Some videos are better when they don’t end. Maybe it's a short animation you love watching on repeat, a product clip for a display screen, or a calming background video for your space. Looping a video on Android can be easy, but only if you’re using the right approach. From apps you can install today to tools for developers and display setups, Android offers a few solid ways to keep a video playing endlessly.
Whether you're setting it up for casual watching or for something more professional, here’s how to make it happen without any interruptions or manual replays.
There are more reasons to loop a video than people usually expect. Think about short demo clips at booths, information screens in waiting areas, or videos used as backgrounds on a tablet mounted on a wall. In all of these cases, the video needs to restart immediately and quietly when it ends, without you pressing anything.
Some players claim to loop, but they show a black screen or a flash before starting again. Others may play fine once but don’t remember settings after closing. That’s why it helps to know exactly what works well and what to skip.
If you're building your own app or customizing an Android experience from scratch, the built-in MediaPlayer tool is a straightforward way to handle looping.
MediaPlayer mediaPlayer = MediaPlayer.create(context, R.raw.sample_video);
mediaPlayer.setLooping(true);
mediaPlayer.start();
That setLooping(true)
line is what handles everything. Once the video ends, it goes right back to the start.
For those using a VideoView, you can still loop without any complex setup:
VideoView videoView = findViewById(R.id.videoView);
videoView.setVideoURI(Uri.parse("android.resource://" + getPackageName() + "/" + R.raw.sample_video));
videoView.setOnPreparedListener(mp -> mp.setLooping(true));
videoView.start();
This works best for videos stored locally (like those bundled with the app or downloaded to the device). Make sure the video itself is trimmed at the start and end so it doesn't feel jarring when it starts over.
If you’re not working on code and just want to loop a video on your phone or tablet, there are some solid apps designed exactly for this.
This app is very focused: pick a video, pick the loop section (or let it play from start to end), and you're done. Great for looping GIF-style clips, audiovisuals, or anything short and snappy.
This is a full media player with a clean loop function.
That’s it—it’ll keep going until you stop it manually.
Another favorite. VLC isn’t just for desktops. On Android, it plays nearly every file type and supports full loop control.
It’s reliable and handles video files of all kinds.
If you’re planning to run a video on a screen in a store, at an event, or in any unattended setting, looping needs to be completely hands-off.
Apps like SureVideo and Fully Kiosk Browser are great in these cases. They can:
These setups are great when you’re installing tablets in shops or events and want them to start up automatically each morning. You set them once, and they keep working.
For this setup to work well:
These small steps mean your loop will feel like a single, never-ending video—exactly what you want for a clean display.
If you don’t need a true endless loop but want your video to repeat multiple times without an app, you can make one long video file that includes several back-to-back copies.
On Android, this can be done easily using apps like:
This is handy when you're posting to platforms that don't allow loop settings or when handing the video off to someone who needs it to just "run long."
Even though it doesn’t play forever, you can loop it dozens of times inside the file, and it’ll serve the same purpose in most casual or offline use cases.
Looping a video on Android, whether for personal use or public display, doesn't have to be complicated. If you're building something in an app, Android's built-in options are quick and dependable. If you're using an app, tools like Loop Player, MX Player, or VLC are easy and work well across most devices. And if you need something more hands-off for displays or events, kiosk-ready tools handle it from start to finish.
What matters most is picking the right tool for the job and preparing the video so it works with the method you've chosen. Once that's sorted, the loop takes care of itself.