How to open a .mov file
QuickTime movie · Video
A .mov file is Apple's QuickTime video container. VLC plays it on any platform. On Windows it often fails not because of the container but because of the codec inside, usually ProRes.
What a .mov file actually is
MOV is the container Apple created for QuickTime, and it is what iPhones and Macs record into. Structurally it is very close to MP4, which grew out of the same specification.
As with MKV, the container and the codec are separate questions. A MOV can hold H.264, which plays everywhere, or ProRes, which most Windows software cannot decode.
Why it will not open
Windows dropped QuickTime support years ago, and while Media Player handles common MOV files, anything recorded in ProRes or an unusual codec fails. The classic symptom is audio with a black screen.
Renaming it to an extension you can open will not help: changing the extension does not convert the file, it only changes what Windows tries to open it with.
Step by step
Windows
- 01Install VLC, which bundles its own decoders and plays essentially any MOV.
- 02If VLC plays it and Media Player does not, the container was fine and the codec was the issue.
- 03Do not install the old Apple QuickTime for Windows. Apple stopped patching it in 2016 and it has known unfixed vulnerabilities.
- 04To convert for wider compatibility, HandBrake re-encodes MOV to MP4 with H.264.
macOS
- 01Double-click. QuickTime Player opens MOV natively.
- 02For codecs QuickTime refuses, VLC or IINA will play it.
What usually goes wrong
Never install QuickTime for Windows
Apple discontinued it in 2016 and left known remote-code-execution vulnerabilities unpatched. Advice to install it for MOV playback is a decade out of date and actively dangerous. VLC does the job with no risk.
Programs that open .mov
Our pick, in order. Every one links to the publisher's official download URL and the SHA-256 hash of the installer. Once you have downloaded it, you can check the file against our index before you run it.
If you end up downloading one of these from somewhere other than the publisher, what you can and cannot verify about that is worth two minutes.
- VLC media playerVLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files, and various streaming protocols.v3.0.23 · 9 hashed installers96
- MPC-HCMPC-HC is an extremely light-weight, open source media player for Windows. It supports all common video and audio file formats available for playback.v2.8.0 · 2 hashed installers100
- HandBrakeHandBrake is a open-source tool, built by volunteers, for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.v1.11.2 · 2 hashed installers95
Also registers .mov in its manifest
Taken straight from publisher manifests. Some of these handle the format for a narrow purpose rather than as their main job.
Common questions
- How do I play a .mov file on Windows?
- Install VLC, which includes its own decoders and handles MOV regardless of the codec inside. Do not install Apple QuickTime for Windows: it was discontinued in 2016 with unpatched security holes.
- Why does my MOV file play sound but no picture?
- The video codec inside is not supported by your player, very often ProRes from a Mac editing workflow. VLC bundles the decoders needed and usually plays it immediately.