The .mov is Apple’s proprietary video container. MOV files are meant for QuickTime players. But, it doesn’t mean, you cannot play MOV videos in Windows.
You can follow the upcoming section to learn about various players that support MOV files on Windows
How to Play MOV Files on Windows PC?
Simply right-click on the MOV Video file, select open with options, and choose from the listed players that will open .mov files on a window
1. Photos
Just double-click on the MOV file as it would be the default player to open view .mov files on Windows
2. Media Player
Right-click on the MOV file, select Open With and choose Media Player to play your MOV file
This player has video options like skip forward 30 seconds, skip back 10 seconds, repeat, shuffle, etc to enhance your video player experience.
3. Windows Media Player
One of the oldest players on Windows OS, which supports MOV files as well.
You can launch the application and go to File, scroll down, and opt Open. This will open MOV files on Windows 10 and 11 operating systems.
4. VLC Media Player
Early Windows versions (before Win 7) wouldn’t support MOV files, but after OS upgrades and over time VLC emerged as one of the best video players on Windows that supported different video file formats.
You can download it from the official site and use it to view the MOV file on a Windows computer.
NOTE: Newer MOV files with h.264 video codec and AAC audio stream play without any issue in VLC. However, older MOV videos which include Apple’s QuickTime codec may fail to play.
5. Windows QuickTime
You can install the QuickTime Windows version to support the MOV file, However, they are not advanced and no longer supported by Apple, so do not rely on using this player to play any important videos.
Download and launch the tool, Go to QuickTime File and select Open. This will open the MOV files on Windows
Note: In case, your MOV file is not playing on Windows Media Player, VLC player, or even in QuickTime player then it seems the video file is corrupted. If so, then grab an effective MOV Repair tool like Yodot Video Repair and fix the broken MOV video. Then, try to play it.
Choose a Default Player for MOV Files
Once after selected a media player of your choice, you can make them default for all the .mov files by right-clicking on the MOV file, > Properties, and click on Change next to opens With and Select the player of your choice.
