The Best Ways for How to Loop a Video on a Mac, iPhone, and More

From gifs to boomerangs, looping videos are all the rages (are kids today still saying that?). Now, you might be wondering how to loop a video yourself.

Today, we’ll walk you through how to do so on your Android or iOS device, or Mac, using a video editor, and a video looper app (yeah, we’re covering all bases here!).

What’s the Point of Video Loops?

Before we get started looking into how to loop a video, we’ll look at why you’d want to loop a video in the first place.

Some people use looping videos to emphasise a message and really make it stand out. Others use these to keep viewers engaged for longer. The length of a video on some social media platforms, like Instagram, for example, is limited. So instead of needing to make a long-form video, a poster might use a short, animated post to get attention. In this case, loop videos will do the trick!

What You Need to Know About Looping a Video on a Mac

If you’re a Mac user and have a QuickTime player installed, looping a video is super simple. All you have to do is open your video file using QuickTime player, click “View” from the dropdown menu, and then choose “Loop”.

While this is relatively quick and easy, the downside is that if you only want to use a snippet of a longer video, QuickTime doesn’t have that functionality. To do that, you’ll have to turn to use another program. The video editing software, VLC Media Player, will do just fine. If you do go the VLC route, here’s how to do it within that program:

1. Launch VLC Media Player and play a video
2. In the top-right corner, click “View”
3. At the bottom, select the “Advanced Playback Controls” under “Advanced Controls”
4. Choose a beginning point for playback
5. Select the Loop from A to B option
6. Press the button again and select the endpoint

What if I Use Windows?

If you use Windows instead of a Mac, the process will basically be the same. But instead of QuickTime, you’ll open up your video in Windows Media Player and click “Repeat” on the bottom left side of the player bar.

Again, you’ll have to use a program like VLC Media Player if you want to use a short video clip of a longer video.

Can I Loop YouTube Videos?

Yes! Instead of moving on to a new playlist or video, you can easily make your YouTube video repeat once it finishes. If you want to loop your YouTube videos, it’s really very simple. To loop a video, play it, right-click, and select “Loop” from the context menu.

What About the YouTube App?

Yes, and it’s just as easy!

1. Open up the YouTube app and search for the video you want to watch
2. You’ll see 3 vertical dots in the top right corner of the video – click on those
3. Select the option to save to a playlist
4. To make it loop, click the “Loop video” option button
5. To turn it off, click the “Loop video” option again

How to Loop a Video on iPhone

If you want to loop video on iPhone, there are a few different methods depending on whether you're using the built-in Photos app, a third-party app, or Apple’s Shortcuts feature.

Using Shortcuts to Loop a Video:

1. Download and open the Shortcuts app.
2. Tap Create Shortcut and add the Repeat Video action.
3. Select the video you want to loop.
4. Adjust the repeat settings and save the shortcut.
5. Tap Run Shortcut to start looping your video.

Using Third-Party Apps to Loop a Video:

If you want to loop a video that isn’t a Live Photo, apps like Looper or VLC for Mobile allow you to create continuous video loops for playback.

Using a Live Photo to Loop a Video:

If you own an Apple iPhone or iPad, you’ve probably used the live photo feature a number of times. But did you know that you can actually set this to a loop option?

This may seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning in order for this step to work, the live picture must be saved on your phone before setting any repetitions. If you aren’t sure how to do this, you’ll find a “live photo” icon in the upper right corner to use this feature (this looks like a bullseye target).

Now that that’s cleared up…

After you take your live photo, in the upper left corner you’ll see a “Live” tab with a drop-down. If you tap the down arrow, you'll find several options, including Loop, Bounce, and Long Exposure. Choose the effect you want to create (it will be the loop button in this case). However, the loop only plays the video in one direction, so we recommend using the bounce effect, which makes it play back and forth like a Boomerang on Instagram. Speaking of Boomerang…

How to Loop a Video on Instagram

Using the Boomerang in-app feature is probably the quickest and easiest way to loop a video on Instagram. Instagram also has a separate Boomerang app that you can get from the app store to make these types of videos if you want to post them in the feed.

But to do so in your IG stories follow these 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Launch the Instagram app and go to your profile image. Here’s where you’ll be able to instantly record and add them to your story.

Step 2: On the left, alongside a slew of other options, you’ll see the Boomerang option (this one looks like the infinity symbol)

Step 3: To record your Boomerang, select the Boomerang option then hold down the camera button until it stops recording. Once you’ve finished, post it!

Again, you can also create a Boomerang video by installing the Boomerang apps.

How Do You Loop a Video in VLC?

VLC Media Player is a popular video player that offers built-in looping options. If you want to create a VLC loop video, follow these steps:

1. Open VLC and play the video you want to loop.
2. Click on View and enable Advanced Controls.
3. At the bottom, you’ll see a Loop from A to B button (looks like two arrows forming a loop).
4. Play your video and click A-B Loop at the starting point.
5. Click it again at the end of the section you want to loop.
6. VLC will now loop videos between those two points.

To loop the entire video:

1. Click the Loop button (it looks like a circular arrow).
2. Your video will now replay continuously.

This feature makes VLC a great tool for playing looping background videos, presentations, or training materials.

How to Loop a Video in iMovie?

iMovie is a powerful tool for video editing on Mac and iOS devices, and you can easily create a looping video by following these steps:

Looping a Video in iMovie on Mac:

1. Open iMovie and create a new project.
2. Import the video you want to loop.
3. Drag the video into the Timeline.
4. Duplicate the clip multiple times by selecting it and pressing Command + C (Copy) and Command + V (Paste).
5. Continue pasting until you have the desired number of loops.
6. Export the final video.

Looping a Video in iMovie on iPhone/iPad:

1. Open the iMovie app.
2. Create a new project and add your video.
3. Tap on the clip, then tap Duplicate.
4. Repeat the duplication process as many times as needed.
5. Save and export your video.

If you want the video to loop automatically after exporting, you may need to use QuickTime Player or VLC loop video settings for playback.

How to Loop a Video Using Adobe Premiere Rush

If you’re a video editor, you're probably using Adobe’s Premiere Rush – which is one of the best video editors with all of the most essential editing tools and capabilities. If that’s the case, here’s a quick tutorial on how to use this application to loop videos:

• To begin a new project, tap (+), then tap Add Media to upload your video. Premier Rush is compatible with several video formats, including MOV, M4V, and MP4.
• Reduce the length of your clip to just the section you want to loop.
• To duplicate your clip, you’ll first need to select it and tap the (+) icon (you’ll find this to the left of the timeline)
• Save and export your video!

What is another method you know for how to loop a video? Tell us your methods in the comments section below. And be sure to contact us if you have any questions!