to download files. So there is a need for you to clear the Snapchat Cache. Clearing Snapchat Cache is the key to solve problems related to a  Camera, such as Camera black screen. Once you clear the Cache, Snapchat will return to its original state or default settings. And why won't Snapchat open will be fixed.

Steps on how to clear Snapchat Cache:

For Android users:

Click “Settings > Apps > Snapchat > Storage > Clear Cache”.

For iOS users:

Go to “Settings > Scroll down to the bottom > Clear History & Website Data”.  

Notes: Clearing Cache will not cause data loss. There is only seconds needed before your app will sync with the Snapchat servers.

Snapchat videos won't Play Solution

Solution 3: Clear Conversation

To stop the grey preview from playing which has been mentioned in Situation 3 at the beginning, follow the steps of “Snapchat > Settings > Account Actions > Clear Conversion” to delete the sent and received snaps in conversations permanently. If you want to recover your information on Snapchat, you are expected to connect your phone to your PC or laptop to transfer your preferred files prior to deleting it. Continue reading to know “why won’t my Snapchat play videos".

Why won t my videos play

Solution 4: Clear Junk

Inadequate space on your smartphones is the potential factor to keep and edit Snapchat videos. So it is necessary to clear the junk on your devices, and even some less frequently used apps should be unloaded to save more room for Snapchat videos. Then "my phone won't play any videos" will be avoided.

Why wont snapchat load

Solution 5: Reconnect Network

Loading Snapchat videos need a network. No matter you are using Wi-Fi or mobile data, it is possible to be faced with an unstable network. The low Internet connection can have a bad influence on Snapchat video loading and playing. To reconnect your network to see whether it changes better as to the matter of “Snapchat videos won’t play". And you will see Snapchat loading smoothly.


Solution 6: Change DNS

Changing DNS is a viable way for Snapchat users to fix the problem of “Snapchat videos won’t play" and it has been widely adopted by people. Now, steps to change DNS are introduced below.

►Long press the “Modify network” icon on your mobile phone to access available networks.

►Change the IP Setting to “Static”. You can access this option via “Show Advanced Settings”.

►Change DNS1 and DNS2 to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, respectively, which are Google DNS.

Snapchat videos Not Playing Solution

Solution 7: Delete and re-add Your Friend

To recover the information you have received and sent with a friend on Snapchat, you need to remove him or her from the Friends List first, and then add this friend back. Finish this operation by clicking “Snapchat > Add Friends > My Friends”. 

Notes: Removing a friend on Snapchat means removing all the snaps or chats you have saved. So before deleting removing your friend from the Friends List, you are supposed to back up your snaps to your PC. When you add this friend back, the Streak you have with him or she will not get affected and will be restored back. It is easy to fix Snapchat stories won't load.

Solution 8: Update or Reinstall Snapchat

To enjoy all the functions of Snapchat, such as loading Snapchat videos, you need to use the latest version of this software all the time. To solve the problem of “Snapchat videos won't play”, you are highly advised to update it or reinstall it from Snapchat official website, Google play store, or App Store.


Steps on how to delete Snapchat:

For Android devices:

Go to “Settings > Locate the Snapchat App > Uninstall.

For iOS device (2 ways):

(1) Remove Snapchat from iTunes on your computer

►Tap Apps from the list > Snapchat App > Edit > Delete

(2) Remove Snapchat directly from your iPhone

►Press and hold down Snapchat App > Circled “X” on the top right corner of Pandora > Delete

Solution 9: Install A Video Player

If the above methods don’t work, you can install a video player to play Snapchat videos instead. According to my experience, DVDFab Player 6, the best 4K video player, is a good and easy-to-use assistant to play videos. You can rotate images, adjust playback speed, add subtitles and do more with this tool. Most significantly, Snapchat videos will be smoothly played on this player.

3. Conclusion

These are the 9 ways to fix “Snapchat won’t load Snaps or stories”. As one of the users who have the question of “why won't my Snapchat play videos”, you can try either of the 9 methods to solve your problem and make Snapchat videos easily accessible.