Embedded Video Won't Play in Word

Copper Contributor

Greetings! I am using Word for Microsoft 365 on an updated version of Windows 10. I can embed a video from YouTube; however, I can't play it once embedded. When I click on it to play it or right-click and then select "Play Video" from the shortcut menu, all I see is a large white box. (I do have Edge and Explorer 11 installed, for what it's worth.) 

 

Any suggestions on how to play the embedded video will be very, very much appreciated! 

 

Thank you,

Erin

35 Replies

@ErinWright 

I have exactly the same issue.
Is this related to an update or missing player app?
Right click and "Open link" works fine by opening my default browser (Google) and starting the video.

@ErinWright 

Have you been able to slove this problem? I am experiencing the same. Please share your experience. txxxx

The right-click works for me, also; however, still no luck playing embedded videos. I *think* this problem is related to Windows rather than Word because I can't get embedded videos to play in Adobe Acrobat, either (only the audio will play).
No, I haven't been able to solve this problem. I have sent feedback to Microsoft and encourage everyone else to do the same because it's frustrating to have a feature that just doesn't work at all. ☹

@ErinWright 

I ran a test with PowerPoint.
The embedded video runs fine there.
It looks more like a combination of WORD 365 and WIN10.
Does anyone have additional test suggestions?

@Berend_Storm 

Same here, no problem using powerpoint or word on office 365 web. 

I notice that the input box that appears when hitting insert/online videos (in my word-on-pc) has a different outlook.

In my case it was the PC version for both PPT and WORD.
When editing a word doc on the office web version there is no problem inserting a video. All works fine. When i save the doc and open it in the 'word-on-pc' the problem reappears. The previously perfect working word doc behaves exactly as before and shows a white screen in stead of playing the video.
My guess is that it works fine with the web edition because you can also play the video from a web-page. Basically you are using the same web-engine in the background I suppose.

@Berend_Storm that is what i think. But i forgot to mention that when i make a powerpoint on my pc (the same office package where Word is in) there is no problem at all.

@bert1111 

Correct, that's what I tested as well on my PC.

I don't have the issue on PPT, either.
What strikes me is that the 3 of us seem to be the only ones worldwide having this problem.
I cannot believe that this is true.
BTW I'm using the Dutch versions of WIN10 and Office.
What language settings are you using?
Just thinking that perhaps this is language related and that anything deviating from the standard EN-US might have this problem.
I can't believe that we are the only three having this issue, either. I am using Word for Microsoft 365 EN-US on WIN10. It would be interesting to hear if the problem persists on WIN11. I am going to send feedback again today. 😐
i was thinking exactly the same thing. yesterday i upgraded to the latest version and nothing changed. I tried switching off grammerly, mendely and zotero but nothing changed. It might be language related though: i am using version 2201 in office 365 MSO for enterprises (dutch language)

I have had the same issue. I have tried embedding the video using both the embed code and the URL, but neither seems to work playing directly from word. Although when I right-click the link works to open the video on youtube. Has there been any update or fix for this? I've attached a screenshot of the window that pops up when I click on the video for reference. 

 

TaylaSian_0-1646695183499.png

 

Have you tried using CTRL+Left Click?

@TaylaSian 

I still get exactly the same popup.

Hi Doug,
That opens the default browser and plays the video, but that is not the primary goal.

BTW I am a keen follower of your articles about Office automation. Just like I follow a few others from the WORD MVP group.