VLC Player

VLC for Mobile is a free, ad-free video player for various platforms (including iOS and Android). It can handle various video formats, load subtitles, change ratios, adjust speed, and do whatever. And you can download VLC for Mobile with no charge ever.

Design 5/5

The recognizable logo is the only thing where VLC is about design. It’s the same on mobiles, desktops, and consoles like Apple TV. The rest is about comfortable viewing videos. Run the player to enjoy the full-screen video. Tap it to see the controls appear; wait some time for them to fade. Its gesture-based controls let you adjust brightness and volume on the go, with a swipe up or down on the left or the right half of the screen. The only discomfort can be caused by the notorious notch disabling part of the playlist menu (both on iPhone and Android devices), but you can just turn the phone upside down to escape that.

Usability 5/5

VLC is one of the most comfortable and feature packed players. It supports almost all the popular formats and containers, from AVI to MKV, and lets you choose the ratio. While playing, you can control the playback from your watch. It’s especially useful when you broadcast the video from your phone to a TV.

To adjust the picture to your liking, you can regulate brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, and gamma. For audio playing, it has a powerful equalizer. The player lets you adjust the playback speed. As for playlist options, it can play files randomly or in the given order. The playback can be locked and unstoppable until unlocked.

For any video named properly it can fetch and download subtitles in any available language. If syncing of the subtitles or the audio is imperfect, you can adjust it in a special menu on the go. If the video file has multiple audio tracks, the player allows for choosing any of them.

Features 5/5

One of the best things about VLC is its support for remote sources. You can store your videos on your own network storage or on a cloud: Google Drive and OneDrive are supported. On Android, it can scan throughout your device. On iOS, you need to put the video files into its directory, using “File sharing”, to make them available locally. But its network and cloud integration is what many of us love it for.

In-app purchases 5/5

Developed by Videolan enthusiasts, the app is completely free for any platform you use it on. If you wish, you can make a donation, but not from the player itself. You’ll need to visit videolan.org and pay from there. But, again, it’s not necessary if you just want to use VLC as your player.

Conclusion

VLC Player is one of the best video players available for mobile devices. Its audio playing features are secondary; first of all, it’s meant for videos, especially if you are netflixed into watching the whole season overnight.

• Graphics 5
• Gameplay 5
• Controls 5
• Replay Value 5

Pros

Supports various video formats;
Advanced network and cloud features;
Well-optimized controls;
Great audio and subtitle handling;
Completely free with no ads.

Cons

Audio playing features far from perfect;
Interface not optimized for notched screens.