Facebook Shared Video Error: “The video that you tried to open is not available”

Many Facebook users are facing an annoying issue lately. Whenever someone sends a Facebook video link, it simply doesn’t open. Instead, it shows the error:

“The video that you tried to open is not available.”

Facebook Shared Video Error: “The video that you tried to open is not available”

Because of this, users are unable to view or play Facebook videos and reels shared with them. This issue happens when videos are shared on Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, or any other app.

Who is facing this issue?

iOS and iPhone users
Android device users

So basically, it is not limited to any one device type or any one app.

Why does this happen?

The exact cause is unclear, but some users think it is related to Facebook’s in-app browser vs Facebook Watch. When videos try to open in Facebook Watch, they fail. If they open in the in-app browser, they sometimes work.

How to fix Facebook video Error: “The video that you tried to open is not available”

One workaround that has helped some users is:

Copy the video link shared with you.
Open it in your browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.)
When it asks to open in the Facebook App, tap “No” or continue in the browser.
The video should play normally in the browser.

Other Fix Tried

Some users tried deleting the Facebook app data. This allowed videos to work temporarily for a few times, but the problem came back. It seems deleting data forces videos to open in the FB app browser initially, but after a few attempts, it switches back to FB Watch, causing the error again.

Final Thoughts

This problem has been happening for months for some users. There is no perfect solution yet, but using a browser instead of the app seems to be the most reliable temporary fix.

If Facebook releases an update to fix this permanently, users might not have to go through these extra steps every time they want to watch a shared video.