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How to fix video playback errors in Safari in Presence®

  • Apr 9, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
How to fix video playback errors in Safari in Presence®
URL Name
Troubleshooting-Video-Playback-in-Safari
Answer

How to fix video playback errors in Safari in Presence®

How to troubleshoot background videos that aren't playing correctly in Safari.

Overview

Safari can sometimes have trouble playing background videos, particularly on homepage hero elements. The most common causes are video format issues, autoplay settings, or file size.

How to troubleshoot video playback in Safari

1. Check the video format

Safari requires MP4 format for background videos. If your video is in a different format, convert it to MP4 before uploading. See [How to replace your homepage video in Presence®] for recommended specifications.

2. Update Safari autoplay settings

  1. Open Safari → Preferences (or Settings on newer macOS versions).
  2. Click the Websites tab.
  3. Find Auto-Play and set it to Allow All Auto-Play for your website.
  4. Confirm JavaScript is enabled — go to Security and ensure JavaScript is turned on.

3. Re-upload the video in Presence®

  1. Navigate to the Presence® Platform.
  2. Click Websites from the left-hand menu, then hover over the site you want to edit and select the pen icon.
  3. Click on the video element and open the Background tab in the settings panel.
  4. Re-upload the video and confirm it's set as the background.

4. Reduce the video file size

Safari can struggle with large video files. If your video exceeds the recommended size, compress it before re-uploading. See [How to replace your homepage video in Presence®] for the recommended 10–15 MB target and 50 MB maximum.

5. Clear your Safari cache

If the video still isn't playing, clear your Safari cache and cookies, then reload the page. You can also test in an incognito/private window to rule out a caching issue.

FAQs

Does this issue affect other browsers?

Video playback issues in Safari are often specific to Safari's autoplay restrictions or codec support. If the video plays correctly in Chrome or Firefox, the issue is Safari-specific — work through the autoplay and format steps above.

Who do I contact if none of these steps resolve the issue?

Contact our support team: