Is the video damaged or unsafe?

Almost never. A video that won't play is nearly always in a format the player doesn't know, or a download that didn't finish. If VLC plays the whole file, it's fine.

Why does it play on my phone but not my computer?

Phones decode HEVC, and often AV1, with built-in hardware, while Windows needs an extra extension for each. Install the extension, or use VLC.

Which format should I download?

MP4, which is what PastePull gives you for video. When a platform offers H.264, that's the copy we pick, because it plays on the most devices.

Downloaded video won't play: how to fix it

Updated October 30, 2026

Most videos that refuse to play aren't broken. Either your player doesn't know the file's video format, or the download didn't finish. Here's how to tell which, and what to do about it.

First, check the download finished

Look at the file size. A video a minute long is usually several megabytes. A file of a few kilobytes, or one that stops partway through, didn't download completely. Paste the link again and keep the page open until the download is done.

Download links from PastePull work for up to 45 minutes. After that you'll see “This download link expired. Paste the post link again.” Paste the post's link again to get a fresh one.

What the error messages mean

Windows, error 0xc00d5212 (“This item was encoded in a format that's not supported”): Windows has no decoder for the video's format, usually AV1 or HEVC.
Windows, error 0xc10100be: the file type isn't supported, the file name has the wrong ending, or the file is incomplete.
Mac, the file “isn't compatible with QuickTime Player”: QuickTime can't read the format. This is common with WebM files, and with AV1 on Macs older than the M3 chip.
Sound but no picture: the player can decode the sound but not the picture, usually because the picture is AV1.
iPhone, no Save Video option in the Share menu: the Photos app doesn't take that format, so the file can only stay in Files.

The formats behind most problems

H.264 (also called AVC): plays on practically everything. PastePull picks it whenever a platform offers it.
HEVC (H.265): plays on iPhones, Macs and most Android phones. Windows needs Microsoft's HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store.
AV1: newer and more efficient. Chrome, Firefox and VLC play it everywhere; Apple's own apps only on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer and on Macs with an M3 chip or newer. Facebook uses it a lot.
VP9 in WebM files: plays in browsers and VLC, but not in QuickTime or the iPhone Photos app.

Fixes that work almost every time

Play it in VLC. It's free, has no ads, comes from the non-profit VideoLAN and plays nearly every format on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone.
Or drag the file into Chrome or Firefox, which play H.264, VP9 and AV1.
On Windows, install the AV1 Video Extension (free) or the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store if you want the built-in Media Player to work.
To make a copy that plays everywhere, convert it to H.264. Our Compress a video tool does it in your browser when you pick a size under Fit size; the free desktop app HandBrake does it at full quality.

Renaming the file won't fix it

Changing a file's ending, say from .webm to .mp4, doesn't change what's inside, and can make a player refuse it outright. If a player complains about the format, convert the file instead.