You might have encountered an error message that reads, “Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available”.
The error occurs while trying to play a video on YouTube, Vimeo, etc. using Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi, and other browsers.
The message is displayed over a blacked out media window, where the video should be showing.
Since these browsers support HTML5 video codecs, you may wonder why you’re having issues playing YouTube videos on them.
You may have tried reloading the video, restarting the browser, and even restarting your system all to no avail.
Why does this happen and what can you do to fix it? Keep reading to find out.
What if a browser does not currently recognize any of video formats?
Some users have reported that the error message most times doesn’t occur on all videos. It appears when they try to play a particular video(s).
The possible causes vary. But it is often due to the main reasons presented below:
- Your browser is outdated: If you are using a very old browser, or you haven’t updated your browser for a while, you might encounter this error message.
- Interference from installed Add-ons: have you installed browser extensions like YouTube Flash Video Player or YouTube Flash Player? They can direct the browser to use Flash instead of HTML5 to stream the YouTube video and this leads to the error message in discussion.
- The browser’s configuration has media sources disabled: You can encounter the error message on Mozilla Firefox when there are media sources disabled in the configuration of your browser.
Now that we have seen the culprits, let’s go right ahead to discuss how to resolve the error.
How to remove ‘Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats’ error message
Here are confirmed fixes you can apply to resolve the issue:
- Disable browser add-ons
- Launch the browser in safe mode
- Activate the mediasource.enabled setting in Firefox
- Update your browser
- Reset/reinstall the browser
You can follow these fixes sequentially till the error message has been dealt with. We’ll give detailed steps on how to perform each one of them on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers.
Let’s get started.
Fix 1: Disable browser add-ons
The first step you have to take is to disable extensions in your browser that direct YouTube’s functionality and may cause the error message.
According to reports from several users, Switch to Flash Player and Disable YouTube HTML5 Player are two browser extensions identified to cause the issue.
They direct your browser to use Flash instead of HTML5 to stream your YouTube videos.
Follow the easy steps below to disable or remove them and see if that resolves the issue for you:
On Google Chrome:
- Launch the browser.
- Click the Menu button displayed in the top-right corner of the window (displayed as the three-dot icon).
- Hover over the More tools option and then click Extensions from the next menu.
- In the window that opens, type Switch to Flash Player in the search box to locate it.
- To disable the extension, simply toggle it off. To remove it entirely, click the Remove button and then click the Remove button again on the confirmation prompt that appears.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 to disable or remove the Disable YouTube HTML5 Player extension.
- Close Chrome and launch it once again. Then check if you can stream your video.
On Mozilla Firefox:
- Launch the browser.
- Click the Menu button displayed in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Select Add-ons from the drop-down list and then click Extensions to switch to the tab.
- Search for the Switch to Flash Player extension and click the Remove button.
- Search for the Disable YouTube HTML5 Player extension and click the Remove button.
- Close Firefox and then launch it again. Check if you can stream your YouTube video without the error message showing up.
Fix 2: Launch the browser in safe mode
When you launch your browser in safe mode, all installed add-ons will be disabled and some browser settings will be reset. Doing this will help you identify the culprit for the error message.
Follow these easy steps to launch your browser in safe mode:
On Google Chrome:
Google Chrome does not have safe mode. However, you can open an incognito window. All add-ons will be disabled by default. Here’s how to do that:
- Launch the browser.
- Click the Menu button displayed in the top-right corner of the window.
- Select New incognito window from the list.
Note: you can press Ctrl + Shift + N on your keyboard once you launch your browser to open an incognito window.
You can now try playing the video and see if the issue will still occur.
On Mozilla Firefox:
- Launch the browser.
- Click the Menu button displayed in the top-right corner of the window.
- Click the Help option.
- Select the Restart with Add-Ons Disabled
After you complete these steps, your browser will start in safe mode and you can check whether you can play your YouTube video. If you can, consider disabling or removing all installed add-ons and see if that resolves the issue.
