VLC is a media player that plays almost any audio or video file format under the sun. The only files that cannot be played are files protected by Digital Rights Management, such as movies purchased from the iTunes store. For those who are unaware, Digital Rights Management or DRM is a technology used to prevent unauthorized distribution or use of copyrighted media files or software. If you have used the desktop version of VLC on your Windows or Mac computer, this is the version for mobile platforms and has most of the essential features people are looking for.

The app functions similarly on both iOS and Android, although there are not nearly as many ways to import content into the Android version. Presumably, this is because the app can access the device internal storage at a much greater level and is not hindered by Apple’s sandbox restrictions on iOS. However, both versions include the same basic categories for sorting media, so this will not be discussed in too much detail. The majority of this review will focus on the iOS app and the many ways content can be imported or played.

When you open the iOS app, focus is on the audio tab. This contains audio files added to the media library. The other tabs are video, playlists, network, and settings. The video tab contains video files, playlists lets you view your created playlists, network contains features related to accessing content from the local network or Internet, and settings is self-explanatory. On Android, these same tabs can be accessed by using the navigation drawer. The menu contains the following: audio, video, playlists, directories, local network, stream, history, settings, and about. The directories option brings up a list of files and folders on the internal storage. It might also let you select files from an SD card, but this could not be verified because the Google Pixel used for testing does not have a slot for SD cards. The history option shows a list of recently accessed files, and the local network option brings up a list of file servers on the local network. Finally, the stream option allows you to enter the address of a media file on the Internet to stream and play directly to the app without downloading it.

The network tab in the iOS app contains several things. The first item deals with cloud services. The app can be linked with Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, or OneDrive. This enables you to upload files to one of these services and either directly play or download them to the media library. This screen also allows you to browse iCloud Drive for content. Select one of the cloud services in the list and enter login credentials to get up and running. The next two options deal with streaming or downloading files. Enter the address to a media file and it will be downloaded directly into the media library. The stream feature is exactly the same as in Android. Enter the link to a file and it will immediately begin playing.

The next option allows the iOS device to act like a file server. Turn the switch on and enter the address provided into a web browser to bring up the web interface for VLC. From here, you can drag files into the window or select them with the upload button. This will upload files from a computer and automatically add them to the media library. It is also possible to download files in the app from this interface as well.

The last section of the network tab contains a list of file servers on the same network as the device. The easiest way to use this is via the Windows SMB file sharing feature, although the app can also connect to FTP and Plex servers. Enter the username and password, if applicable, and the app will bring up a list of files on the server. If you are not comfortable setting up a network file sharing server, you can either have someone else help you or use the many other methods of importing content. Having said that, the benefits of doing this are well worth it. For example, you could share a folder from a Windows computer containing hundreds of songs, audiobooks, or any other audio/video content. All of this content can be streamed to your device without the need to store it on the much more limited storage of a mobile device.

The settings screen contains many options, most of which are self-explanatory. There are settings related to audio, video, networking, securing the app with a password or fingerprint, etc. Experiment and tweak to your heart’s content. Those who love to control exactly how the app functions should have plenty of things to customize. The default options should work for most people, so this is not something to worry about unless you wish to change a particular aspect of the app.

The playback screen is rather simple. There are buttons to go to the previous or next track, jump through files by time increments, the ability to send content to a Chromecast speaker or display, the ability to change playback speed, and more. While content is playing, the playback controls disappear until you tap on the player. This is a design feature to let you see more video without cluttering the screen with playback controls.

VLC is a great app for playing all the media files you may have collected over the years. If you are not a fan of iTunes and/or want to have full control over your media library and how it is played, this app is wonderful! Best of all, it is free, so there is nothing to lose.