Fix: Unable to Play Video – Number of Allowed Playbacks Exceeded on Google Drive

The error “Unable to Play Video – Number of Allowed Playbacks Exceeded” appears when a video has reached its playback limit, preventing it from streaming. In such cases, the player often becomes greyed out or shows an error message, making the video unplayable. This restriction usually applies to a single account or all users accessing the same shared link. These limits are typically set by the content provider to manage bandwidth usage or comply with licensing agreements. While you might still be able to download the video, direct playback through Google Drive may remain temporarily or even permanently blocked on your device.
In some cases, this error can also occur due to temporary glitches within the platform, issues related to licensing agreements that limit the number of views, or corrupted cached data and cookies. Ad blockers may also interfere with video playback, and using a shared or family account can sometimes impact your ability to view the content.

Before moving to detailed solutions, try some quick fixes. These include refreshing the page, opening the video in Incognito mode, and disabling ad blockers. You can also switch to a different browser, device, or network, such as moving from public Wi-Fi to a private connection. If nothing works, wait for 24 hours since playback limits usually reset automatically after this period.

If the issue persists, try the following solutions:

1. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

Over time, your browser stores cookies and cached files that can become outdated or corrupted, interfering with Google Drive’s playback functionality. Clearing these removes conflicting data and forces your browser to reload the page with a fresh session, often fixing playback glitches and session mismatches.

1. Launch your browser.
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) at the top-right corner and select “Settings”.
3. Go to “Privacy and Security” in the left panel.
4. Scroll down and click “Delete browsing data”.
5. Set the Time range to All time.
6. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
7. Click “Delete Data” and restart your browser.

2. Make a Copy of the File

When a Google Drive video hits its viewing limit, creating a copy generates a new file with a different ID. This resets the playback count since the new copy has no previous view history, allowing you to stream it again even if the original file remains restricted.

1. Launch your browser.
2. Go to https://drive.google.com.
3. Navigate to the folder (or Shared Drive) containing the video.
4. Right-click on the video and select “Make a copy”.
5. Wait 5–10 minutes, then try playing the copied video.

Note: If the copy does not play immediately or shows a blank preview, refresh the page and try again.

3. Transfer Files to a New Team Drive

Moving files to a newly created Team Drive helps bypass restrictions applied to the original drive, such as view limits or access caps. When the files are moved, Google treats them as new content within a different storage scope, effectively removing previous playback limits. This is particularly useful when the old drive is overloaded, has corrupted permissions, or is subject to strict sharing rules.

1. Launch your browser.
2. Go to https://drive.google.com.
3. In the left sidebar, click “Shared Drives”.
4. Click the “+ New” button at the top and name your new drive.
5. Open the drive containing the restricted video.
6. Create a folder in the old drive and move all affected files into it.
7. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the folder.
8. Select Organise > Move.
9. Go to All locations > Shared Drives.
10. Select your new drive and click “Move”.

If none of these methods work, consider reaching out to Google Drive Support for additional assistance.