Codec Is Not Supported on Android or Samsung? How to Fix It

Your video stopped with a 'codec is not supported' error? The file is almost always fine - your player just cannot decode one part of it, and the fix takes a couple of minutes.

A codec is the small piece of software that unpacks compressed video or sound, and this error means your player does not have the one this file needs.

On Android, the quickest fix is to play the file in VLC for Android, which carries its own decoders for almost every format.

If you would rather keep your current player, the fixes below cover MX Player, Samsung's own player and converting the file.

First: Find Out Which Codec Is Missing

The message often names the culprit - EAC3, DTS, AC3 or TrueHD for sound, HEVC or AV1 for picture. If it does not, drop the file into the free Codec Finder and it lists the codecs inside, right in your browser, without uploading anything.

On phones, the usual suspect is the sound: films and TV rips often carry Dolby or DTS audio that most Android players leave out for licensing reasons. On older or budget phones, HEVC and AV1 video can trip it too.

Fix 1: Play It in VLC for Android

VLC for Android bundles its own decoders, so it plays EAC3, DTS, AC3, HEVC, AV1 and MKV files without any add-on, and it is free with no ads.

1. Install VLC for Android. Get it from our download page or Google Play.
2. Open the video from VLC. Browse to it in VLC's Video or Browse tab, or use Open with in your file manager.
3. Play it. If the error was about a codec, it should now play with picture and sound.

Prefer something lighter? mpv for Android also carries its own decoders and is free and open source.

Fix 2: Already Use MX Player? Add the Custom Codec

MX Player leaves out the Dolby and DTS decoders, which is why it shows 'EAC3 is not supported' and similar errors. The free MX Player Custom Codec adds AC3, EAC3, DTS, MLP and TrueHD back.

1. Download the all-in-one (aio) zip. It works on any phone, and there is no need to unzip it.
2. Open MX Player's Settings. Go to Decoder and scroll down to Custom codec.
3. Tap Custom codec and pick the zip. Browse to your Downloads folder and select the file.
4. Let MX Player restart. It reloads with the new codec - then play the video again.

Still silent after that? Our MX Player EAC3 fix covers matching the codec to your app version and the hardware-decoding setting that can bypass it.

Fix 3: Samsung's 'Video Codec Not Supported' Error

Samsung's built-in video player covers the everyday formats, but it often refuses MKV files with Dolby or DTS sound. It cannot be given extra codecs, so the answer is a different player - VLC from Fix 1.

It is still worth checking Settings, Software update. Samsung occasionally widens format support in system updates, though it is not something to wait for.

Fix 4: Convert the File

If you need the video to play everywhere - on someone else's phone, a TV or a stock player - convert it on a PC with HandBrake. Its default preset makes an MP4 with H.264 video and AAC sound, the combination virtually every device plays.

1. Open HandBrake and drop the video in. It reads the file and picks the Fast 1080p30 preset.
2. Check the Summary tab says MP4. Choose where to save next to Save As.
3. Click Start Encode. Copy the new MP4 to your phone when it finishes.

What Each Error Message Means

Still Not Playing?

A very demanding file - 4K at 60 frames per second, or a very high bitrate - can fail on an older phone even when the codec is there, because the chip cannot keep up. Convert it to 1080p with HandBrake, or play it on a newer device.

If the file will not open in any player at all, it is probably damaged or incomplete, and downloading it again is the fix.

Quick questions