This guide helps identify and resolve common issues related to ScreenCloud apps, streaming services, and third-party integrations.
Many apps rely on external services (such as YouTube, Facebook, Google Calendar, or Instagram). If a problem occurs, it may be caused by the connected service, network restrictions, account permissions, or app configuration.
Follow the steps below to diagnose the issue.
What is a ScreenCloud app issue?
An issue is likely app-related if any of the following occur:
The app does not work in Preview or on a live screen
The app skips content, shows an error, or behaves unexpectedly
The issue continues after deleting and re-adding the app
The issue persists after following the instructions in ScreenCloud's Learn section or App Guide.
Step 1: Check the source service
Many ScreenCloud apps depend on third-party services. If the service is experiencing issues, the app may fail to load or display content.
What to do
Open the service directly in your browser (for example, https://www.facebook.com)
Log in using the same account connected to ScreenCloud
Confirm the service loads normally (for example https://metastatus.com/ for Facebook)
If the service itself is unavailable, the issue must be resolved by the service provider.
Step 2: Test your account access
If the app requires login access, confirm the account works outside of ScreenCloud.
What to do
Log in directly on the service’s website
If login fails, contact the service’s support team
If login works, try:
A different browser (Chrome or Firefox recommended)
A different network connection
Step 3: Identify where the issue occurs
Understanding where the issue appears will help narrow down the root cause.
Check the following:
Does the app work correctly in the app preview or screen preview in your browser?
Does the issue appear on the live screen?
Does the issue occur in both the preview and the live screen, or only one?
Are the results different across player OS types (e.g. Android, Windows, ChromeOS)?
Does the issue persist when the device is connected to a mobile hotspot instead of your organization’s network?
If you contact ScreenCloud Support, make sure to include this information to help speed up troubleshooting.
Step 4: Refresh or recreate the app
Refreshing the connection can resolve many temporary issues.
Recreate the app
Delete the app from your account
Add it again as a new app
Reconnect the service and configure settings
This forces a fresh connection with the source service.
Step 5: Understanding app refresh behavior
ScreenCloud apps update automatically, but changes don't appear instantly. When content is updated in a connected service, for example, a Google Slides presentation, it can take up to 5 minutes to reflect on screen.
If content isn't updating as expected
Add other content alongside the app in a playlist or zone. Each time the playlist or zone cycles, the app reloads and checks for updates. If the app is the only item in a zone (such as a Side Bar or Ticker Tape), it has nothing to cycle against and may stop refreshing, so adding a second piece of content resolves this.
Create two instances of the same app with identical settings and place them one after the other. The system registers this as a cycle and triggers a refresh each time it switches between them.
Recreate or reconnect the app to force a fresh connection with the source service. Use Find & Replace to replace the app where it is located if you created a new one.
Step 6: Fix apps showing outdated or incorrect data
If an app is displaying content that looks wrong, stale, or unexpected, one of the following is likely the cause.
Cached content after a connection drop
If the device temporarily lost internet access, ScreenCloud may continue showing cached data. To fix this, clear the ScreenCloud app cache on the device after ensuring it is online.
No recent content from the source
Some apps only show content within a set timeframe, for example, social media posts from the last 30 days. If there’s nothing new in the connected service, the app has nothing recent to display. Adding fresh content to the source resolves this.
Changes to the integration or API
If the connected service has updated how it shares data with third-party platforms, the app may stop displaying correctly. Check whether the service works with other third-party tools. If the issue appears isolated to ScreenCloud, contact ScreenCloud Support.
App showing settings you didn’t configure
If an app appears to use a different location, data source, or configuration than expected, it may be inheriting settings from a parent space that it is being shared from. To override this, create your own instance of the app in your Space’s Apps section with the correct settings, and make sure it replaces the version showing the incorrect information on your screens. Your local version will take precedence over the parent channel’s configuration.
Step 7: Check playback and security restrictions
Some services restrict playback or embedding on third-party platforms.
Examples
YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook may block video embedding
Google Workspace accounts may restrict third-party access
If you do not own the content, playback permissions are controlled by the content owner.
Refer to the service’s documentation to make the content public or embeddable.
Step 8: Troubleshoot network restrictions (Instagram and media sharing apps)
If Instagram images or videos fail to load, the most common cause is network restrictions.
Instagram uses multiple media delivery domains that are often blocked on corporate networks.
How to test
Connect the screen to a mobile hotspot
Reload the app
If the content loads correctly, the issue is caused by the network.
Fix
Ask your IT team to allowlist the required Instagram domains.
Step 9: Troubleshoot streaming apps (YouTube, etc.)
Streaming apps require valid links from the source platform.
Common errors
Error: “Please try again”
The link may be invalid
Review the ScreenCloud YouTube app or YouTube Live app guide for the correct link format
Error: “Video unavailable – This video has been removed”
The video was deleted by the uploader
Error: “Video unavailable – Blocked in your country”
The video has regional or copyright restrictions
These restrictions also apply when viewing the video directly on YouTube. Learn more about regional restrictions while using apps by clicking here.
Step 10: Issues adding websites, links, or RSS feeds
If you're having trouble adding a website, link, or RSS feed, the following guidance may help.
Websites and links
Follow our dedicated guide for adding websites and links to ScreenCloud screens.
Embed app
If you are using the Embed app, the content must be publicly accessible and allow iframe embedding. Streams or pages that restrict third-party embedding will not display correctly. See our guide on iframe restrictions for more details.
RSS feeds
If an RSS feed is not displaying as expected:
Verify the URL actually contains an RSS feed — some links may look like feed URLs but do not include feed data
Test the URL directly in a browser or with rssboard.org/rss-validator to confirm it is functional before adding it to ScreenCloud
Verify that the RSS feed has updated data — if it only shows old news or story content, it may have been abandoned by the source and is no longer being updated
Review RSS Feed Best Practices & Configuration and ensure your RSS feed is set up properly to be compatible with the app
If the issue persists, contact ScreenCloud Support with the feed URL and a description of the issue.
Step 11: Unable to duplicate an app
If an app cannot be duplicated, the issue is usually permission-related.
Common causes
The app was shared with your Space but not added to your app library
Your account does not have permission to add apps
Fix
Ask your account administrator to add the app to your library or update permissions.
Step 12: Error: “Something went wrong. Please try again…”
This error usually indicates a temporary browser or platform issue.
Try the following steps:
Clear browser cache (refreshyourcache.com)
Disable browser extensions
Log out and back into ScreenCloud
Delete and recreate the app
Try a different browser (Chrome or Firefox)
Try a different network (mobile hotspot)
If the issue works on another network, your network may be blocking ScreenCloud services. Contact your IT team to allowlist the required domains and ports.
If the issue continues
Contact ScreenCloud Support and include:
Browser console logs (see: how to retrieve console logs)
App name
App location (which Space it’s in)
Account name or Organization ID
Where the issue occurs (Preview, Live Screen, or both)
Include images or screenshots where possible
Our team will review the details and escalate the issue if necessary.
Have you also been experiencing issues with other areas in ScreenCloud? If yes, please review the ScreenCloud Troubleshooting Guide to see if the provided steps might help to resolve your issue.