What kind of video files does Android support?

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google that is used on billions of devices worldwide. With its open-source nature and ability to run on devices from various manufacturers, Android has become the most widely used mobile OS globally. According to Android Statistics, over 71% of all smartphones run on Android, amounting to over 2 billion active users as of 2023.

Android devices have extensive multimedia capabilities and support playback of a wide variety of audio, image, and video formats. When it comes to video files, Android natively supports some common formats like MP4 and AVI out of the box. Additionally, Android users can install third-party media players to extend support for other video formats like MKV, FLV, and MOV. Overall, Android provides flexible options to play locally stored or streamed video content.

Native Support

Android natively supports several common video file formats that allow you to play videos without the need for additional software. The supported formats include:

MP4 – The MP4 format is widely supported across Android devices and versions. MP4 files use MPEG-4 video encoding and can contain various types of audio encoding as well.

MKV – The Matroska or MKV format provides high-quality video in an open standard container that can hold unlimited metadata. MKV has broad support on newer Android versions.

AVI – The Audio Video Interleave or AVI format is an older container format that is still supported on many Android devices for standard definition video.

FLV – Adobe’s Flash Video format with FLV extension has support on some Android devices for lower resolution video.

WMV – Windows Media Video files with WMV extension have limited support on Android primarily for lower quality videos.

MOV – Apple’s QuickTime MOV format has partial support on Android, but may have issues with audio and codecs.

MP4

MP4 is one of the most commonly supported video formats on Android. MP4 files use MPEG-4 video encoding and can contain video, audio, subtitles and still images. As per the Android developer documentation, the MP4 file format with H.264 video encoding and AAC audio encoding is natively supported on Android 3.0 and higher.

Most Android devices should be able to play MP4 videos out of the box without any additional software. The native video app and Gallery app included on Android can usually play MP4 files. According to WikiHow, sometimes the native apps may struggle with certain MP4 files encoded in less common codecs. In these cases, downloading a third party video player app like VLC can help play the MP4 successfully.

Overall, MP4 is one of the best and most widely compatible video formats to use for Android. Unless the MP4 file uses an unusual or outdated encoding, it should play properly on the vast majority of Android devices.

MKV

The MKV (Matroska Video) format is a popular open standard video format that was created as an alternative to proprietary formats like AVI or MP4. MKV files can contain multiple video and audio tracks as well as subtitles and metadata.

Android has native support for MKV video playback starting with Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The supported MKV codecs in Android are H.264, HEVC, VP8/VP9 for video and Vorbis, FLAC, AAC for audio (1). However, Android’s native MKV support is still somewhat limited compared to desktop media players. Some more complex MKVs with advanced codecs may not play properly.

If you are having issues playing MKV files on your Android device, using a third-party media player app like MX Player, VLC or KMPlayer can help improve compatibility and playback support. These apps contain custom codecs and software decoding that can handle a wider range of MKV files than the built-in Android video player.

AVI

AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft in 1992. It has native partial support on Android depending on the device and Android version.

AVI files utilize different codecs for video and audio, such as DivX or Xvid for video and MP3 or AC3 for audio. The container format works by interleaving the audio and video data streams, allowing them to be played simultaneously.

While early Android devices struggled with AVI playback, newer devices generally offer decent support either natively or through third party media players. However, compatibility can still vary depending on the specific codecs used in the AVI file. Converting AVI files to more widely supported formats like MP4 can improve playback capability.

FLV

The FLV (Flash Video) format was originally developed by Adobe for delivering video over the internet. It uses video encoding like H.264 and audio encoding like MP3 or AAC. FLV files can contain video, audio, and even metadata like cue points for synchronization.

Android has limited native support for FLV files. Some Android devices may be able to play basic FLV files in the stock media players or gallery apps. However, support can vary across devices and Android versions. Many may struggle with more complex FLV files or require third-party apps for FLV playback.

Overall, while there is basic handling of FLV in Android, full and consistent support requires installing a third-party media player app like MX Player, KMPlayer, VLC Media Player etc. These apps include software decoding for broader FLV file support on Android.

WMV

The Windows Media Video (WMV) format was developed by Microsoft and is commonly used for streaming media and saving files in smaller sizes. Android has limited native support for playing WMV files.

Most Android devices running Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) or newer can play WMV files up to 720p resolution. However, playback support can vary across different devices and Android versions. Some devices may require third-party apps to play WMV files properly.

If you encounter issues playing WMV files on your Android device, installing apps like VLC media player or MX Player can help improve compatibility. These video player apps contain their own decoding libraries which allow them to play a wider range of video formats.

So while native WMV playback support is limited on Android, using third-party apps provides a good workaround for full WMV support across all Android versions and devices.

MOV

The MOV file format was developed by Apple and is used to store videos and audio files. MOV files typically use the .mov file extension. The MOV format supports advanced video and audio compression codecs like H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and Apple Intermediate Codec which allows MOV files to store high quality video.

However, MOV files are not natively supported on Android. Android’s native video player and gallery apps cannot play MOV files directly. This is because the MOV format uses proprietary compression algorithms developed by Apple that are not licensed for use on other platforms like Android.

There are a few options to play MOV files on Android devices:

• Use a third party video player app like VLC or Lark Player that supports playing MOV files.
• Convert the MOV files to a more compatible format like MP4 using a video conversion tool before transferring them to your Android device.

So in summary, MOV support on Android requires installing additional software, but solutions exist to allow you to play MOV files.

Third-Party Apps

Android has broad support for various common video file formats like MP4, MKV, and AVI through its native media playback software integrated with the OS. However, many popular media players developed by third parties also exist for Android and offer robust capabilities like subtitle support, AirPlay mirroring, and playback speed controls.

Some of the most popular and full-featured third-party video player apps for Android include MX Player, VLC, and AllCast. MX Player offers advanced features like Kids Lock, gesture controls, and playback speed adjustment. VLC is highly versatile with support for virtually any video and audio format. AllCast lets you stream video content to various devices with a WiFi connection.

Third-party Android video players provide functionality and format support beyond what the default players included with the OS can handle. For those requiring subtitles, casting abilities, or less common formats like FLV playback, third-party apps fill the gaps.

Conclusion

Android natively supports most major video formats, including MP4, MKV, AVI, and MOV files. While raw file formats like .avi and .mkv play well, MP4 will offer the most universal compatibility across the widest range of devices.

Android’s extensive format support means you can play videos from a variety of sources without needing to convert or re-encode them. However, certain niche formats like FLV and WMV have limited hardware decoding support and may need third-party apps.

When transferring your own videos onto an Android device, MP4 is the ideal choice to ensure best performance and compatibility. And with the help of third-party media apps from the Play Store, nearly any video file can be played on your Android phone or tablet.