File: How to Play Mp4s on a Mac

This updated guide examines File: How to Play Mp4s on a Mac and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Method 1of 2:

Using QuickTime

1. Open QuickTime. You can find this in your Applications folder or by searching with Spotlight.
2. Click theFilemenu. You'll find this in the top left corner of your screen. A menu will drop-down.
3. ClickOpen. Your file browser will open.
4. Navigate to and double-click your file. The MP4 file will open and start playing.
   • If the file does not open or you get an error message that QuickTime cannot play the file, try using VLC.

Method 2of 2:

Using VLC

1. Open VLC Media Player. You'll find this in your Applications folder. VLC is a media player available for Mac and Windows computers that supports playback of a wide variety of video formats, including MP4.
   • If you don't have VLC, you can download it for free from https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html.
2. Click theFilemenu. You'll see this along the top of your screen. A menu will drop-down.
   • You can press?Cmd+Oto open your file browser and open a file.^[1]
3. ClickOpen File. Your file browser will open and you can navigate to and open your MP4 file.
   • You can also drag and drop your file into the VLC application window.
4. Use the control buttons to manage playback. These are the icons at the bottom of your screen that can pause, play, stop, and rewind the video.