5 Ways on How to Play MKV files on Mac [2025 Newest]

Mac users often have trouble playing MKV files because QuickTime Player can't directly open the format. MKV is a container format that may contain codecs like H.265, DTS, or multi-track subtitles, which macOS doesn't natively support. How to play MKV files on Mac, including MacBook Air, Pro, iMac?

Luckily, this guide addresses both needs - reliable third-party players for instant playback and easy conversion methods to MP4 or MOV, helping you overcome the common pain points of audio, subtitle, and format issues.

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Play MKV Files on Mac with Free MKV Player

EaseUS RecExperts for Mac is a third-party video & audio player for Mac that can play common files like MKV, MP4, MP3, AAC, etc. It's simple yet powerful. This MKV video player with speed control allows you to adjust the playback speed from 0.5X to 2X. You can also trim the MKV videos with built-in editing tool if needed.

No need to install any plugins, you can easily play MKV or other formats of video and audio files, just drag or upload the files to the media player. More importantly, in addition to playing files, its main function is to record the screen, webcam, or audio, and you can easily record internal audio on Mac with just one click.

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Steps to play MKV files on Mac with EaseUS RecExperts:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS RecExperts and click "Recordings" on the left bottom to open the built-in video editor.

Step 2. Click "Import" on the right bottom to add your target video file from your local folder.

Step 3. Click "Edit" on the bottom showed in the picture above and choose "Trim". Then, you can edit or play the video frame by frame.

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Open MKV File on Mac with Elmedia Player

Elmedia Player is another choice for playing MKV files on a MacBook or iMac. This is a convenient and reliable player that includes all the necessary features for both advanced users and novices. This Mac MKV player is also capable of playing WAV files, FLV, SWF, AVI, MOV, MP4, MP3, MKV or etc.

Moreover, you can also export/import bookmarks, create and save playlists, change screenshot series, etc. In a word, it is one of the all-in-one players that can open any file on your Mac. If you often watching downloaded videos and movies, this is your tool.

Here is how to play MKV videos on Mac with Elmedia Player:

Step 1. Download the app from the official website or the AppStore.

Step 2. After downloading and installing, launch it and open the menu bar, then go to "File", and click "Open".

Step 3. Choose the MKV file you want to play from your Mac and select "Open". Then, Elmedia Player will play the MKV video for you.

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Play MKV Files on Mac with VLC Media Player

Another decent program to play your MKV on Mac is VLC Media Player. This open source video player is well-known because of its high-security measures, offering the most convenient use to its users. And this is also the reason why we recommend this media play to you.

VLC supports almost all file formats, and MKV is not an exception. Of course, it is also an MP4 player for Mac that can play MP4 with high quality. Moreover, this tool is highly customizable with an editor tool for personalized extensions. It is compatible with all platforms.

All these features make it reliable. However, many users feel the interface is outdated and not as intuitive as other updated apps. If you value the intuitive interface of a product, this may not be your best choice.

Below are the steps to open MKV on Mac with VLC Media Player:

Step 1. Download VLC Media Player from the official website to your computer.

Step 2. Right-click on an MKV file on your Mac, choose "Open With" and choose VLC Media Player. Then, the app will play your MKV files.

Watch MKV Files on Mac with Handbrake

There is another option for you, and it is the last one we gathered. This is converting MKV files to Mac-supported formats. For example, you can convert MKV to MP4. To do so, you will need a file converter. Here we give you Handbrake.

Handbrake is one of the open-sourced tools that is commonly used for people to rip DVD videos. You can also use it to convert your MKV videos to MP4 format with one click. After converting, you can use QuickTime to play the MP4 file on your Mac easily. The operation is a bit confusing. If you are not ok with that, try another tool.

Steps on how to open .mkv files on Mac:

Step 1. Download and launch Handbrake on your screen.

Step 2. Hit on the option "Open Source" located at the upper left corner of your window and choose the MKV file that you want to convert.

Step 3. Choose MP4 or other Mac-supported formats as the output format. After that, hit on the "Start" button to convert the MKV file.

Step 4. After converting, you can play the MP4 file on your Mac.

Play MKV on Mac with QuickTime Plugin

We can't play MKV files with QuickTime directly, but we can use Perian, a QuickTime plugin, to help us in playing MKV video files on your Mac. Perian is a free, open-source plugin for QuickTime Player. It works automatically in QuickTime after setting it up on Mac. With its help, playing MKV videos on Mac is not impossible anymore.

However, Perian supports only QuickTime 7.6.6. And it takes a long time for MKV to load. This is because QuickTime expects to know the location of every single frame in a movie in order to play it. But it is difficult for files like MKV. So, if you are not so patient, you may skip this option.

If you have an older Mac, you may follow the steps below to play the MKV file on Mac with Perian:

Step 1. Find the media file you'd like to play on your Mac computer and right-click on it.

Step 2. Select "Open With" > "Perian - Open in QT Player" on the list.

Step 3. Wait for a while, and your file should be playing in QuickTime with the help of Perian.

✒️As we mentioned before, users can't play MKV files directly with QuickTime. So, if you want an easier and smoother MKV player, try EaseUS RecExperts now!

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Conclusion

People sometimes come up with the question: Can I play MKV files on Mac? If you have the same confusion, you can try the methods listed above to watch MKV files on Mac. The article gives you five ways to play MKV files on Mac. And we recommend you download EaseUS RecExperts as it is comprehensive and easy to use. Download it from the button below right now!

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How to Play MKV Files on Mac FAQs

1. Can Apple support MKV?

Apple devices like macOS, iOS, and iPadOS do not natively support the MKV (Matroska Video) format. Applications like QuickTime Player cannot open MKV files directly because the format may use codecs not supported by Apple’s built-in decoders. To open MKV files on a Mac, you typically need to either convert them to MP4 or MOV or use a third-party player like EaseUS RecExperts or VLC.

2. How to convert a MKV file to MP4 on Mac?

You can use an online tool to convert a MKV file to MP4 on Mac. Alternatively, you can record the MKV file to MP4 with EaseUS RecExperts without losing quality.

3. How to play MKV files with QuickTime Player?

QuickTime Player does not directly support MKV playback. To open MKV in QuickTime, you need to install QuickTime MKV plugin or convert MKV to MP4 or MOV.

4. Can I convert MKV to MP4 on Mac?

Yes, you can use two common methods to convert MKV to MP4 on a Mac:

Many web-based converters allow you to upload an MKV file and download it back as MP4. This method is convenient for small files, but it may be limited by file size, internet speed, or privacy concerns.

Another option is to use screen recorders such as EaseUS RecExperts, allowing you play the MKV file and record it directly into MP4 or MOV format.