IINA Overview
IINA is a free, open-source video player made only for the Mac. It is built on mpv, one of the most capable playback engines available, and wraps it in an interface that looks and behaves like a native macOS app, with trackpad gestures, picture-in-picture and Live Text. IINA is released under the GPLv3 license and costs nothing, with no in-app purchases.
Because mpv decodes nearly every common format, IINA opens MKV, MP4, MOV, AVI, WebM and most audio files without codec packs. Version 1.5.0 is the biggest redesign since IINA launched, with a new Settings window, resizable sidebars and Liquid Glass on the latest macOS. If you want a player that feels like it belongs on your Mac rather than one ported from another system, IINA is the one most Mac users try first.
Key Features
IINA keeps the controls out of the way while you watch and puts everything else one click away in its sidebars.
- Native Mac design: follows macOS conventions, switches between light and dark appearance, and supports Liquid Glass on macOS 26 and later.
- Flexible layout: the playlist, chapters and quick settings sidebars can be docked, resized and shown together, and the window's aspect ratio can be unlocked.
- Picture-in-picture and a mini player: keep a video floating above other windows, or play music in a small compact window.
- Gestures and shortcuts: control playback with trackpad gestures, and change any keyboard shortcut in Settings.
- Subtitles: loads subtitle files automatically, lets you choose and restyle subtitle tracks, and plugins can add online subtitle sources.
- Live Text: pause on a frame and select or copy the text that appears in the video.
- Thumbnails on the progress bar: preview any moment of the video before you jump to it, with the chapter name shown next to the time.
- Plugins: extend IINA with community plugins, now found and installed from the plugin store in Settings.
- For advanced users: pass mpv options directly, and paste whole option lists into Settings.
What’s New in Version 1.5.0
IINA 1.5.0 brings the biggest interface redesign since its launch.
- A new Settings window, with video and audio options on separate pages
- A plugin store for finding and installing community plugins
- A new Layout pane: dock sidebars, the on-screen controller and the title bar, and unlock the window's aspect ratio
- All sidebars can now be resized and no longer cover the on-screen controls
- Liquid Glass support and a new set of icons
- Live Text support in paused video
- The chapter name is shown on the progress bar next to the time
- Many fixes, including the wrong audio output device and unintended auto-play when switching Bluetooth devices
IINA FAQ
Is IINA free for Mac?
Yes. IINA is free and open source, released under the GPLv3 license. It has no in-app purchases.
Does IINA run on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. IINA runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs and on Intel Macs.
Which macOS version does IINA need?
IINA 1.5.0 needs macOS 12 or later, or macOS 11 or later on Intel Macs. Its developers expect 1.5.0 to be the last version that supports macOS 11.
What video formats can IINA play?
IINA is built on the mpv playback engine, so it plays almost every common video and audio format, including MKV, MP4, MOV, AVI, WebM, MP3 and FLAC, without extra codec packs.
IINA or VLC: which should I use on Mac?
Both are free and open source. IINA is designed only for the Mac and feels like a native macOS app, with gestures, picture-in-picture and Live Text. VLC runs on many systems and adds tools for converting and streaming media. Many people keep both.
Does IINA support picture-in-picture?
Yes. IINA can show a video in a floating picture-in-picture window that stays above your other windows, and it also has a mini player for music.
Is IINA safe to install on a Mac?
Yes, when you download it from the official website, iina.io, which is where the download button on this page leads. IINA is open source, so its code can be checked by anyone on GitHub.
How do I make IINA the default video player on Mac?
In Finder, select a video file such as an MKV or MP4, press Command-I (or choose File, then Get Info), choose IINA under "Open with", then click Change All and Continue. Repeat this for other file types.
How do I update IINA on my Mac?
IINA checks for updates itself and offers to install them. You can also download the latest version from iina.io and replace the old copy in your Applications folder.
Where does the IINA download on iina.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to IINA's official download page at https://iina.io/download/. iina.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the installer.
Similar Apps
KodiKodi is a free and open-source media player and entertainment hub for your own digital media. It plays almost all popular audio and video formats, and it was designed for network playback, so you can stream your media from anywhere in the house or directly from the internet. Point Kodi at your media and it scans it and creates a personal library complete with box covers, descriptions and fanart.Video
mpvmpv is a free, lightweight media player that plays almost any video and audio format, from MP4 and MKV to HEVC, AV1 and HDR video. It focuses on picture quality and speed: video is rendered on the GPU with the libplacebo engine, with high-quality scaling, colour management and HDR tone mapping. mpv has a minimal on-screen controller instead of a big window full of buttons, and is mostly controlled with the keyboard and mouse. It is so capable that other Mac players, such as IINA, are built on top of it.Video
VLC media playerVLC media player is the free, open-source media player for Mac that plays almost anything you give it. Movies, music, DVDs, audio CDs and live streams all open in the same window, without hunting for codec packs or paying for add-ons. It is made by VideoLAN, a non-profit organisation, and in VideoLAN's own words it has no spyware, no ads and no user tracking.Video
KapKap is a free, open-source screen recorder for Mac. Choose the whole screen, a window or any area you draw, record, and then export the clip as a GIF, an MP4 or WebM video, or an animated PNG. You can include audio, highlight your mouse clicks and trim the recording before you export it, which makes Kap handy for bug reports, tutorials and short demos. Kap is made by Wulkano and released under the MIT license.Video
cTiVocTiVo is a free Mac application that downloads shows from your TiVo and converts them to many popular formats and devices. It finds the TiVos on your network by itself, shows you what is on them, and lets you queue shows by dragging them. Once you subscribe to your regular shows, new episodes download and convert without further work, so they can be waiting on your iPhone or iPad in the morning.Video
CartCutCartCut is a video editor designed for motion effects and versatility. It was formerly called Nugget, and its GitHub repository still uses the name nugget-app. Alongside cut editing, it offers animation, sound mixing, text, external extensions and project files. It uses layer-based editing instead of traditional tracks, which makes it easier to apply several effects to a single asset. Its makers say their goal is to let creators produce motion graphics without relying on heavy software like After Effects.Video
FULLMAC.app does not host this app. Download buttons lead to the developer’s own pages.