This is documentation for the next SDK version. For up-to-date documentation, see the latest version (SDK 51).

Expo Video

A library that provides an API to implement video playback in apps.

Android

iOS

Web

expo-video is a new, experimental library that aims to replace the Video component from expo-av with a more modern and reliable implementation. If you are looking for a more stable API, use expo-av until this library has stabilized.

To provide quicker updates, expo-video is currently unsupported in Expo Go and Snack. To use it, create a development build.

expo-video is a cross-platform, performant video component for React Native and Expo with Web support.

Installation

Terminal

- npx expo install expo-video

If you are installing this in an existing React Native app (bare workflow), start by installing expo in your project. Then, follow the additional instructions as mentioned by library's README under "Installation in bare React Native projects" section.

Configuration in app config

You can configure expo-video using its built-in config plugin if you use config plugins in your project (EAS Build or npx expo run:[android|ios]). The plugin allows you to configure various properties that cannot be set at runtime and require building a new app binary to take effect. If your app does not use EAS Build, then you'll need to manually configure the package.

Example app.json with config plugin

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    "plugins": [
      [
        "expo-video",
        {
          "supportsBackgroundPlayback": true,
          "supportsPictureInPicture": true
        }
      ]
    ],
  }
}

Configurable properties

Name	Default	Description
`supportsBackgroundPlayback`	`undefined`	Only for: iOS A boolean value to enable background playback on iOS. If `true`, the `audio` key is added to the `UIBackgroundModes` array in the Info.plist file. If `false`, the key is removed. When `undefined`, the key is not modified.
`supportsPictureInPicture`	`undefined`	A boolean value to enable Picture-in-Picture on Android and iOS. Configures the `android:supportsPictureInPicture` property on Android and the `UIBackgroundModes` array in the Info.plist file on iOS. When `undefined`, the configuration is not modified.

Usage

Here's a simple example of a video with a play and pause button.

Video

import { useVideoPlayer, VideoView } from 'expo-video';
import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
import { PixelRatio, StyleSheet, View, Button } from 'react-native';

const videoSource =
  'https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/BigBuckBunny.mp4';

export default function VideoScreen() {
  const ref = useRef(null);
  const [isPlaying, setIsPlaying] = useState(true);
  const player = useVideoPlayer(videoSource, player => {
    player.loop = true;
    player.play();
  });

  useEffect(() => {
    const subscription = player.addListener('playingChange', isPlaying => {
      setIsPlaying(isPlaying);
    });

    return () => {
      subscription.remove();
    };
  }, [player]);

  return (
    <View style={styles.contentContainer}>
      <VideoView
        ref={ref}
        style={styles.video}
        player={player}
        allowsFullscreen
        allowsPictureInPicture
      />
      <View style={styles.controlsContainer}>
        <Button
          title={isPlaying ? 'Pause' : 'Play'}
          onPress={() => {
            if (isPlaying) {
              player.pause();
            } else {
              player.play();
            }
            setIsPlaying(!isPlaying);
          }}
        />
      </View>
    </View>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  contentContainer: {
    flex: 1,
    padding: 10,
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'center',
    paddingHorizontal: 50,
  },
  video: {
    width: 350,
    height: 275,
  },
  controlsContainer: {
    padding: 10,
  },
});

API

import { VideoView, useVideoPlayer } from 'expo-video';

Component

`VideoView`

Type: React.PureComponent<VideoViewProps>

VideoViewProps

Android

iOS

Web

`allowsFullscreen`

Optional • Type: boolean • Default: true

Determines whether fullscreen mode is allowed or not.

iOS

`allowsPictureInPicture`

Optional • Type: boolean • Default: false

Determines whether the player allows Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.

Note: The supportsPictureInPicture property of the config plugin has to be configured for the PiP to work.

iOS 16.0+

`allowsVideoFrameAnalysis`

Optional • Type: boolean • Default: true

Specifies whether to perform video frame analysis (Live Text in videos). Check official Apple documentation for more details.

Android

iOS

Web

`contentFit`

Optional • Type: VideoContentFit • Default: 'contain'

Describes how the video should be scaled to fit in the container. Options are 'contain', 'cover', and 'fill'.

iOS

`contentPosition`

Optional • Type: { dx: number, dy: number }

Determines the position offset of the video inside the container.

Android

iOS

Web

`nativeControls`

Optional • Type: boolean • Default: true

Determines whether native controls should be displayed or not.

Android

iOS

`onPictureInPictureStart`

Optional • Type: () => void

A callback to call after the video player enters Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.

Android

iOS

`onPictureInPictureStop`

Optional • Type: () => void

A callback to call after the video player exits Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.

Android

iOS

Web

`player`

Type: VideoPlayer

A player instance – use useVideoPlayer() to create one.

Android

iOS

`requiresLinearPlayback`

Optional • Type: boolean • Default: false

Determines whether the player allows the user to skip media content.

iOS

`showsTimecodes`

Optional • Type: boolean • Default: true

Determines whether the timecodes should be displayed or not.

Android 12+

iOS

`startsPictureInPictureAutomatically`

Optional • Type: boolean • Default: false

Determines whether the player should start Picture in Picture (PiP) automatically when the app is in the background.

Note: Only one player can be in Picture in Picture (PiP) mode at a time.

Note: The supportsPictureInPicture property of the config plugin has to be configured for the PiP to work.

Inherited Props

ViewProps

Component Methods

Android

iOS

Web

`enterFullscreen()`

Enters fullscreen mode.

