The VideoLAN project releases regular updates for the VLC Media Player. These updates add new features and fix bugs, but can also include important security patches that help protect your PC or Mac from attack.
VLC automatically notifies you of new updates when you open it, but it doesn’t automatically install them. Here’s how to check manually and get the most recent version of VLC on any platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone, and iPad.
If you don’t want to use the built-in update process, you don’t have to. You can download the latest version of VLC from VideoLAN’s website. Be sure to only get it from the official website at videolan.org.
How to Update VLC on a Windows PC
On a Windows PC, click Help > Check for Updates to see whether an update is available.
If an update is available, VLC will offer to download and install it for you. Click “Yes” and VLC will download the latest update for you.
VLC will offer to launch the installer once it’s downloaded. Click “install” to close VLC and begin installing it.
Click through the installer to install the new version of VLC. You can just select “Upgrade VLC using previous settings (recommended)” to keep your current VLC options.
Once it’s done, ensure “Run VLC media player” is selected and click “Finish.”
VLC is now up-to-date. If you click Help > Check for Updates again, you’ll see you have the latest version of the media player.
How to Update VLC on a Mac
On a Mac, click VLC > Check for Updates. This option is found on the menu bar at the top of your Mac’s display.
VLC will let you know if an update is available. Click “Install Update” to download it.
When it’s done, click “Install and Relaunch” to install the latest version of VLC and open it.
If you click VLC > Check for Update again, you’ll see a message saying you’re up-to-date with the latest version available.
How to Update VLC on Android, iPhone, iPad, and Linux
On Android, VLC updates through the Google Play Store. On iPhone or iPad, it updates through Apple’s App Store, just like any other application.
The same is true on Linux: Your Linux distribution updates VLC through its normal software update tools.
Just install normal application and software updates to get the latest versions of VLC.
