Why video hosting can stay locked
Alva Courses is not notified by Shopify when you approve a new plan. It checks your plan when you open pages such as Home, Courses, a course's page or the Videos page. The lesson editor and the fullscreen builder reuse the last result, so a lesson opened before that check still looks locked.
Fix it step by step
1. Reopen Alva Courses and check the Home page
Upgrade buttons such as Upgrade to Unlimited Pro open Shopify's plan page in a new tab, so the tab you started from keeps showing the old plan. After approving the charge, reopen Alva Courses from your Shopify admin and let Home load. That checks your plan, and Videos and Files appear in the app menu.
To confirm, scroll the Latest updates row on Home to the Alva Video Hosting card: its button reads View Videos once Alva Courses has your Unlimited Pro plan, and Upgrade until then.
2. Check which plan you approved
Only Unlimited Pro includes Alva Video Hosting, and your plan changes only once you approve the charge in Shopify. If the card still reads Upgrade after step 1, click it, choose Unlimited Pro on Shopify's plan page and approve the charge. Then repeat step 1.
3. Reload the lesson you were editing
A lesson's Video block shows the Alva Video Hosting tab only when video hosting is active; otherwise it shows Shopify's upload area and an Upgrade to Unlimited Pro link. After step 1, reload the lesson, open the Alva Video Hosting tab and click Upload New Video or Choose from Library.
4. Check an upload that stopped with an access message
When Alva Courses cannot confirm your admin session or your Unlimited Pro plan during an upload, it stops with Your session or video hosting access needs attention. Reopen the app, then check the upload in your library. Reopen the app as in step 1, then check the Videos library before uploading again. If the upload itself is stuck, see A video upload failed or is stuck.
5. Reload if storage shows 0 GB or Storage full
Unlimited Pro includes 50 GB of video storage, shown under Storage on the Videos page. If the total reads 0 GB, or Storage full over an almost empty library, reload the Videos page to restore it. If it still shows 0 GB, contact support.
If your Unlimited Pro plan has ended
If you move from Unlimited Pro to Unlimited, videos you already uploaded keep playing but you cannot upload new ones. The Videos menu item disappears; Settings → Integrations → Manage Videos still opens the page, which shows Your video hosting plan has ended if you uploaded videos. With no active plan at all, Alva Courses opens Shopify's plan page instead.
Older shops: the Free plan and lifetime access
Shops that installed Alva Courses before paid plans launched may see older plan messages. New installs never get a Free plan.
A home-page banner such as Free Plan - 1 of 2 courses used or Course limit reached means your shop is on the old Free plan: two courses and no video hosting. Click Upgrade to Unlimited and choose Unlimited Pro on Shopify's plan page to get unlimited courses and video hosting.
The 🎉 Lifetime Free Access to Unlimited Plan Features! banner means your shop keeps Unlimited features, such as unlimited courses, for free. Alva Video Hosting is not part of that: subscribe to Unlimited Pro on Shopify's plan page, then reopen Alva Courses as in step 1.
If Shopify says your store is on a trial plan
The message Your Shopify store is on a trial plan is about your Shopify subscription, not your Alva Courses plan. Shopify restricts video uploads for trial stores, so the Video block's Shopify Files upload area is switched off. Choose a paid Shopify plan, or paste a YouTube, Vimeo or Loom link instead.
What learners see
Learners are not affected while video hosting is locked. Shopify Files videos and YouTube, Vimeo or Loom links play as usual, and videos already on Alva Video Hosting keep streaming after a plan ends.
Still stuck?
Email courses@alvaapps.com with your store's myshopify.com address, the plan Shopify's plan page shows as current, where video hosting looks locked and the exact message you see. A screenshot helps.
Common questions
Do I need to reinstall Alva Courses to unlock video hosting?
No. After you approve Unlimited Pro, open the app's Home page or the Videos page and Alva Courses picks up the new plan. If a lesson was already open, reload it afterwards.
Why does the menu show Videos but my lesson has no Alva Video Hosting tab?
The app menu checks your plan with Shopify each time the app loads, but the lesson editor uses the plan Alva Courses saved at its last check. Open the Home page or the Videos page once, then reload the lesson.
I have lifetime access. Why is video hosting locked?
Lifetime access covers Unlimited features such as unlimited courses. Alva Video Hosting needs a paid Unlimited Pro subscription, which you choose on Shopify's plan page for Alva Courses.
See also
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Last updated 2026-10-12