VLC/iOS frequently asked questions

iTunes won’t let me install VLC on my iPhone or iPod Touch

Unfortunately, we had to drop support for older iOS devices such as the iPhone 3G or the first two versions of iPods. Indeed, after some testing, we realized those weren’t fast enough to provide a pleasant experience.

On my iPad, sometimes playback stops after a while (15 minutes)

You’re likely using iOS 3.2. Updating your iPad to iOS 4.2 will fix this issue.

HD movies don’t work!

That’s to be expected. The iPad has limited computing power, and cannot handle the complex task of decoding HD movies in real time.

To be completely accurate, it should be said that the iPad contains a special hardware chip that is capable of decoding some forms of H.264 up to a 720p resolution. Unfortunately, that chip cannot be used from the iOS SDK.

VLC doesn’t show subtitles

Indeed, we decided to remove support for subtitles in the current version. We’re trying to figure out a nice way to display them on the smaller screen of the iPhones and iPods. But don’t worry, they are coming back!

The volume control says “No volume available”

“No volume available” means your iPhone is in silent mode. Just flick the switch!

Is there a TV-out support?

Not yet, but we’ll add the feature in a future version.

This app is awesome, I’d like to make a donation!

Thank you! Please consider making a donation to the VideoLAN association

How do I put files into VLC?

To add files to your VLC app, you have to go to iTunes, and select the “Apps” tab. At the bottom of this page, there’s a “File sharing” section - just select VLC in the list, and add files from there.

Note that you don’t have to sync your iPhone or iPad to iTunes to add movies. Just drop files in the “File sharing” tab, and they’ll be uploaded immediately. You can even use a friend’s iTunes to add videos to your own iPhone.

Also, adding files over WiFi isn’t supported. Indeed, WiFi is significantly slower than USB, and ruins the battery life.

I want to explicitely open an attachment with VLC

If you want to watch an attachment in VLC (from Mail for example), just do a long press on the attachment. A menu will pop-up that will let you pick VLC as a player.

What kind of streams does VLC play?

VLC is able to play RTSP and MMS streams. For now those can’t be added to the media library, but you can click an RTSP or MMS url in Safari or Mail for example.