How to open MP4

Have you downloaded some videos in MP4 format from the Internet, but when you try to open them you can’t play them? Weird, really weird. Also because MP4 files are now very popular and are supported by all major multimedia players. In any case, do not worry, I can help you understand how to open MP4 , with this guide of mine focused on the subject.

Starting from the fundamental assumption that all you need is a program capable of “digesting” the format in question and that most software used for playing video and audio are perfectly capable of doing so, in the following lines we will go to find out together what are the best solutions belonging to the aforementioned category and how to use them to achieve your purpose. I already anticipate that they are available for the main operating systems, both for computers and for mobile devices.

Then? May I know what are you still standing there? Make yourself comfortable, take a few free minutes just for yourself and immediately start concentrating on reading what is reported below. I am more than sure that, in the end, you will be able to tell you satisfied and that in case of need you will also be ready to provide useful tips about your friends. That said, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work!

Index

• How to open MP4 on computer
  • Movies & TV (Windows 10 and later)
  • QuickTime Player (macOS)
  • VLC (Windows / macOS / Linux)
  • Other solutions to open MP4 on computer
• How to open MP4 on smartphones and tablets
  • VLC (Android / iOS / iPadOS)
  • Other solutions to open MP4 on smartphones and tablets
• How to open damaged MP4
• How to open MP4 on TV

How to open MP4 on computer

Do you want to find out how to open MP4 acting as a computer ? Then use the solutions for Windows , macOS and Linux that you find reported below. It’s all so easy, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Movies & TV (Windows 10 and later)

If you have a PC with Windows 10 and later and want to open MP4 in that case, the best suggestion I can offer you is to rely on Film & TV . It is, in fact, the default and free application of the latest Microsoft operating system to play video and audio in all popular formats, including MP4. It is pre-installed, but if removed it can be downloaded again from the relevant section of the Microsoft Store .

To be able to use Film & TV for your purpose, just double-click on the icon of the MP4 file you want to open and the application will run directly, as the aforementioned format should automatically be associated with the program (otherwise, you can easily fix it by following the instructions I gave you in my guide on how to change the default program ).

Subsequently, you will see the application window appear on the Windows desktop, with the video in the center and the commands to manage playback at the bottom, which will start automatically.

As an alternative to as I just indicated, you can open the MP4 videos of your interest by right-clicking with the mouse on the file of your interest, selecting the Open with item from the context menu that is shown to you and choosing the wording Movies & TV from the further proposed menu.

QuickTime Player (macOS)

If, on the other hand, you want to open MP4 on Mac , I suggest you rely on QuickTime Player . This is the default program of the operating systems of the “bitten apple” for playing multimedia contents. It’s super easy to use, it’s pre-installed, it’s free, and it supports a large number of file formats.

To use QuickTime Player for your purpose, simply double-click on the icon of the MP4 file of your interest and the program will open automatically, since the file format in question should be associated by default with the software (if not that’s it, you can fix it by following the instructions in my post how to change default program ).

After completing the above steps, the macOS QuickTime Player window will open and the video playback, visible in the center, will automatically start. To check it, you can use the appropriate commands that you find below.

In addition to how I explained to you a moment ago, I would like to point out that you can open MP4 videos with the program in question by right-clicking with the mouse on the file of your interest and choosing the items Open with and QuickTime Player from the context menu.

VLC (Windows / macOS / Linux)

Another great tool you can consider turning to to open MP4 on your computer is VLC . In case you have never heard of it, I inform you that it is a universal media player that manages to play most audio and video file formats without resorting to codecs. It is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux and is completely free. Note that it also integrates functions for editing and converting files.

To download VLC to your computer, go to its website and click the Download VLC button .

When the download is complete, if you are using Windows , open the .exe file obtained and, in the window that appears on the desktop, click on the Yes and OK buttons . Then, click on the Next (three consecutive times), Install and Finish buttons .

If you are using macOS , instead, open the downloaded .dmg package , drag the VLC icon into the macOS Applications folder , right-click on it and select the Open item from the context menu, then press the Open button in the window that is shown to you , in order to start the software going to circumvent the limitations imposed by Apple on applications from non-certified developers (an operation that must be performed only at the first start).

Now that the VLC main window is displayed on the screen, drag the MP4 format file you want to open on it and the video playback will automatically start, in the central part of the screen. To pause, go forwards, backwards, etc. you can use the appropriate buttons located on the toolbar at the bottom.

As an alternative to as I indicated earlier, you can open MP4 with VLC by clicking on the Media item (on Windows) or on the File item (on macOS) that you find at the top left, choosing the item Open file from the menu that appears and selecting the video of your interest.

