# Video Section Troubleshooting

**Applies to:** SS video sections, video banners, hero sections with video, product videos, shoppable videos

### Symptoms

-   Video shows a thumbnail or black box but won't play
-   Video autoplays on desktop but not on mobile
-   YouTube or Vimeo embed doesn't autoplay
-   Video is slow to load or never loads

### Try This

1.  **Enable Autoplay in the section settings.**
    -   Look for an "Autoplay" or "Autoplay thumbnails" toggle and turn it on
2.  **Make sure the video is muted.**
    -   Modern browsers block autoplay unless the video is muted. This is a browser rule, not a Section Store limitation.
    -   If the section has a "Mute" setting, enable it.
3.  **Use Shopify-hosted video for best results.**
    -   Go to Shopify Admin > Settings > Files, upload your video.
    -   Use that uploaded video in the section.
    -   Shopify-hosted MP4 files autoplay more reliably than YouTube or Vimeo.
4.  **YouTube and Vimeo have stricter autoplay rules.**
    -   These embeds have their own policies that can override your settings.
    -   If autoplay is critical, consider switching to a Shopify-hosted video.
5.  **Try disabling Lazy Load.**
    -   Some video sections have a "Lazy Load" setting.
    -   Disabling it can help videos load and play sooner (at the cost of slightly slower page load).
6.  **Test on different devices.**
    -   iPhone/iOS has the strictest autoplay policies. Apple may block autoplay even when muted.
    -   Android Chrome is generally more permissive.
    -   Always test on a real phone, not just a resized browser window.

### Browser Autoplay Rules

| Browser | Autoplay Allowed? |
| --- | --- |
| Chrome (desktop) | Yes, if muted |
| Safari (desktop) | Yes, if muted |
| Chrome (Android) | Yes, if muted |
| Safari (iOS) | Limited, may block even muted videos in low-power mode |
| Firefox | Yes, if muted |

### Still Stuck

Email us at **help@section.store** with:

-   Video source type (Shopify-hosted file, YouTube, or Vimeo)
-   Device and browser you tested on
-   Screenshot of your video section settings
-   Whether it works on desktop but not mobile (or vice versa)

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**Related articles**

- [Video Autoplay Restrictions on Mobile Devices](https://section-store.orka.help/a/video-autoplay-restrictions-on-mobile-devices)

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