You’re trying to keep a vibe going. Maybe it’s a lofi beat for studying, a "yule log" for a party, or a specific tutorial step you need to see over and over until your brain finally clicks. Whatever it is, hitting the "play" button every three minutes is a total mood killer. People always ask, how do you put a video on loop, and honestly, the answer depends entirely on where you’re watching.
It’s surprisingly inconsistent.
Google hides the button in one place; Apple hides it in another. If you're on a phone, it feels like a scavenger hunt. But once you know the "secret handshake" for each platform, you’ll never have to manually restart a clip again. Let’s break down how to actually get this done without losing your mind or downloading sketchy "video looper" apps that just want to steal your data.
The Right-Click Trick for Desktop YouTube
Most of us spend our lives on YouTube. If you’re on a laptop or a PC, looping is basically a two-click process, yet half the people I talk to don't know it exists. They think they need a Chrome extension. You don't.
Open any video. Right-click anywhere on the video player itself. A black menu pops up with options like "Loop," "Copy video URL," and "Stats for nerds." Click "Loop." That is literally it. A little checkmark appears next to the word, and that video will now play until the heat death of the universe or until you close the tab.
One weird quirk? Sometimes, if you right-click on certain parts of the player, a different white menu appears—this is the browser’s default menu, not YouTube’s. If you see "Save image as" or "Inspect," you’ve clicked the wrong spot. Move your mouse slightly and right-click again until you see the YouTube-specific menu. It’s a tiny bit finicky but works every time once you nail the placement.
Mobile Struggles: How Do You Put a Video on Loop on an iPhone or Android?
The mobile app is a different beast. For years, YouTube didn't even have a loop button on mobile. You had to create a playlist with one single video in it and then hit the "loop playlist" button. It was a mess.
Thankfully, they finally grew up and added a native feature, though they tucked it away behind a few layers of UI. To loop a video on the YouTube app now, tap the video to bring up the overlay, then hit the Settings gear icon in the top right corner. From there, tap Additional settings. You’ll see "Loop video" sitting right there, probably toggled to "Off." Flip that switch.
It’s annoying that it takes three taps, but it’s better than the playlist workaround. Just remember that this setting usually resets when you move to a new video. If you want the next video to loop too, you have to go back into those settings and toggle it again.
Instagram and TikTok: The Natural Born Loopers
Social media is different. On TikTok, looping isn't a feature; it's the entire philosophy of the app. Every video loops by default. You don't have to do anything. In fact, you can't even turn it off. This is by design to keep your engagement metrics high—if you zone out and watch a 10-second clip five times, TikTok’s algorithm thinks you’ve discovered the greatest piece of cinema since The Godfather.
Instagram Reels work the same way. They loop indefinitely. However, if you're watching a standard video post (not a Reel) or an IGTV video from the old days, it might just stop. In those cases, there isn't a native "loop" button. The platform expects you to keep scrolling.
Dealing with Files on Your Hard Drive
Maybe you aren't streaming. Maybe you have an MP4 of a presentation or a background visual for a live event.
If you're using VLC Media Player—which you should be, because it’s the GOAT of media players—look at the bottom controls. There’s a button that looks like two arrows chasing each other. Click it once to loop the entire playlist. Click it twice (you’ll see a little "1" appear on the icon) to loop the specific file you’re watching.
On a Mac using QuickTime, it’s hidden in the top menu bar. Go to View > Loop. It won't show a button on the actual screen, which is typical Apple minimalism, but it works perfectly.
Why Some Videos Refuse to Loop
Occasionally, you’ll do everything right and the video still stops. This usually happens because of "Autoplay" settings. If YouTube is set to automatically play a "recommended" video next, it can sometimes override your loop command if you haven't selected it properly.
Another culprit? Power saving mode. Some mobile devices kill background processes or looping functions to save battery life. If your phone is at 5% and you're trying to loop a 4K fireplace video, it might just give up.
Making it Permanent: Editing for Loops
Sometimes "clicking a button" isn't enough. If you’re a creator and you want your video to loop seamlessly on a website or a digital billboard, you have to edit the file itself to be "loop-friendly."
This means the last frame needs to look exactly like the first frame. This is called a seamless loop. If you’re filming a waterfall, you can’t just cut it randomly; the water will "jump" when it restarts. Pro editors use a "cross-dissolve" at the end of the clip, fading the end back into the beginning.
If you are embedding a video on a website using HTML5, you can add a simple attribute to the code:<video autoplay loop muted>
That loop tag tells the browser to ignore all other instructions and just keep playing. Notice I added muted there—most modern browsers (Chrome, Safari) will actually block videos from looping or autoplaying if they have sound, because nobody likes a website that starts screaming at them the second the page loads.
Breaking Down the Steps for Success
To make sure you never forget, here is how you handle the most common scenarios.
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- For Desktop YouTube: Right-click the player and select Loop.
- For Mobile YouTube: Gear Icon -> Additional Settings -> Loop Video.
- For VLC Player: Toggle the "Loop" icon at the bottom until it shows the number 1.
- For Web Developers: Use the
loopattribute in your<video>tag. - For iPhone Photos App: Open a "Live Photo," tap the "Live" menu in the top left, and choose Loop. This turns the photo into a short, repeating video.
The Psychology of the Loop
There’s a reason we do this. Repetitive visual and auditory input can actually help with focus. This is why "10 Hours of Brown Noise" videos have millions of views. By looping a video, you remove the "choice" from your brain. You aren't constantly deciding what to watch next. You’re creating a consistent environment.
Whether it's for a retail display, a study session, or just because you really love a specific 15-second meme, mastering the loop is a basic digital literacy skill. Stop hitting "replay." Let the software do the work for you.
To get started right now, try the right-click method on your desktop. It’s the fastest way to see it in action. If you’re on a phone, open the YouTube app and find that Settings gear. Once you’ve toggled it once, it becomes muscle memory. For anyone managing a storefront or a public display, stick to VLC or a dedicated hardware media player, as browser-based loops can sometimes hitch if the internet flickers. Always test your loop for at least ten minutes before leaving it unattended to ensure no "Up Next" pop-ups ruin the flow.