Other solutions to open MP4 on computer

The solutions that I have already reported to you have not convinced you in a particular way and, therefore, would you like me to show you other solutions through which you can open MP4 on your computer? I’ll settle you instantly. Find them below.

• mpv( Windows / macOS ) – it is a valid free program for Windows and macOS to play multimedia contents. Thanks to the support for decoding via GPU and its internal optimizations, it allows you to view in an extremely fluid way even those contents that with other players can give some problems.
• PotPlayer( Windows ) – free software intended for Windows operating systems thanks to which it is possible to play various multimedia contents, even MP4 videos. Note that it also offers several advanced features that allow you to edit movies and audio in real time.
• IINA( macOS ) – is a specific application for Mac, free and open source, which supports the most popular video and audio formats and does not need additional codecs to play them. It has a nice user interface and is very easy to use.

How to open MP4 on smartphones and tablets

You don’t have a computer at hand and would like to understand how to open MP4 on smartphones and tablets? I’ll settle you immediately! In fact, below you will find explained which tools to use on Android and iOS / iPadOS and how you can use them to perform the operation that is the subject of this guide.

VLC (Android / iOS / iPadOS)

If you want to open MP4 on smartphones and tablets, the best suggestion I can offer you is undoubtedly to use, even in this case, VLC . Yes, the famous media player for Windows and macOS that I reported to you in the step at the beginning of the guide is also available for Android and iOS / iPadOS. It has practically the same functions as its computer variant, but offers controls optimized for touch screens. Plus, it’s completely free.

To download and install VLC on your device, proceed as follows: if you are using Android , visit the relevant section of the Play Store and press the Install button (if you are using a device on which the Play Store is not available, you can download the app via an alternative store ); if you are using iOS / iPadOS , access the relevant section of the App Store , press the Get button , then the Install button and authorize the download via Face ID , Touch ID or Apple ID password .

At this point, if you are using Android, start VLC by selecting its added icon on the home screen and all the video files on the device will be grouped in the Video tab . If you can’t find the file you are interested in among these, you can search for it directly via the Browse tab . Once you have located the MP4 video you want to open, tap on its icon to play it.

If, on the other hand, you want to open MP4 files on iPhone or if you want to open MP4 files on iPad , go to the location on your device where the video of your interest is located, using the File app (it is pre-installed on iOS / iPadOS, but if removed can be downloaded again from the relevant section of the App Store ) or any other file manager, select the video , tap on the share icon (usually the one with the square and the arrow ) and select the VLC icon from the menu that appears.

After completing the above steps, regardless of the mobile platform used, you will find yourself in front of the VLC screen with the player, with the video in the center and the commands to manage playback (if they are not visible, tap in any point of the screen to enable them), which will start automatically.

Other solutions to open MP4 on smartphones and tablets

If you are looking for other solutions through which you can open MP4 on your mobile devices, you can rely on the apps belonging to the aforementioned category that I have included in the following list.

• KMPlayer( Android / iOS / iPadOS ) – allows you to play all kinds of videos and subtitles, as well as audio files. It also integrates the bookmark function, the one to enlarge the displayed contents and various other extra functions. It’s free.
• Infuse( iOS / iPadOS ) – is a popular video player for iPhone and iPad, through which you can play practically any type of format without the slightest problem. Furthermore, it is one of the very few players for Apple-branded devices to have audio support in AC3 / DTS format. The basic version of the app is free, while the full version that allows you to unlock all the available functions is for a fee (costs 9.99 euros).
• BSPlayer( Android ) – is a free player for Android devices, which allows the playback of videos present in the local network, supports hardware decoding and offers the opportunity to work with any type of format, even MP4. In short, it is a real “godsend”!

How to open damaged MP4

Can’t see a video in MP4 format because it is damaged ? I see. It can happen and it is very annoying, but luckily you can try to cope with it, in order to bring the file back to normal conditions and play it without problems.

You ask me how? Well, simple: by resorting to the use of some software used to repair movies, such as the ones I reported to you in my guide dedicated to how to recover damaged video files . Read it and follow the instructions in it, in all likelihood, in the end, you will be able to solve your problem.

How to open MP4 on TV

For the sake of completeness of information, it seems only right to tell you how to open files in MP4 format on the TV , an operation that is very simple to carry out, as most televisions , consoles and set-top boxes are able to process the file format in question and beyond. You can find interesting information about it in my guides on how to watch USB stick on TV and how to watch movies on PS4 .

And if you have video files in another format that you want to play on the TV, but you can’t because these are not supported, I suggest you convert them to MP4, in order to probably remedy this. For further information on this, see my specific guide on how to convert video to MP4 .