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Splice Says a File or Asset Is Missing

Workaround available iOS, Android Updated October 21, 2026

Quick answer

Splice does not store copies of your media; it links to files in the Camera Roll. If a clip was deleted or moved, the project shows a missing asset. Restore the file from Recently Deleted or a backup and the project works again.

Most likely fix: Restore from Recently Deleted.

Symptoms

Opening a saved project shows a missing file or asset message and black or empty spots on the timeline.

Why it happens

  • Source photo or video deleted from the Camera Roll
  • Media offloaded to iCloud
  • Media moved or edited in another app

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Restore from Recently Deleted

    1. Open Photos > Albums > Recently Deleted
    2. Recover the deleted clip
    3. Reopen the Splice project

  2. 2. Restore from a backup

    1. Download the file from iCloud or another backup to the Camera Roll
    2. Reopen the project, or re-add the clip to the timeline

  3. 3. Keep source media until exported

    1. Do not delete clips from the Camera Roll while a Splice project uses them
    2. Export the final video before cleaning up

This guide also covers

  • splice missing file
  • splice asset missing
  • splice media missing

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