Why is my video not auto-playing on mobile?

If your video isn’t auto-playing on mobile devices, there are a few key settings and system factors to check.

Step 1: Check Your Video Settings

Before troubleshooting further, ensure that mobile autoplay is enabled on your Vid Settings page.

If your settings look correct, but your video still isn’t auto-playing, continue with the steps below.

Step 2: Common Reasons Your Video May Not Auto-Play

1. iOS Power Saving Mode Is On

• When power saving mode is enabled, iOS prevents all videos from auto-playing to conserve battery.

• Solution: Go to your phone settings, disable power saving mode, and test your video again.

2. Android Data Saver Mode Is On

• Data saver mode on Android also blocks auto-play to reduce data usage.

• Solution: Turn off data saver mode in your settings and try again.

3. Using an Animated GIF Thumbnail

• If your video has an animated GIF thumbnail, combined with power saving or data saver mode, it may not auto-play and could appear as a black or white box instead.

• Solution: Enable the big play button on your videos. This ensures users always see that a video is available to play.

Step 3: Additional Considerations

Older iOS Versions (iOS 9 and Earlier)

• iOS 9 does not support video auto-play, regardless of the video provider. Apple changed this behavior in later versions.

Data Saver Mode & Disabled Pausing

• If data saver mode is enabled and pausing is disabled, your video may not play at all.

• Solution: Only disable pausing when absolutely necessary, as it can sometimes reduce conversions.

Mobile Fullscreen & Seeking Bar

• On mobile devices, the operating system (OS) automatically adds a seeking bar when a video goes fullscreen.

• This is a default system behavior across all video players, not just Vidalytics.

• Solution: If necessary, disable fullscreen mode for mobile viewers to prevent seeking.