VLC media player review: play your own files

VLC media player is a free open-source media player for people who already have a video, a song or a disc and want to play it themselves.¹ You do not need an account, and VideoLAN says it does not collect telemetry while VLC is running.² Metadata lookup, and the update check on Windows and macOS, can still contact the network. You can turn both off in preferences.²

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

• What it is: A multimedia player for most files, DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs and streams.¹
• Works on: Windows XP SP3 through Windows 11; macOS 10.7.5 or later on 64-bit Intel or Apple Silicon; Linux and Unix; Android 4.2 or later; iOS 9 or later.⁴⁵¹⁶⁷
• Price: Free, with no account. VideoLAN says it has no business model and is funded by donations.¹²
• Licence: GPLv2 or later for VLC (some builds are effectively GPLv3 because of other components). The libVLC engine is LGPLv2 or later. The iOS app is also offered under the Mozilla Public License 2.0.³⁷
• Best for: Playing files and discs you already have, on the device in front of you.¹
• Official site: videolan.org/vlc

What VLC media player does (and how it protects your privacy)

VLC plays most multimedia files, plus DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs and streams.¹ It also opens webcams and devices, and it plays formats such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV and MP3 without a separate codec pack.¹ A codec is the recipe a file uses to store picture and sound.

It can also convert, encode and stream.³ Playback does not ask for an account.² If metadata lookup stays on, VLC can send the artist, title and album to an outside service.² Metadata means the labels on a file, such as the song name. That lookup is on after the first run unless you turn it off.²

Windows and macOS downloads are version 3.0.24.⁴⁵ Android and iOS list 3.7.0, from separate repositories.⁶⁷³ A September 2026 bulletin says 3.0.24 fixes issues in desktop 3.0.23 and earlier.⁸

VLC media player’s key features

• Broad playback: Files, discs, webcams, devices and streams, including common formats, without an extra codec pack.¹
• Convert and stream: The same program can convert, encode and stream, as well as play.³
• A phone library: Android includes a library, search, an equalizer and hardware decoding (the phone’s chip does the work).⁶
• Home network: Android can open HLS and Dash streams, and browse a shared drive.⁶
• Subtitles: Android supports embedded and external subtitles. iOS adds playback speed and an optional passcode lock.⁶⁷
• Network servers: iOS can open SMB, FTP, SFTP, NFS and UPnP/DLNA shares.⁷

VLC media player pros and cons

Pros

• Free, with no account. Donations are VideoLAN’s only revenue.¹²
• VideoLAN says a running player collects no user data or telemetry.²
• Metadata lookups, and update checks on Windows and macOS, can be turned off.²
• Public source: GPL for VLC, LGPL for libVLC.³
• Desktop 3.0.24 (September 2026) fixes security issues in 3.0.23 and earlier.⁸

Cons

• Metadata lookup is accepted on first run and can send artist, title and album to last.fm, Google Images or VideoLAN’s MusicBrainz server.²
• On Windows and macOS, the update check is accepted on first run and can include the system, CPU and VLC version.²
• The videolan.org website uses Google Analytics. The player is separate from that site.²
• Phone and desktop version numbers differ, and phone updates come from the store you used.⁶⁷²
• The project says not every platform gets the same amount of care.³
• Desktop builds through 3.0.23 have security issues that crafted files or streams can trigger. The published fix is 3.0.24.⁸

Is VLC media player safe and private?

VideoLAN is a non-profit in France, run by unpaid volunteers, and donations are its only revenue.²³ VLC is GPLv2 or later, and GPLv3 in practice on some platforms because of included components. libVLC is LGPLv2 or later.³

The privacy policy says VLC does not use an account and does not collect user data while it is working, and that VideoLAN collects no telemetry when VLC is running.² The policy then names three cases: a crash report, an update check, and metadata retrieval. Its last update date on the page is 28 September 2024.²

On Windows and macOS, a crash report is sent only if you accept it. It can include the system, CPU, GPU, a stack trace (a snapshot of the crash) and loaded libraries. The policy says this omits your name, email and IP address, and that VideoLAN keeps it for six months.² An update check can send the system, CPU and VLC version, and that request is not kept afterwards. Connection logs can still store an IP address and are deleted after three months.²

Metadata requests can include artist, title and album, and go to last.fm, Google Images or VideoLAN’s MusicBrainz server. VideoLAN says it does not see the outside requests. MusicBrainz logs can hold a partial search beside the IP address.² Mobile apps use the same metadata requests.² The iOS page says VLC will never collect personal information or include tracking.⁷

A September 2026 bulletin says 3.0.24 fixes more than 50 issues in VLC and at least 74 publicly documented flaws in bundled libraries.⁸ It says crafted files or streams can trigger the older flaws, which may crash the player or disclose memory, and that code execution has been demonstrated on macOS under specific conditions. The published fix is version 3.0.24.⁸

How to get started with VLC media player

1. Download from VideoLAN. Use the official page for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android (including an APK from VideoLAN’s mirrors) or iOS (App Store or a binary from VideoLAN).⁴⁵¹⁶⁷
2. Install it. No account is required.²
3. Set network access on the first run. Metadata lookup is accepted unless you turn it off. On Windows and macOS, update checking is accepted the same way. Both can be changed later in preferences.²
4. Play a file you already have. Open a video or song stored on that device.¹
5. Use a disc, share or stream only when you mean to. That source is what VLC contacts.¹ On iOS, VLC can sync files with Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, iCloud Drive and iTunes, and it can download over Wi-Fi.⁷
6. Install desktop 3.0.24. That release fixes the issues in 3.0.23 and earlier.⁸ On a phone, update through the store you used.²

Who should use VLC media player (and who might prefer something else)

VLC fits when the file or disc is already yours and you want to press play on that device, without an account.¹² Turn off metadata network access if the titles of those files should stay on the device.²

For a smaller copy on another gadget, use HandBrake. VLC can also convert and stream.³ To record a screen or camera first, use OBS Studio. To trim without rebuilding the picture, use LosslessCut. For a music library on a server you run, use Navidrome.

Frequently asked questions

Is VLC media player free?

Yes. The project calls it completely free, with no account, and says donations are its only revenue.¹²

Is VLC safe, and does it track what I play?

VideoLAN says it collects no telemetry while VLC is running.² An accepted crash report, or a Windows or macOS update check, can still send limited system details. A metadata lookup can send the artist, title and album.² Turn metadata lookup off in preferences. On Windows and macOS, turn the update check off there too, and use version 3.0.24, which fixes flaws in 3.0.23 and earlier.²⁸

Does VLC work on iPhone and Android?

Yes. iOS 9.0 or later, and Android 4.2 or later, including Android TV. Both download pages list version 3.7.0.⁷⁶ The phone apps live in their own repositories.³

Does VLC need the internet to play a file?

A file already on the device plays without an account.¹² If metadata access is on, VLC may send the artist, title or album to last.fm, Google Images or VideoLAN’s MusicBrainz server.² A stream or a cloud folder uses the network because that is the source you opened.⁷

Sources

1. VideoLAN: Official download of VLC media player
2. VideoLAN: Legal and privacy
3. VideoLAN: VLC media player README
4. VideoLAN: VLC for Windows
5. VideoLAN: VLC for Mac OS X
6. VideoLAN: VLC for Android
7. VideoLAN: VLC for iOS and iPadOS
8. VideoLAN: Security Bulletin VLC 3.0.24