If your Android video plays on your phone but not on your computer, it could be because the file got corrupted during transfer, the file format is unsupported, the required codec is missing, the media player is outdated, or something else. Read this article to learn more about this issue and six effective ways to fix Android videos not playing on Windows. Keep reading!
Michelle Michelle | Updated on Jul 9, 2024

Why My Android Video Plays on Phone but Not Computer?

There are many reasons why Android videos play on your phone but not on your computer, including:

  • Improper file transfer – If the power goes off or the connection is lost during the video transfer process, the video file will be damaged or corrupted. Therefore, it will not play on your computer.
  • Outdated media player – The media player you are using may be outdated that it is not compatible with your Android video. Therefore, it will not play your Android video.
  • Unsupported video format – The media player you are using may not support the format of your Android video.
  • Missing codecs – The media player you are using may lack the codec required to successfully decode and play Android videos.
  • Outdated video drivers – Your computer's video drivers may be outdated and cannot play Android videos created with advanced settings.

Don't worry, though, this problem can be solved. Below, we have provided 6 methods to fix Android videos not playing on Windows. Without further ado, let’s begin.

Fix Android Video Won’t Play on Windows

If some of your Android videos won’t play on Windows, try converting these unplayable video files to a format compatible with your media player and this will fix the problem right away.

Download the handy Android video converter for PC - WonderFox Free HD Video Converter Factory to convert your Android video to play on Windows in just a couple of clicks!

How to Fix Android Videos Not Playing on Windows?

Method 1. Retransfer the Android video file

You can recall if there was any interruption or shutdown while transferring the video from your Android phone to your computer. If so, the file may have been corrupted in some way. If the original video file is still there, you can re-transfer it to your Windows computer. During the transfer, make sure that the device was not suddenly turned off and the connection was not loose.

Method 2. Use another media player

When a media player cannot play your Android videos, it may be because the player is not compatible with your videos, which may be caused by outdated software. You can try to update the software to the latest version, but the easiest solution is to simply try another media player, such as VLC Media Player. This is a free and open source video player that can play almost all audio and video media files. You can download and install VLC here at https://www.videolan.org/, then drag the video to this software to see if it can play your Android video.

In addition to VLC, you can also try other excellent Android video players, such as PotPlayer, Media Player Classic, GOMPlayer, KMPlayer, MPV, etc.

Use another media player

Method 3. Convert Android video

When some of your Android videos won't play, especially if they only play audio or only video, it's usually due to unsupported video or audio codec formats. The best way to fix this problem is to convert your Android videos to a video format supported by Windows.

To do this, all you need is a reliable video converter, such as WonderFox Free HD Video Converter Factory. This software can easily convert your Android videos to a Windows-friendly format with just a few clicks. Download Download this freeware to convert your Android videos to play on Windows with the steps below.

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Step 1. Launch the video software on your PC and enter the Converter module.

Step 2. Click Add Files to import the unplayable Android videos into the program.

Step 3. Expand the output format list on the right side of the program. Then click the Video tab and select WMV or H264 (MP4 – H.264/AAC) as the output format.

Tip: WMV and H264 are natively supported by Windows.

Step 4. Click the ▼ button to set an output folder and press Run to start the video conversion.

After the conversion, try playing the converted video in Windows media player and see if the error disappears.

Convert Android Video to Play on Windows

Method 4. Download missing codecs for Windows

Media players require codecs to decode and play video files. However, the built-in media player on Windows only supports limited codecs, so it is likely missing the codecs needed to play Android videos.

You can check the codecs of your videos and download the required video codecs from the Microsoft Store or other reliable third-party sources.

Download missing codecs for Windows

Alternatively, you can download a codec pack that contains comprehensive codecs to fix any current and future codec incompatibilities. Recommended codec packs are K-Lite Codec Pack, Media Player Codec Pack, and Combined Community Codec Pack (CCCP).

Method 5. Update video drivers

There's a good chance that the video drivers on your Windows computer are out of date, which can cause crashes and poor performance when playing videos. You can try to update your video drivers to the latest version to address the issue.

Step 1. Search “Device Manager” in your Windows search bar and open it.

Step 2. Expand Display adapters.

Step 3. Right-click on your graphics card and select Update driver.

Step 4. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

Step 5. Wait for the installation to complete.

Update video drivers

Method 6. Repair the corrupted video

If none of the above methods work, your Android video is most likely corrupted. Repairing the corrupted file using professional video repair software like Stellar Video Repair is the only solution. It can fix issues like corrupted or damaged videos due to OS crashes, viruses, etc. Simply drop your video into the software and it will detect the problem and offer to fix it.

Wrap-up

That’s pretty much everything I want to share about how to fix Android videos not playing on Windows computer. Hope these methods could be helpful to you. Thanks for reading till the end. Have a wonderful day!

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