Fix 3: Activate the media.mediasource.enabled setting in Firefox
This fix applies only to Mozilla Firefox users.
If you are getting the “Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available” error message, it could be that the media sources in the configuration of your browser are disabled.
The media.mediasource.enabled setting should be enabled by default. You can check this fact and activate it if it has been disabled.
Follow these easy steps to do so:
- Launch your Firefox browser.
- Type or copy and paste about:config in the URL bar and then hit enter on your keyboard.
- You will be presented with a warning. Click I accept the risk. This will give you access to the configuration of the browser.
- Type media.mediasource.enabled in the about:config’s page search bar.
- See that the following entries are set to True:
media.mediasource.enabled
media.mediasource.webm.enabled
media.mediasource.mp4.enabled
- If any of the above parameters are set to False, double-click on it to set the value to True.
- Restart your browser.
This fix has proven effective in resolving the error message on Firefox and should work for you as well. But if you are still faced with the issue, move on to the next fix.
Fix 4: Update your browser
Using an obsolete or outdated browser leaves you at a disadvantage and is not recommended. Why? Developers release updates that offer security improvements, bug fixes, new features, and much more stability.
If you have not updated your browser, follow the steps below to do so and then check if you can stream your YouTube video without encountering the error message:
On Google Chrome:
- Launch Google Chrome browser.
- Observe the Menu button (the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the window). If it is red, green, or orange, it means there’s an available update. Click the button and select Update Google Chrome.
Note: The different colors indicate the period of time for which the update has been available.
You can also visit Chrome’s official website to download and install the latest version of the browser.
On Mozilla Firefox:
- Launch your Firefox browser.
- Click the Menu button displayed in the top-right corner of the window.
- Select Options.
- Scroll down under the General tab till you locate the Firefox Updates option.
- Once in the Firefox Updates window, it is recommended that you select the option that says “Automatically install updates (recommended)”. It will ensure your browser always stays updated.
- Click the Check for updates button to see if there are any available updates.
You can also visit Mozilla’s official website to download the latest version of the browser.
Fix 5: Reset/reinstall the browser
Having tried all the fixes above, resetting/reinstalling your browser is the last port of call.
Reset the browser first. If the issue persists, then go ahead and reinstall it.
A reset will restore the browser to its original settings. Saved passwords and bookmarks might not be affected but that is not guaranteed. You may want to back up your bookmarks before going ahead to perform a reset.
Reset Google Chrome:
Follow these easy steps to reset your Chrome browser:
- Launch the browser.
- Copy and paste or type Chrome://settings in the URL bar and then hit enter on your keyboard. This will lead you to the Settings window.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Advanced” drop-down menu.
- Scroll down once more to the bottom of the page. Under the Reset and Clean up category, click on Restore settings to their original defaults.
- A confirmation prompt will be displayed. Click the Reset settings button.
Reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Launch the browser.
- Click the Menu button at the top-right corner of the window.
- Click the blue question mark icon at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Click Troubleshooting information.
- On the page that opens, click Reset Firefox. It is displayed at the top-right corner.
- You’ll receive a confirmation prompt. Click the Reset Firefox button.
To reinstall your browser:
- Go to the Start menu on your Windows PC.
- Type Control Panel in the search bar and select the option from the search results.
- In the Control Panel window, search for Programs and then click Uninstall a program when the option appears in the search results.
- Locate your browser from the list. Right-click on it and select Uninstall.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.
- Restart your PC.
- Visit the official website of your browser.
- Download and install the latest version of your browser.
We hope this guide has been of help to you.
As a final note, do make sure you have a strong antivirus program installed on your computer to protect you against malware and data safety threats. We recommend you get Auslogics Anti-Malware. The tool is very easy to set up and use. Among its numerous features, it can scan your browser extensions to ensure there are no data leaks.
If you have an existing antivirus program, it can run alongside it without interference. It may even detect malicious items the former can miss. Ensure you schedule automated scans and give yourself the peace of mind you deserve.
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