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STEED's avatar
STEED
Explorer | Level 4
8 years ago
Solved

Videos not playing when offline

Hi, 

 

I use Db for pretty much everything however, when i download any video content, it plays fine whilst theres wifi or 3g/4g but as soon as it goes into airplane mode, no videos will play. 

 

Audio works fine but video doesnt work.

 

Both mp4 and .mkv files.

 

Any help on this would be great as other solutions ive read do not seem to deal with this basic issue. 

 

Thank you 

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Dropbox Basic
Error Messages
File access
Mobile
  • Lusil's avatar
    Lusil
    8 years ago
    Hey STEED.
     
    When you make a file offline,  you can access it even when your phone isn't connected to Wi-Fi or data, although it’s still placed within your Dropbox mobile app. When you export a file, it’s separate from your Dropbox account and it’s stored in your device as well (internally or SD). 
     
    To export your video in an Android device:
    1. Locate the file you want to export and tap on the vertical ellipsis (⋮).
    2. Select Export.
    3. Tap Save to device.
    4. Locate the location you want to save it in.
    5. Select Save. 
    To export your video in an iOS device:
    1. Locate the file you want to export and tap on the ellipsis (…).
    2. Select Export.
    3. Tap Save video.
    I hope this helps clear up some confusion! :slight_smile:

8 Replies

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  • Lusil's avatar
    Lusil
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    8 years ago
    Hey STEED!
     
    Initially, if you’re referring to your Dropbox mobile application, can you ensure that your files are available offline, since you should be able to access them even if you aren't connected to the internet. If you're attempting to view offline files without internet (eg. a long plane trip), ensure that your files are updated by tapping the Update all button. 
     
    Also, when you mention that you “download any video content”, are you downloading it from the website or saving it directly to your mobile device? More info on this so as to have a better understanding of your concern would be much appreciated. 
     
    Thanks in advance! :grinning:
  • STEED's avatar
    STEED
    Explorer | Level 4
    8 years ago

    Hi, thank you for your reply.

     

    When i download my video file to view offline, it is saved onto my mobile. Even when i am at home, if i put my phone in airplane mode, it still shows up the error saying that the file is unavailable. Take it off airplane mode and the video shows up straight away. 

     

    This is confusing becasue ive saved the video file to my device. 

     

    Audio works fine but video doesnt for some reason which is very frustrating. 

     

    The only way i can see it working is it i actually save the video to my camera roll, this in turn makes dropbox's offline feature not worth it and not an offline feature. 

     

    How can i not be able to view a video ive already downloaded to my device unless i have some form of internet... this is very strange. 

     

    My app is up to date and the downloads are 100% there to view but just not when you have to put on airplane mode. 

     

    Any thoughts or is this a bug with Dropbox?

     

    Thank you 

  • Lusil's avatar
    Lusil
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    8 years ago
    Hi again STEED!
     
    :thinking: Hmm, let’s check out something else: see if you’re able to play the video offline when:
    1. Wi-Fi is off but data is on. 
    2. Wi-Fi is on but data is off. 
    3. Wi-Fi and data are both off. 
    Let me know what happens in these cases and we’ll take it from there. Thanks!
  • STEED's avatar
    STEED
    Explorer | Level 4
    8 years ago

    Hi, thank you for taking the time to go through this issue with me, 

     

    I tested these things and got the following results 

     

    1. Wi-Fi is off but data is on. (VIDEO PLAYS) 
    2. Wi-Fi is on but data is off. (VIDEO PLAYS) 
    3. Wi-Fi and data are both off. (VIDEO DOES NOT PLAY) 

    This for me means that the saved videos are not really saved as offline, they do not work when im not connected to either 3g or wifi 

     

    If both data and wifi are turned off, the video will not play. 

     

    Any suggestions? 

  • Lusil's avatar
    Lusil
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    8 years ago
    Hi STEED, thanks for the detailed response on this, much appreciated!
     
    One more thing to check for now would be to see if the offline file is large, for example 100 MB. In that case, do keep in mind that, although you should be able to open the offline file, issues may arise when previewing it.
     
    For this reason, if you’d like to preview such a large file without being connected to Wi-Fi or data, I’d kindly recommend exporting it instead. 
     
    Let me know if that’s the case - or not - and I’ll make sure to get back to you on this as soon as possible. Thanks! :upside_down:
  • STEED's avatar
    STEED
    Explorer | Level 4
    8 years ago

    Hi,

     

    The video files are around 400mb each, they are definatly in my offline folder on my phone.

     

    Its all refreshed and up to date,

     

    When you say export it instead, can you be mosre specific? 

     

    I thought when i saved it to my phones dropbox offline folder, it was exported. 

     

    Im very confused

     

     

  • STEED's avatar
    STEED
    Explorer | Level 4
    8 years ago

    Hi,

     

    The video files are around 400mb each, they are definatly in my offline folder on my phone.

     

    Its all refreshed and up to date,

     

    When you say export it instead, can you be mosre specific? 

     

    I thought when i saved it to my phones dropbox offline folder, it was exported. 

     

    Im very confused

     

     

  • Lusil's avatar
    Lusil
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    8 years ago
    Hey STEED.
     
    When you make a file offline,  you can access it even when your phone isn't connected to Wi-Fi or data, although it’s still placed within your Dropbox mobile app. When you export a file, it’s separate from your Dropbox account and it’s stored in your device as well (internally or SD). 
     
    To export your video in an Android device:
    1. Locate the file you want to export and tap on the vertical ellipsis (⋮).
    2. Select Export.
    3. Tap Save to device.
    4. Locate the location you want to save it in.
    5. Select Save. 
    To export your video in an iOS device:
    1. Locate the file you want to export and tap on the ellipsis (…).
    2. Select Export.
    3. Tap Save video.
    I hope this helps clear up some confusion! :slight_smile:

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