While the Wistia player is designed for a great viewing experience across many devices and browsers, playback issues are bound to arise in some cases. Many factors influence media playback, so we’ve gathered some tips for ironing out the wrinkles on your own.

If you suspect a Wistia-specific problem, our status page is the first place to look. Here, our team reports any outages and posts updates until they are resolved. You can also subscribe to updates via email, SMS, Slack, and more to stay in the loop.

If all Wistia systems are operational, it’s time to start troubleshooting.

This step may seem simple, but it’s often the quickest fix. We recommend clearing your browser’s cache as a first step when troubleshooting most playback issues. We’ve rounded up some documentation for how to clear your cache on some popular browsers:

You can also “hard refresh” a webpage to clear the cache for that tab only (e.g., “Command” + “Shift” + “R” in Chrome).

If the problem is happening for a video you uploaded to Wistia, make sure you’ve selected all recommended and required export settings for your file. The most critical piece is to export videos as an MP4 file (recommended) with an H.264 codec (required). Uploading a file with an incompatible codec is a common cause of failed uploads.

It’s important to keep your browser up to date, as some bugs might be fixed in newer versions. If a media fails to play or is consistently stuck buffering/loading, ensure you’re using the most current version of your browser or OS. This is especially true on mobile devices; for example, iOS only started supporting silent autoplay for videos as of iOS 10. You can confirm if your browser is up to date easily by visiting WhatIsMyBrowser.com.

Whether you’re using extensions in Chrome or Safari, Firefox Add-ons, or other browser plugins, these third-party programs can sometimes cause unexpected problems with media, such as preventing playback or subverting stats.

The easiest way to test if a plugin is causing the problem is to play the media in an incognito or private browsing window. Every browser has an option for a “private” mode, which will automatically disable any extensions and plugins.

If a playback issue is resolved in a private window, disable all your plugins and turn them back on individually. As you re-enable each plugin, see if the problem returns. If it does, try uninstalling it or setting up an exception for pages with media.

Here are some guides on managing plugins and addons for common browsers:

While we support all major browsers, certain playback issues might be specific to a particular browser. Switching browsers may clear up an issue or give you a sense of whether a problem is more widespread. For example, if you’re using Firefox and your media doesn’t play, but things are all good in Chrome, let us know! We’ll be happy to dig deeper with you.

Are you or your customers experiencing slow loading or continuous buffering? The most common cause of this problem is that the viewer’s Internet connection speed is not fast enough to support media playback reliably. While we take many steps to optimize the playback experience for each viewer, there are some minimum requirements for a smooth playback experience. Check your internet speed using an online speed test and contact your provider if it’s not up to par.

Just like uploading, your internet connection can affect playback. Try resetting your router and make sure you have a secure connection.

Alternatively, try using a mobile hotspot or a different network to see if the issue persists. If you’re viewing on a school or business network, confirm that all necessary Wistia domains have been allowlisted.

If none of the above steps clear the issue, it’s time to call for backup — our Customer Champs are here to help. To get the fastest possible assistance, provide us with as many details as possible:

Email us at [email protected] or submit a ticket from the messenger in your Wistia account. The more information you give us, the faster we can work to solve your problem. 🚀