Troubleshoot media playback

CareMap shows uploaded images, audio, and video, plus supported YouTube and Vimeo videos. Use the visible status and source message to choose a recovery. For spoken Guide narration or cloud voices, see Troubleshoot Guide speech.

Try the visible recovery first

1. Read the message near the media. If it says the content is Processing or not available yet, allow time for preparation, then refresh or reopen the item. Do not upload a duplicate while processing is active.
2. If CareMap says Automatic playback was blocked, press the video's play control. Browsers and devices may require a direct action before playback.
3. For silent audio or video, unmute the player, raise the device volume, and check the selected speaker, headphones, or hearing device.
4. Confirm that you are online, then refresh after reconnecting.

Provider videos

YouTube and Vimeo always require an internet connection, including in a Guide prepared for offline use. A provider may report that a video is private, removed, password protected, invalid, or blocked from embedded playback.

Use Open on YouTube or Open on Vimeo when CareMap offers it. If the video plays on the provider but not inside CareMap, ask the author to check its privacy and embedding settings or choose another source.

Prepared offline Guides

For uploaded media in an offline Guide, return to Library and use Refresh offline when its package is Partial, Offline stale, or Offline failed. Use Prepare offline if it is not saved on this device.

If you can edit the Guide

Open the affected Media block and inspect its current source and status.

• Uploading: wait for transfer completion before Save block. If the transfer failed, check connection and storage, then choose the file again.
• Processing: allow preparation to finish before testing playback. A saved block or visible filename is not proof that media is ready.
• Processing failed / asset missing: choose an available replacement, save, and Preview again.
• No reusable results: clear search, check additional result pages, and confirm source access. Archived media is hidden. Use Refresh media to update the picker.
• Image source unavailable: save the destination first when requested, then retry or use another image source.

Guide Media uploads support PNG/JPEG/GIF/WebP images, MP4/MOV/WebM video, and AAC/M4A/MP3/OGG/WAV/WebM audio. Each file must be no larger than 50 MB (50,000,000 bytes). A file chooser may permit selecting an image format that the server rejects; convert it to a supported format. Drop only one file at a time on the media area, or use the file chooser if dragging is rejected.

For replacement controls, see Media blocks. Clearing a block's source does not delete the original file.

Playback or appearance differs from the settings

• Video does not start immediately: Auto-play on page entry is coordinated with automatic page narration. Browser/device restrictions may still require pressing play. The Block Editor's own preview does not autoplay.
• Audio does not start on entry: Audio Media blocks use manual playback. Recorded narration is a separate Speech source.
• Image edges are missing: choose Image fit > Show whole image.
• Tapping an image runs an action instead of expanding it: when both are configured, use the separate fullscreen expansion button.
• A formatted image caption remains after Show caption is turned off: turn it on, clear the caption, save, then turn it off and save again.
• No waveform: a waveform is optional; try the ready audio player's controls.

For a YouTube error, use Try again when offered.

With read-only access, send the visible message to the content owner or a workspace manager. In Course authoring, use the replacement controls offered by that lesson and test its preview.

If playback still fails

Give your administrator or CareMap support the platform, content name, media type, message, connection/offline state, and whether web/provider playback works. Use an approved channel for private content.