You’d think it would be a button. A simple, circular arrow sitting right there in the Photos app. You open a video of a crackling fireplace or a store display promotion, hit play, and it just... keeps going. But if you’ve ever tried to loop video in iPad natively, you know that Apple has a weirdly specific philosophy about how media should behave. They don't want your screen staying on forever by accident. It drains the battery. It burns in the pixels. So, they hide the looping feature behind menus or force you into secondary apps like Keynote just to get a basic repeat function.
It's frustrating. Honestly, it’s one of those "iPad Pro" workflows that feels significantly less "Pro" than it should.
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Whether you’re setting up a digital kiosk for a trade show, trying to keep a toddler entertained with the same thirty-second clip of a tractor, or you're a digital artist checking the flow of an animation, the "standard" way to play video doesn't cut it. You hit the end of the clip, and the screen just goes black or shows a gallery of your other private photos. Not ideal. We’re going to walk through the actual, non-nonsense ways to make this work without losing your mind or buying a $10 subscription-based app you don't need.
The Photos App Workaround (The Slideshow Trick)
Most people start in the Photos app. It’s logical. But the "Loop" option you see for Live Photos? That doesn't exist for standard MP4 or MOV files. If you try to find a repeat toggle in the playback HUD, you’ll be searching until the iPad 20 comes out.
Here is the secret: you have to treat the video like a slideshow.
First, you open the video you want to loop. Tap the Share icon—that little square with the arrow pointing up. Scroll down and select Slideshow. Now, here is where everyone messes up. While the slideshow is playing, tap the screen and hit Options in the bottom right corner. You’ll see a toggle for Repeat. Switch that on. You also want to set the theme to "Origami" or "Dissolve" and probably turn off the "Music" unless you want to hear that stock Apple acoustic guitar on a loop for four hours.
This method is fine for a quick fix, but it's janky. The iPad will often dim the screen or go to sleep depending on your Auto-Lock settings. If you’re doing this for a professional display, the Slideshow UI sometimes pops up if the screen is touched. It's a "good enough" solution for home use, but if you're serious, we need to look at the professional workarounds.
Using Keynote for a Permanent Kiosk Loop
If you’re at a booth or a gallery, forget the Photos app. Keynote is actually the most powerful video player on the iPad, which sounds insane because it’s presentation software. But think about it: Keynote is designed to run on a loop at trade shows.
Open a blank presentation. Delete all the text boxes so you have a clean white (or black) canvas. Drag your video onto the slide. Now, with the video selected, tap the Format icon (the paintbrush). Go to the Movie tab. You will see a setting called Loop. Toggle it on.
But wait. There’s one more step most people forget. You need to go to the presentation settings (the three dots or the document name at the top) and set the Presentation Type to Self-Playing. Set the transitions to zero seconds. Now, when you hit play, that video will cycle for eternity. Or at least until the iPad runs out of juice. This is how the pros do it at retail displays. It's stable. It's clean. It doesn't show a "Pause" button in the middle of the screen if someone bumps the table.
The Files App Mystery
Interestingly, the Files app handles video differently than the Photos app. If you have a video saved in a folder in Files, the Quick Look player is very stripped down. You won't find a loop button here either. Why? Because Apple views Files as a productivity tool, not a media consumption tool.
If you’re trying to loop video in iPad through Files, you’re basically hitting a brick wall. You have to export it to Photos or open it in a third-party player. It’s a weird inconsistency in iPadOS. You’d think the "Files" app would give you more control, but it actually gives you less.
Why VLC is Still the King of iPad Media
Sometimes the native Apple way is just too much work. If you don't want to mess with slideshow settings or Keynote slides, just download VLC for Mobile. It’s free. It’s open-source. It’s been the gold standard for twenty years for a reason.
Once you move your video into the VLC app (you can do this via the Share sheet), the loop option is a single tap. You tap the three dots in the player, hit the "Repeat" icon until it shows a "1" or a continuous loop symbol, and you’re done. No workarounds. No "Slideshow Options." It just works.
Battery and Thermal Concerns
Let's talk about what happens when you actually succeed. If you're looping a 4K video for six hours, your iPad is going to get hot.
Most iPads, especially the newer Pro models with M2 or M4 chips, are incredibly efficient. But the screen is the killer. If you’re looping video, go into Settings > Display & Brightness and set Auto-Lock to Never. If you don't do this, the iPad will eventually fall asleep, regardless of what the video is doing.
Also, keep it plugged in. A looping video prevents the iPad from entering its low-power states. If you’re running a display at a wedding or a business event, use at least a 20W power adapter. Those old 5W "sugar cube" chargers from the iPhone days won't be able to keep up with the power draw of the screen and processor running simultaneously; your battery will actually drop while it’s plugged in.
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Common Misconceptions About iPad Video
- "Live Photos are basically videos." Sorta, but not really. You can set a Live Photo to "Loop" or "Bounce" and it stays that way in your library, but it won't play as a full-screen video loop if you're trying to project it. It’s meant for the lock screen or browsing.
- "The Apple TV app can loop." No. The TV app is for "cinematic" experiences. Apple assumes you want to watch a movie once and then go buy another one. There is zero looping functionality in the TV app.
- "Higher frame rates loop better." Actually, if you’re looping a background video, 24fps or 30fps is better because it keeps the iPad cooler. 60fps video requires more processing power to decode every second, which leads to thermal throttling over long periods.
Creating the Perfect Loop
If the video itself doesn't "seamlessly" loop—meaning there is a jump-cut at the end—no software setting will fix that. You need to edit the file. You can use LumaFusion or even the free version of DaVinci Resolve on iPad.
The easiest trick? Duplicate the clip, reverse the second one, and stitch them together. This creates a "ping-pong" effect. It’s great for textures like water or clouds where a hard cut looks jarring. Once you've exported that as a single file, then you use the Keynote or VLC method to repeat it.
Actionable Steps for Success
- For Home/Casual Use: Use the Photos > Share > Slideshow > Options > Repeat method. It’s the fastest way without downloading anything.
- For Professional/Trade Shows: Use Keynote. Set it to "Self-Playing" and turn on the "Loop" toggle in the movie format settings. This prevents the UI from appearing and ensures it stays full-screen.
- For Technical Flexibility: Download VLC. It handles almost any file format (MKV, AVI, etc.) that the iPad’s native Photos app might reject.
- Prevent Sleep: Always change Auto-Lock to Never in the main iPad settings before starting your loop.
- Power Up: Use a high-wattage USB-C charger to ensure the iPad doesn't die mid-loop, as the screen brightness and video decoding are significant power draws.