Gemini Pro Video Uploads Failing? Unpacking 'Something Went Wrong (5)' and Optimizing Your File Workflow

Google Workspace users leveraging Gemini Pro for advanced AI capabilities are encountering a frustrating roadblock: persistent failures when attempting to upload videos. A recent thread on the Google support forum highlights a common error message, "Something went wrong (5)", which prevents video content from being processed, even after various troubleshooting attempts.

The Persistent 'Something Went Wrong (5)' Error

Users report that when submitting a prompt containing both text and a video file, Gemini Pro displays a spinning icon for about 30 seconds. Following this, the video disappears from the prompt, leaving only the text, and the dreaded "Something went wrong (5)" message appears at the bottom of the screen. This issue seems to be specific to Gemini Pro's video processing, with some users noting that it has only recently started occurring and can even affect long conversations in Pro mode, forcing a switch to "Thinking" or "Fast" modes.

Initial Troubleshooting: What Didn't Work

Affected users have already tried several common troubleshooting steps without success:

• Video Format Conversion: Switching between MP4 and MOV formats yielded the same error.
• Video Length/Size: Even very short and small videos (e.g., 280 KB, 290 KB) failed to upload, indicating that file size isn't the primary culprit.
• Direct Upload vs. Google Drive: Crucially, the issue persists whether the video is uploaded directly from the device or first uploaded to Google Drive and then selected from there. This suggests the problem might not be related to local upload bandwidth but rather Gemini's internal processing of the video file itself.

Community Insights & Potential Workarounds

While a definitive solution from Google is pending, the community has offered valuable insights and potential workarounds:

• Bitrate and Resolution Concerns: One suggestion points to the video's bitrate or resolution as a potential trigger. High-frame-rate (60fps+) or 4K footage might cause Gemini's encoder to "trip up." Although users reported trying small files, checking the resolution and frame rate of your videos could still be a worthwhile diagnostic step.
• Optimizing Your Google Drive File Workflow: Even though direct upload from Drive didn't immediately solve the problem for all, the underlying principle of managing your files in Google Drive remains important. For general file management and to ensure smooth integration with Google Workspace services like Gemini, it's always a good practice to upload your media to Drive first. This centralizes your assets and can sometimes bypass local network or device-specific upload issues. While this particular thread indicates a deeper Gemini Pro processing bug, understanding how to check google drive shared files or manage your own uploaded files in Drive is fundamental for a seamless Workspace experience.
• Widespread Issue: The fact that multiple users are experiencing this problem simultaneously, and that it's a recent development, strongly suggests a server-side bug or an update-related issue within Gemini Pro rather than isolated user errors.

Your Role: Sending Effective Feedback to Google

Given the apparent widespread nature of this bug, sending detailed feedback directly to Google is crucial. This helps their engineers diagnose and resolve the issue faster. Here's how:

• On the Web (gemini.google.com):
  • Look for the Settings (cog icon) or Help (question mark icon) at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
  • Select Send feedback or Report a problem.
  • Pro tip: Make sure the box to "Include screenshot" is checked. If you can capture the "Something went wrong (5)" message in the screenshot, it provides invaluable context to the development team.
• On the Mobile App:
  • Tap your Profile picture or initial in the top right corner.
  • Tap Help & Feedback > Send feedback.
  • Briefly describe that you've already tried clearing cache, changing formats, and using incognito mode, as well as uploading from Google Drive.

While the 'Something went wrong (5)' error is certainly disruptive, the collective efforts of the community in troubleshooting and reporting are vital. Keep an eye on official Google announcements for updates on this Gemini Pro video upload issue.