Is the video file damaged?

No. The picture is all there; your player just can't decode AV1. Open the file in VLC or Chrome and you'll see it.

Why does Facebook use AV1?

AV1 gives the same picture quality as H.264 in a noticeably smaller file. That saves data for viewers and storage for Facebook, which is why many streaming services have moved to it too.

Will downloading it again help?

Paste the link into PastePull: whenever Facebook has an H.264 copy, that's the one you get. If the new file still plays only sound, Facebook has nothing but AV1 for that video, so use one of the fixes above.

Facebook video plays only sound, no picture

Updated October 30, 2026

You download a Facebook video, press play and hear it, but the screen stays black. The file isn't broken. It's saved in a newer video format called AV1, and your player can't show it.

Why it happens: AV1

Facebook keeps many videos in two formats. H.264 is the format almost every phone, computer and app has played for over fifteen years. AV1 is newer and makes smaller files at the same quality, so Facebook uses it more and more.

A video file holds the picture and the sound as separate tracks. The sound is ordinary AAC audio that everything plays. When a player can't decode an AV1 picture, many of them play the sound and show nothing, instead of showing an error. That's why the file seems half broken.

Devices that can't show AV1

Macs with an Intel, M1 or M2 chip, in QuickTime Player and Photos. Macs with an M3 chip or newer play AV1.
iPhones older than the iPhone 15 Pro, in Photos and Files.
Windows PCs without Microsoft's free AV1 Video Extension, in the Media Player app.
Older smart TVs, video editors and apps that only accept H.264.

How PastePull avoids it

When Facebook has both formats, we always give you the H.264 copy, even when the AV1 one is larger. You only get AV1 when Facebook has no H.264 copy of that video. A tool that simply picks the biggest file often ends up with AV1.

Fix 1: use a player that knows AV1

The quickest fix is another player. VLC is free, has no ads, comes from the non-profit VideoLAN and plays AV1 on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone. Chrome and Firefox play AV1 too: drag the file into a browser window.

Fix 2: add AV1 to Windows

On Windows 10 and 11, install the free AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store. After that, the Media Player app shows the picture.

Fix 3: convert it to H.264

If the video has to play on a particular device, or go into an editor, convert it once:

Open our Compress a video tool in Chrome on a computer and choose the file. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
Under Fit size, pick Email (25 MB), or WhatsApp (16 MB) for a smaller file, then press Export.
Save the new file. It's H.264, so it plays everywhere.

For long videos where size doesn't matter, the free desktop app HandBrake converts to H.264 at full quality.

How to check a file's format

Open the video in VLC. On Windows, choose Tools › Codec Information; on a Mac, Window › Media Information, then Codec Details. The codec line says AV1, or H.264 (sometimes written AVC).