How to watch video on your iPhone

iPhone showing home screen
iPhone showing home screen (Image credit: iMore)

If you're someone who uses their iPhone for everything, then it's probably doubled as a TV screen for you once or twice.

While there are a couple of different ways to watch videos on your iPhone, things can get a bit tricky if you're new to peeping that mobile screen.

Here's how you can watch videos easily and effortlessly on your iPhone!

How to find and play video in Safari

When it comes to watching videos through Safari on your iPhone, there are a couple of basic controls you'll be using:

  • Play/pause
  • Skip back 15 seconds
  • Skip forward 15 seconds
  • Screen mirroring
  • Volume control
  • Screen zooming

Each video you watch will also give you a timeline that'll allow you to scroll and move to whichever section of the video you would like to watch/rewatch.

If your phone is locked and you attempt to make the video fullscreen, you won't be able to, so be sure to turn off your screen lock option before frustrating yourself with impossible fullscreen.

It's worth noting that the screen on the iPhone X gives you another text-box option in the lower right corner, giving you access to a keyboard.

  1. Launch Safari from your homescreen.
  2. Tap the video you would like to watch. The video should load fullscreen.
  3. Tap the video while it's playing to make the controls appear.

When you're done watching, tapping the X in the corner will allow you to exit.

How to find and play videos from your camera roll

  1. Launch Photos from your homescreen.
  2. Tap the video you would like to watch. The video should load fullscreen.
  3. Tap the play button in the middle of the screen.

Your video should begin playing right away with a scrubber bar appearing at the bottom that allows you to skip, fast forward, and rewind any section of the video.

How do you watch videos on your iPhone?

Do you prefer using an app like Youtube to watch your videos? Or are you content watching through platforms like Safari?

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Cella Lao Rousseau

Cella writes for iMore on social and photography. She's a true crime enthusiast, bestselling horror author, lipstick collector, buzzkill, and Sicilian. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @hellorousseau