Apps, streaming, and third-party services
Which type of issues are commonly considered to be app-related?
The app does not work while previewing from your ScreenCloud account or displaying live on your screen
The app will skip, display an error, is unable to perform properly or as intended on your display
The app continues to not work as intended after deleting or re-adding it to your ScreenCloud account
The app will continue to not work properly regardless of following setup instructions from ScreenCloud's Learn section or App Guide
1. Is the app connected to a service that is experiencing an issue or downtime?
Third-party integrations and services with websites run on a connection that depends on the status of a host site. For example, using any of the Facebook apps in ScreenCloud requires you to log in and connect with your account on https://www.facebook.com while setting up the app. In the event that Facebook's website is experiencing downtime, maintenance, or issues logging in, then this will affect the app performing properly or allowing you to log in when setting it up with ScreenCloud. To test this, we recommend trying to log in directly on the app in your browser to see if you're having an issue logging in.
2. Are you having an issue logging into the app from the source site?
If you're having an issue logging into the app or service, we recommend visiting the local site and try logging in. If you're unable to log into the service on the source site (e.g. visiting https://www.facebook.com and can't log in) to troubleshoot the account directly by contacting their support team. Alternatively, if you're not having an issue logging into the account from the source website, we recommend trying to use a different web browser and/or network to see if the issue continues.
3. Does the issue with the app happen live on your screen, while previewing the app or both?
This troubleshooting helps our internal development and technical teams determine if the issue you're experiencing with an app or service is due to an issue with the ScreenCloud app player. For example, if you're able to preview an app while setting it up in your ScreenCloud account, but live on screen the app is black, displaying an error or otherwise not performing properly. If you notice the issue happens in one feature (e.g. while previewing, but not live on screen) this information is important to provide to our support team in helping to identify the source of your app issue.
4. Are apps showing outdated, old, or incorrect data on your screens?
If you've noticed your apps or services are showing outdated or incorrect data, this is common for a few scenarios:
Your device disconnected from the internet and is caching stored data: ScreenCloud has a feature that stores data to your device in the event of a network crash or internet connectivity issue. In this case, it's likely the app is showing data from the last point it was connected to a healthy network connection. You can resolve this by clicking here for steps on how to clear your device cache for the ScreenCloud app.
The source app hasn't been updated with new content or data: if the source site has not been updated recently, the integrations (API) to which ScreenCloud is connected may require posts or updates within a specific time period, for example content that was published at most only 30 days ago. If you haven't shared any new or recent updates within this timeframe, then the app may alert you that content is too old or you don't have any recent data.
There could be an API/integration issue or change which affected new data being synced with ScreenCloud automatically: in some cases, there could be a service issue with either the source site integration (API) that is not allowing new data or content to render in a third-party website, such as ScreenCloud. Alternatively, this also could signal an issue within ScreenCloud's system. If you're able to verify that the source website is not experiencing any issues integrating or connecting with other third-party services you're using then please let us know so our team can help troubleshoot further.
5. Have you tried to delete and re-add the app to your account?
A quick and common troubleshooting point if you're having intermittent issues with an app is to simply try deleting the app from your account. We advise you to re-set it up and add it as a brand new app instance into your ScreenCloud account. In the event that there's a service or integration delay/issue with the source site (e.g. https://www.facebook.com), setting up the app as brand new can help re-confirm connection with the site and pull in new data.
6. Does the app or service you're using have any playback restrictions or security settings?
Video owners or originators (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook-uploaded videos from other users) can have settings on which restrict playback or embedding videos on third-party websites, such as ScreenCloud. For videos that you do not own that have been selected for use from video websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, playback and embed settings are up to the owner. If they have set videos to be restricted from being embedded on third-party sites, unfortunately, there is not a workaround for these videos to work unless you can download it as an MP4 file.
For example, if you're trying to use a Facebook app that is restricting a video from playing properly on your screen, it might have a restriction for embedding videos. You can adjust this setting though typically in the post or account settings, the scenario below will showcase how to resolve this if you have a video restriction from Facebook (https://www.facebook.com):
i) If you own a Facebook Business Page with videos posted, you can manage settings for any videos uploaded to your page. If a video is not playing on ScreenCloud, please visit the video on your Facebook and click "Edit Post" in the upper-right hand corner of the video:
ii) Next, click the "Distribution" option from the right-hand video menu:
iii) Check off "Allow Embedding" to be turned on for your video. This should help moving forward for a video not working properly on ScreenCloud with your Facebook app:
Alternatively, this can also affect other apps and integrations. For example, if you're trying to connect with the Google Calendar app and are using a work-based Gmail account - you could come across a challenge with connecting the account if your company has security restrictions on the account connecting with third-party services. In this case, we would advise connecting with your workplace administrator or IT to see if your permissions or security policy settings require updates for you to connect the app with ScreenCloud. You can also refer here to ScreenCloud's list of domains and ports to whitelist on your network if required by your organization.
7. How do I fix an issue with adding a website or link to my screens?
If you're experiencing a general issue when trying to add a website or link to your digital screen, please click here to refer to ScreenCloud's guide for adding links and websites for additional information.
8. How do I fix common issues with streaming app links (such as YouTube)?
Streaming services rely on third-party providers and sites to enter links into ScreenCloud. In some cases, you may come across an error message while using streaming apps like YouTube where videos are unable to play properly on your screens. This can be due to a few common reasons:
i) "Error - Please Try Again": this message usually occurs if the link being used is invalid from YouTube's site. We recommend reviewing ScreenCloud's YouTube App Guide for reference on how to use links from YouTube in ScreenCloud. If the link appears to be correct and you're still having an issue, please reach out to [email protected].
ii) "Video unavailable - This video has been removed by the uploader": this message appears if you're using a link that has been deleted, or previously hosted a video. In this case, you'll need to re-upload the video and use a new link if you're the account owner. Alternatively, if you're not the account owner for the YouTube video which was deleted, the only option would be to search for a different copy of the video to use.
iii) "Video unavailable - This video contains content from XX, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds": this message appears if there is a copyright or regional restriction which blocks the link or video from displaying on your screens. Alternatively, you'll see this message as well if you try to view the video from YouTube's website. You can learn more about regional restrictions while using apps by clicking here.
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.