Runway runs in the cloud through your browser, giving you access to cutting-edge machine learning without needing to have an expensive machine or be tethered to a bulky desktop.

Basic Troubleshooting

When encountering issues, it's helpful to attempt the following actions to determine if your browser is affecting Runway's performance.

• Keep your browser updated. The browser continuously receives changes and improvements. Ensure that you are using the latest version of your browser for optimal performance.
  💡: Please note that Runway functions best on Chromium-based browsers, with only some features available on Safari.
• Disable any browser extensions, plugins, or add ons Third-party extensions sometimes cause problems during playback and interaction with Runway's user interface elements.
  To troubleshoot this, try opening Runway in an incognito window. If the issue is resolved in the incognito window, disable each active extension one by one in a regular window to identify the problematic one.
• Clear your browser’s cache Refreshing your browser's cache can help with different display, audio, and video issues.
  • Below are instructions on clearing your browser’s cache:
    • Google Chrome

Playback Troubleshooting

The quality of your playback experience largely depends on how your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or mobile provider connects to Runway's playback servers. When you notice lower-than-expected video quality, it is likely due to your internet speed (bandwidth) or your computer's processing capacity not supporting higher-quality playback.

Here are some troubleshooting steps if you notice poor playback:

• Restart your router and modem Resetting your router or modem can refresh your connection and improve playback performance if you experience slow internet speeds. Try unplugging the power cord and then plugging it back in for a hard reboot.
• Close excess browser tabs or applications Having too many applications open can slow down everything, including video playback and user interface interactions on Runway. Ensure that you fully close or disable apps instead of just minimizing their windows when attempting to enhance performance.

💡 Keep in mind that your overall internet speed can vary due to factors such as time of day, WiFi performance, other devices or users sharing your connection, and the signal strength provided by your ISP.

Check your source file

Quality issues can arise if there are problems with the source video file. If you notice any quality problems such as minor compression artifacts or pixelation in your source, consider re-exporting the file and re-uploading it to Runway. Even small issues can be magnified during the compression process.

Uploading higher-quality files will generally yield better results.

Dropped frames during playback

Dropped frames occur when your device's processing power is insufficient to handle the transferred video data.

If your system struggles to process higher-quality videos, frames may be skipped, causing audio synchronization problems. This tends to happen more frequently when multiple programs are running simultaneously while watching a video. To improve performance, try closing unused applications or browser tabs. 

Reaching out to Support

Collect a browser console log

If you’re experiencing an issue while using Runway, collecting a browser console log will help us better determine the root cause if you reach out to our team.

On Chrome, you can press Command+Option+J (Mac) or Control+Shift+J (Windows, Linux, Chrome OS) to jump straight into the Console panel. Then just take a screenshot of what appears after the error occurs.

In addition to the browser console log, we'll also need:

• A detailed description of the problem you’re experiencing (e.g. buffering, dropped frames)
• Your results from this speed test (https://testmy.net/download)
• The URL of the project you’re working on, and your Runway impersonation code in your Account Settings (if applicable)

Once you’ve gathered this information, contact us from the Contact Support button on your dashboard and we’ll look into your issue ASAP.