What video formats supports android

The android operating system, as a version for mobile devices, has existed for more than ten years, and during this time there has changed a lot. For example, a list of supported file types, including multimedia, has significantly expanded. Directly in this article we will tell you what video formats are supported by this OS today.

Video Formats in the Android system

What type of video files can play a smartphone or tablet on a "green robot" depends on its technical characteristics and software capabilities laid by the manufacturer. The default file playback corresponds to the standard, built-in player system, and it most often turns out to be very simple and functionally limited.

Below we will try to provide a generalized (or averaged) answer to the question of which video formats are supported in Android. First, we denote by those that can be played on any device without installing additional software, and then move on to those if not supported initially, can still be lost, however, not without helping from the outside.

Supported by default

Then we will discuss exactly the supported formats (file types), but within some of them may be exceptions. So, almost any, even the budget and medium-budget device will cope with AVI, MKV, MP4 video, having a HD or Full HD resolution, but the QUAD HD and Ultra HD 4K will reproduce hardly. This is a productive, close to flagship smartphones or tablets, but simplifying, can be said so: if the video resolution does not exceed the device being used, there should be no problems.

3GP.

Primitive multimedia format supported by almost all mobile devices and systems, therefore Android has not exceeded here. 3GP video files occupy very little space, from which it follows their main drawback - very low quality picture and sound. The format cannot be called relevant, but if you need to store a lot of rollers on the device with a small volume of storage (for example, movies and serials), its use will be the best option. Moreover, this format can easily convert heavy video files.

MP4 / MPEG4.

Modern (and not very) smartphones and tablets write video in MP4 format. Consequently, this is another format that is accurately supported by the default Android operating system, regardless of the player used. It is this type of files first of all associated with mobile devices, and it is with it that most application applications that provide the ability to download video from the Internet. So, on the pure Android 8.1 Oreo files in MP4, even the standard Google photo application, which is essentially a gallery with the cloud storage function.

MP4 playback in the standard Google application photo

Wmv

The standard video file format cannot be called common. And yet, if you get such a video file, with a lot of probability, even a standard player will be able to lose it. In the event of problems that it is unlikely, you can always go for a person, converting a WMV video into a supported MP4 or AVI, which we will also tell us about. And yet, if for some reason on your Android device WMV is not reproduced, and you do not want to convert it, we recommend you to get acquainted with the next part of this article.

Can be reproduced

Common and not very video file formats other than 3GP, MP4 and WMV can also be played on Android devices. Moreover, if we are talking about relatively modern models with a fresh version of the system, many of them are supported by default. If the files having one of the extensions described below are not played by a standard player, you can install the application from third-party developers, we were told about them separately.

Video formats that can be played on Android

Avi.

The video file format is prevalent first on computers, in most cases, and android devices are reproduced. If this does not happen, use the above solution - install an alternative player.

Mkv

With this, more modern and qualitatively, the best format of the case is similar to AVI: if videos having such an extension are not played in a standard player, you just need to replace it with another, more functional application from the play of the market.

DivX

Another multimedia format that provides high quality images and sound in video. If your mobile device does not play the video files of this type, install the player from third-party developers, such as the popular KMPlayer for Android.

FLV.

Flash content, which, despite the obsolescence of technology, is still quite common, also reproduced by most smartphones and tablets on Android. This applies to both online video and uploaded rollers that have similar expansion.

Playing any video formats

If you do not want to sort out the video players for Android, and the solution built into the operating system does not cope with the task of reproducing this or that multimedia format you are interested in, we recommend "pumping" the OS and the device. How to do it? Just install the MX Player and the audio and video codecs intended for it.

Selecting a method of decoding in MX Player

Download MX Player on Google Play Market

Install this player on your mobile device, and then equip it with the support of those video formats that you plan to watch, that is, add the appropriate modules. Our instruction will help you to make it.

Read more: Audio and video codecs for Android

Conclusion

From this small article you learned what formats to support by default or in the future can reproduce almost any device on Android. Summing up, we can say the following: if your smartphone or tablet has been released over the past few years, it is not installed not the most ancient version of the OS, and iron allows them to use without harm for the nervous system, be sure to play any current video file format to him forces.