VRChat "Security Checks Failed" on an avatar - causes and how to fix
Quick fix
- If the thumbnail shows "?" instead of an X, wait - the scan hasn't finished
- Update the VRChat SDK to the latest version in VCC (or ALCOM)
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What you see on screen:
Security Checks Failed (on the nameplate, or a greyed-out Avatar Menu thumbnail with an X)
What it means
VRChat runs security checks on uploaded avatars on its servers. If an avatar fails, it won't load: the nameplate shows "Security Checks Failed", its thumbnail in the Avatar Menu is greyed out with an X, and you can't switch to it. A "?" on the thumbnail means it simply hasn't been scanned yet. VRChat says it does not override failed checks for individual avatars, so the fix is to change the avatar and upload it again.
Common causes
- Very high memory use - VRChat says this is one of the most common reasons (huge textures are the usual culprit)
- Over the size limits: PC 200 MB download / 500 MB uncompressed, Android (Quest) 10 MB / 40 MB. Older SDKs can let an oversized avatar through, and it then fails on the server
- A tool or package that modifies the avatar in an unusual way at upload time
- An outdated VRChat SDK
- On a Mac: the Build Target was left on macOS instead of Windows
How to fix it
- If the thumbnail shows "?" instead of an X, wait - the scan hasn't finished
- Update the VRChat SDK to the latest version in VCC (or ALCOM)
- Open the SDK control panel, fix every red item under Validations, and check the download and uncompressed sizes reported after a build
- Cut texture memory: set large textures' Max Size to 2048 or 1024 and keep compression on
- If you use tools that run at upload time, upload a test copy without them to find which one is responsible
- On a Mac: File > Build Settings > Windows > Switch Platform, then upload again
- Still failing? Contact VRChat Support with the avatar ID
Before you change anything, make a full copy of your project folder so you can go back.
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For this problem, it checks the build target and texture memory and lists the settings that commonly get an avatar rejected.
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For this problem, it checks the build target and texture memory and lists the settings that commonly get an avatar rejected.
Get Avatar Setup Doctor (Free version available)