Video to Text: link won't download or video won't play

Find the message or the stage you see on the screen below. Each section starts with the most common cause.

"Failed to download file. Please check the link."

VocaLingo could not get the video from the link. In order of frequency:

• If the video is private, from a closed account or needs a login, it cannot be downloaded. Check that the link opens in a browser where you are not signed in.

• If the link leads to a profile or a feed instead of one video, copy the link of the video itself: Share, then Copy link.

• If the site is not YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, Pinterest or a direct file link, it may not be supported. Download the video to the phone and add it with Choose.

• If the file is larger than 2 GB, a link will not work. Add the file from the phone instead (up to 3 GB).

If the message is "Please paste a valid link (starting with https://).", the address was pasted incompletely or with text around it. More about links is in importing from a link.

Stuck on "Compressing video..." or "Uploading video..."

At these stages the file is still on your phone, and the app warns: "Don't close the app, lock the screen, or switch apps". If the screen locked or you switched to another app, the upload may have stopped.

1. Go back to VocaLingo and keep the screen on until Recognizing speech... appears.

2. If the progress does not move, connect to Wi-Fi and add the file again.

3. If the video is on YouTube or another supported site, use Paste link: then nothing is uploaded from the phone.

"This video is larger than 3 GB."

Video to Text accepts video files up to 3 GB. Trim the video or export it in a lower quality: the transcript depends only on the sound. If only the words matter, save the sound as MP3 or M4A and add it as an audio file (up to 100 MB). Audio files larger than 100 MB are rejected with "Please choose a file no larger than 100 MB."

Recognition takes very long or failed

After upload the work goes on on the server, and you can close the app. Long videos take longer. The entry in History shows Recognizing... while it is in progress.

• If about 20 minutes have passed, the app says recognition is taking longer than usual. Leave it: the result will appear in History, and a notification will come.

• If the entry shows Recognition failed, add the video again. Tokens are taken only for a finished transcript, so the failed attempt cost nothing.

The video does not play on the Video tab

The transcript and the Essence do not depend on the player: if they are ready, the processing went fine. Some files use formats the built-in player cannot show.

1. Tap Share video (on the web Download video) and open the file in the gallery or another player.

2. Next time convert the video to MP4 (H.264) before adding it, or add it by link.

The result is ready, but no notification came

• Check that Notifications is on in Settings and that the phone allows notifications from VocaLingo.

• If the push could not be delivered, VocaLingo sends an email. Check your inbox and the spam folder.

• On iPhone with version 1.74 or later, the result is shown in a Live Activity on the lock screen, and then the usual push does not come.

• Whatever happens with notifications, the result is in the tool's History.

More in push notifications not working.

When to write to support

Write through the support form if the same video fails twice or tokens were taken for a failed job. Add the link or the file name, the time you started and the message on the screen. The form adds your platform and app version by itself.