How to open a WebM file

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Whenever a three-letter abbreviation appears in common computer conversation, those who don’t know it can get confused. Most of the time, they refer to file extensions, the last part of the file name, the one that comes after the period sign.

One such file type is WebM. To add to the confusion, this extension has four letters, instead of three. For example, a friend might send you a file “my_funny_cat_video.webm” via email. If so, you probably won’t be able to open it. To do this, you will need a compatible plugin or app to help you.

How to open a WebM file in Windows

To open standalone WebM files on desktops and laptops running Windows, you can use one of the browsers that support this format. These include Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Opera. To open the file this way, do the following.

1. Open the file location on your computer.
   
2. Right-click the file and then click Open with on the menu.
   
3. Click Choose another app.
   
4. Click the More Apps link at the bottom of this menu.
   
5. Click on one of the suggested browsers that support WebM files. If you don’t see your preferred app in the menu in Step 5, you need to click Search for another app on this PC.
   
6. Now, you will have to browse to the folder where the application files are located and select the executable file for that application. Once you do that, the app will appear in the Choose another app menu. You may want to use this application to open WebM files in the future. If so, check the box next to Always use this application to open WebM files.
   

In addition to web browsers, you can also use one of the supported media player applications. The most popular application is VLC player. It’s free, relatively small, and works perfectly with any type of multimedia files, both audio and video.

Of course, there are other applications that also work with WebM files, so you might consider checking them out. First of all, there is Windows Media Player. Although it doesn’t play WebM videos out of the box, simply installing the DirectShow Filters plugin will suffice. Below, it is worth mentioning three other alternative applications that you could use. These are MP player, KMPplayerand I look. They provide great compatibility with almost any media file imaginable and work on both computers and mobile devices.

How to open a WebM file on Mac OS

Like Windows, to play WebM videos you can use any of the browsers mentioned above on Mac. Although Apple’s native Safari browser cannot play these files on its own, there is a VLC Plugin that will allow you to do it.

Of course, when you install VLC for Mac OS X, you will also have the advantage of using the standalone application. This will allow you to play any WebM video you may receive or download. It’s worth mentioning that, just like with Windows, you can also use MPlayer, KMPlayer, and Miro on your Mac.

How to open a WebM file on a Chromebook

When it comes to Google Chromebook laptops, WebM video playback is native to these devices. Offering support for the most common media files, you can simply open a WebM file directly in Google Chrome and play it.

If you are unable to open a WebM video, there can only be a couple of reasons for this. One; The file is corrupted or not encoded correctly, so it contains errors. If that is the case, you will not be able to play that file with any application. The best thing you can do is download the file again, just to make sure that’s the reason you can’t play it.

Another reason could be that your Chromebook has some administrative restrictions. This could prevent you from accessing certain online content, as well as block any videos you upload. If there is a system administrator you can contact, it is best to check with them first. That will save you a lot of time experimenting with different applications.

How to open a WebM file on an iPhone

Since WebM is a file format that Google is propagating, it’s no surprise that Apple devices don’t easily work with it. First of all, Apple’s QuickTime does not have a codec that supports WebM videos. To be able to play them on your iPhone you will have to resort to other strategies.

The first scenario is when you want to watch a video on a website. Unfortunately, since this is a WebM video, your browser will not be able to play it. Don’t worry, because there is a solution in the form of a third-party application. PlayerXtreme Media Player is a free application that allows you to play any WebM video, as long as you know its URL address. Before continuing, be sure to install the PlayerXtreme Media Player app from App Store.

1. Open the Safari browser on your iPhone.
   
2. Visit the page with the WebM video that you were unable to view previously. Try playing the video and it will open the new browser window for that video.
3. Now tap More (three dots).
   
4. From the list of available apps, tap Open in PlayerXtreme.
   
5. Once you do that, the video will start playing.
   

Although PlayerXtreme is a common solution for iPhone users, you can also use the VLC app for mobile devices. It’s free, open source, and also works great with WebM videos.

How to open a WebM file on an Android device

Unlike Apple mobile devices, Android phones and tablets come with native support for WebM videos. If you are using Android 2.3 Gingerbread or later, you will definitely be able to play them from the phone’s browser. And that’s especially true if you use Google Chrome.

But sometimes a WebM video may not play on your device and there can be several reasons why that is the case. It could be that there was a problem when the file was encoded in the first place. Or perhaps you are using an application that does not support WebM on its own. Another reason could be that there were some interruptions in the file transfer while the video was loading, so the file cannot be played.

Whatever the reason, it is always good to have an alternative application nearby that can play WebM videos. And what could be better than a free-to-use, open source application like VLC Player? You can download the mobile version called “VLC for Android” from the Google Play store.

Additional FAQs

Why do we use WebM instead of more standard video file types like mp4 or mov?

The WebM video format is specifically designed to perform best when played online. They provide excellent video quality with a relatively small file size. This allows for low bandwidth traffic when playing WebM videos, making them perfect for use on websites and web platforms.

In comparison, MP4 and MOV files end up being much larger than WebM file of the same length. Although MP4 and MOV formats are considered a standard for video quality, the files you get are huge. It’s definitely not something you would want to stream, especially if you have a metered connection.

One of the best examples of using WebM is YouTube. The Google Video Platform uses it when playing videos in all WebM-compatible Internet browsers. This includes Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

Because it is open and royalty-free, this format is important to the global success of the Internet. Like HTML, HTTP, and TCP/IP, anyone can use WebM without having to worry about paying licensing fees.

What exactly is a WebM file?

WebM files are video files of a specific format. Like the popular Matroska video files (MKV), WebM is based on that same format. It is a completely royalty-free open source format and is primarily designed for use on the web.

Playing WebM videos on your device

Hopefully, you have managed to play a WebM video on your computer or mobile device. In addition to learning that you can use a web browser or a standalone app to play these videos, you now know even more. By understanding what WebM files are and why we use them, you will better understand modern web technologies and future trends.

Have you managed to play WebM files on your computer? Why do you use the WebM file format? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.