Best 4 Ways on How to Play MKV on Mac [2022 Updated]

The Matroska or also known as the MKV file format is known to be one of the most popular formats of videos there is nowadays. Through this format, you will be able to watch any videos or movies in HD or high definition. This is actually the reason as to why those HD files that contains 720 or 1080 pixel are commonly made on a .mkv file extension.

How to play MKV on Mac? For Windows devices, it can easily play MKV file format because of the reason that it has the built-in codec. But does Apple support MKV files? Not, MKV can't be supported on iOS. For a Mac to be able to play an MKV file format, you will be needing some options in order for you to do. Some of these options are the following.

• Getting a Plugin for your Mac’s QuickTime.
• Getting a third-party application.
• And lastly, converting your MKV file format into a format that is compatible with your macOS.

So, for you to know more about how to play MKV on Mac, here are some of the best ways that you can definitely consider doing.

Part 1. Can VLC Play MKV Files?

The VLC media player is known to be as one of the most popular media players nowadays. And because it is consistent and its reliable work that comes with a wide range of formats and codec, its popularity just grow more and more. This media player is also capable with many different types of devices such as your macOS, Android device, Windows and iOS devices.

And for you to play MKV on Mac, then you can definitely download the VLC player and not needing to get any plugins to do the job. Here is what you need to do.

1. Go to the VLC website and download the most recent package available. Simply click on the “Download VLC” button and the process will then start.
2. Double-click on the package from Download folder to install it on your Mac.
3. Drag down the cone icon towards your applications folder and you will see a message on your screen.
4. From that message, hit on the “Authenticate” button from the pop-up message and the installation process will then start.
5. Enter your username and password if in need. After that, hit on the “Modify Settings”.

Then after completing all the steps, the VLC media player will then completely be installed on your Mac. And with that, you can play MKV on Mac using this player. And in order for you to do, all you have to do is to right-click on the MKV format video and then choose “Open with”. Then from there, just choose the VLC icon.

PROS:

• It can support a large variety of Plugins
• It comes with native support to use o MKV files.
• It has a Sleek UI

CONS:

• There are some issues with a 4K playback

Part 2. How Can I Play MKV Files on Mac QuickTime?

QuickTime Player is one of the built-in applications that you can play MKV on Mac. This is known to be as one of the videos players that you can use to watch movies or videos. However, it is true that it actually has some lack of features that other video players have. That is why we will be needing a plugin to make this work on your Mac.

One plugin that we can use on QuickTime Player is the Perian and here is how you can use the Perian plugin with QuickTime Player to play your MKV file videos on your Mac device.

Step 1. Download the Plugin setup file from their official website.

Step 2. Then, view the downloads by hitting on the downloaded button from the tray. And from there, choose “Perian.dmg” to start the setup process.

Step 3. Then on your screen, you will see a message that says “Perian can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”. You need to temporarily disable the barrier of your GateKeeper. Here is what you need to do.

• On your Mac, launch your Spotlight application located from your Apple menu.
• Then choose System Preferences.
• From there, choose Security & Privacy.
• Then, you will see an option saying “Allow apps downloaded from”. You will also see a button that says “Open Anyway”. So from there, just hit on that button.
• Then, just enter your Admin password and then hit on “Modify Settings”.

Step 4. One that you are done disabling your GateKeeper, you can launch the installer. So all you have to do now is to hit on the “Perian.prefPane” to start with the installation process.

Step 5. Then you can see a warning message on your screen. So from there, just simply click on the “OK” button for you to disregard it.

Step 6. Then you can close the window on your screen because the Plugin is already installed successfully.