How to Fix ‘This File Isn’t Compatible With QuickTime Player’ Error

Arshmeet has been a tech tinkerer since childhood, but she realized her love for technology and writing about 5 years ago. Since then, she has been honing her skills and helping people figure out how things work, troubleshoot problems, choose the right app and products, and dig deep into the new and old concepts of technology. She is a self-professed Apple Enthusiast who loves debating what’s good and what’s not. It is her passion for finding techniques, hacks, apps, and products that make everyday life simpler.

Why Am I seeing ‘This File Isn’t Compatible With QuickTime Player’ Error

The infamous macOS video player error can pop up from time to time. As per anApple Support article, this compatibility issue is something that Apple expects. The tech giant suggests two solutions updating the app or using another app, but we have more to offer.

However, before we move in to fix the file that isn’t compatible with the QuickTime player issue, it’s wiser to check the reasons behind the error.

Whatever the reason, trying the following troubleshooting steps in the order of their appearance below should solve the issue quickly.

Basic Fixes

Fix 1. Double-Check the File Format

QuickTime Player doesn’t offer as extensive file format support as some of the more advanced media players. However, it can comfortably support formats including QuickTime movie files (MOV), MPEG-4 files (MP4, MP3, M4V, M4A), MPEG-2, AVI, Mjpeg, DV Stream, and audio files such as AIFF, WAV, and AAC.

So maybe the video file is out of the scope, and the ‘The file isn’t compatible with QuickTime Player’ error occurs because it’s simply incompatible.

However, there’s still a chance that the extension name is incorrect or mistakenly changed by you. In such a scenario, renaming the file in the correct format name should help. You may try the following steps on a MacBook or iMac.

Step 1: OpenFinderand navigate to the location where the file is stored. Select theFile, right-click, and selectGet info.

Step 2: Here, check theMore infoandName & Extensionand ensure all is in order.

If you feel the extension is not what it should be, try changing it. Now, try to run the file on QuickTime Player to test if you can resolve the issue or not.

Fix 2. Encode Video or Audio Files for QuickTime Player

Macs come with an out-of-the-box multimedia encoder. You can use this tool to re-encode a faulty multimedia file so that macOS can play it on the QuickTime Player app.

Step 1: OpenFinderand select thevideo file. Right-click the file and select ‘Encode Selected Video Files’.

Step 2: Here, click the drop-down arrow beside theSetting.

Step 3: Select a suitable codec (you can select any, as QuickTime Player supports all of these). ClickContinue.

Once the encoding session is complete, you’ll spot a converted video file in the same folder. Try playing it, hopefully, you can now play it.

Fix 3. Look for a Compatible App on the App Store

If you’re in this section, it means you tried all the previous methods to troubleshoot and couldn’t fix the ‘This File Isn’t Compatible With QuickTime Player’ error. Now, the last option is getting another video player that could play the file you’re facing issues with.

To find the right app for the file, right-click thefile→ selectOpen With→App Store. Look through the available options and find the one that suits you the best.

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Last updated on 30 July, 2024

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