MX Player

If you're looking for a video player for your computer, the options are boundless. From Windows to Linux to Apple, there are a huge number of free and paid video player software for every desktop operating system. But turn your attention to your mobile device, and you'll find the options are significantly more limited. While most phones come with a standard proprietary video player, the default software tends to be bare bones, capable of accomplishing the basic fundamentals of video playback but offering a far cry from the sort of feature rich options you'll find with modern desktop software like Windows Media Player or VLC. MX Player brings a lot of the functions you'll find in fully featured desktop players along with some quality of life features unique to the needs of mobile users. The user interface is something that can sometimes be overlooked when creating a video player app, as most users will be spending the majority of their time in full screen mode anyway. But being able to easily navigate menus can make the experience far more pleasant. Fortunately, MX Player gets UI design down to a science. It was clearly designed with mobile in mind, as the notification and navigation bars can be accessed simply by swiping or tapping on the screen. The result is navigation options that are always accessible and intuitively designed while also staying out of sight and out of mind until you actually need them. MX Player will also automatically update to sync up with new videos added to your device, so you won't have to spend unnecessary time rooting through your folders just to track down the video that interests you. A pinch zoom function adds an extra layer of intuitive control to the software, while a lock function means you can watch video uninterrupted, even if you accidentally tap your phone while watching a video. While MX Player's features are strong and smartly implemented, the fundamentals of a video player are actually rather basic. You just need something that will play videos for you. Since there are so many video formats available, even the most elegantly designed player will fall flat if its compatibility is low. MX Player supports almost all of the most popular codecs as soon as you boot it up, and if you happen to stumble across a more exotically formatted video, they make it simple to upgrade the software. You'll receive an automatic pop-up prompting you to download a free codec pack, minimizing the frustration of hunting down the tools yourself. For those with hearing disabilities or people just looking to watch a movie on their noisy commute, MX Player's subtitle functionality is top notch. Over a dozen subtitle formats are supported, and it can even handle complex functions like multiple subtitles, text styling, and coloring. MX Player is free to use, but you can eliminate the presence of ads with a one-time purchase.