Returns:

void

Android

iOS

Web

`exitFullscreen()`

Exits fullscreen mode.

Returns:

void

Android

iOS

`startPictureInPicture()`

Enters Picture in Picture (PiP) mode. Throws an exception if the device does not support PiP.

Note: Only one player can be in Picture in Picture (PiP) mode at a time.

Note: The supportsPictureInPicture property of the config plugin has to be configured for the PiP to work.

Returns:

void

Android

iOS

`stopPictureInPicture()`

Exits Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.

Returns:

void

Hooks

Android

iOS

Web

`useVideoPlayer(source, setup)`

Name	Type	Description
source	`VideoSource`	A video source that is used to initialize the player.
setup (optional)	`(player: VideoPlayer) => void`	A function that allows setting up the player. It will run after the player is created.

Creates a VideoPlayer, which will be automatically cleaned up when the component is unmounted.

Returns:

VideoPlayer

Classes

Android

iOS

Web

`VideoPlayer`

Type: Class extends SharedObject<VideoPlayerEvents>

A class that represents an instance of the video player.

VideoPlayer Properties

iOS

`allowsExternalPlayback`

Type: boolean

Determines whether the player should allow external playback.

Android

iOS

Web

`currentTime`

Type: number

Float value indicating the current playback time in seconds.

If the player is not yet playing, this value indicates the time position at which playback will begin once the play() method is called.

Setting currentTime to a new value seeks the player to the given time.

Android

iOS

Web

`duration`

Type: number

Float value indicating the duration of the current video in seconds.

This property is get-only

Android

iOS

Web

`isLive`

Type: boolean

Boolean value indicating whether the player is currently playing a live stream.

This property is get-only

Android

iOS

Web

`loop`

Type: boolean

Determines whether the player should automatically replay after reaching the end of the video.

Android

iOS

Web

`muted`

Type: boolean

Boolean value whether the player is currently muted. Setting this property to true/false will mute/unmute the player.

Android

iOS

Web

`playbackRate`

Type: number

Float value between 0 and 16 indicating the current playback speed of the player.

Android

iOS

Web

`playing`

Type: boolean

Boolean value whether the player is currently playing.

This property is get-only, use play and pause methods to control the playback.

Android

iOS

`preservesPitch`

Type: boolean

Boolean value indicating if the player should correct audio pitch when the playback speed changes.

On web, changing this property is not supported, the player will always correct the pitch.

Android

iOS

Web

`showNowPlayingNotification`

Type: boolean

Boolean value determining whether the player should show the now playing notification.

Android

iOS

Web

`status`

Type: VideoPlayerStatus

Indicates the current status of the player.

This property is get-only

iOS

Android

`staysActiveInBackground`

Type: boolean

Determines whether the player should continue playing after the app enters the background.

Android

iOS

Web

`volume`

Type: number

Float value between 0 and 1 representing the current volume. Muting the player doesn't affect the volume. In other words, when the player is muted, the volume is the same as when unmuted. Similarly, setting the volume doesn't unmute the player.

VideoPlayer Methods

Android

iOS

Web

`pause()`

Pauses the player.

Returns:

void

Android

iOS

Web

`play()`

Resumes the player.

Returns:

void

Android

iOS

Web

`replace(source)`

Name	Type
source	`VideoSource`

Replaces the current source with a new one.

Returns:

void

Android

iOS

Web

`replay()`

Seeks the playback to the beginning.

Returns:

void

Android

iOS

Web

`seekBy(seconds)`

Name	Type
seconds	`number`

Seeks the playback by the given number of seconds.

Returns:

void

Methods

Android

iOS

`Video.isPictureInPictureSupported()`

Returns whether the current device supports Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.

Returns:

boolean

A boolean which is true if the device supports PiP mode, and false otherwise.

Types

Android

iOS

Web

`DRMOptions`

Specifies DRM options which will be used by the player while loading the video.

Name	Type	Description
base64CertificateData (optional)	`string`	Only for: iOS Specifies the base64 encoded certificate data for the FairPlay DRM. When this property is set, the `certificateUrl` property is ignored.
certificateUrl (optional)	`string`	Only for: iOS Specifies the certificate URL for the FairPlay DRM.
contentId (optional)	`string`	Only for: iOS Specifies the content ID of the stream.
headers (optional)	`Record<string, string>`	Determines headers sent to the license server on license requests.
licenseServer	`string`	Determines the license server URL.
multiKey (optional)	`boolean`	Only for: Android Specifies whether the DRM is a multi-key DRM.
type	`DRMType`	Determines which type of DRM to use.

Android

iOS

Web

`DRMType`

Literal Type: string

Specifies which type of DRM to use. Android supports Widevine, PlayReady and ClearKey, iOS supports FairPlay.

Acceptable values are: 'clearkey' | 'fairplay' | 'playready' | 'widevine'

Android

iOS

Web

`PlayerError`

Contains information about any errors that the player encountered during the playback

Name	Type	Description
message	`string`	-

Android

iOS

Web

`VideoContentFit`

Literal Type: string

Describes how a video should be scaled to fit in a container.

contain: The video maintains its aspect ratio and fits inside the container, with possible letterboxing/pillarboxing.
cover: The video maintains its aspect ratio and covers the entire container, potentially cropping some portions.
fill: The video stretches/squeezes to completely fill the container, potentially causing distortion.

Acceptable values are: 'contain' | 'cover' | 'fill'

Android

iOS

Web

`VideoMetadata`

Contains information that will be displayed in the now playing notification when the video is playing.

Name	Type	Description
artist (optional)	`string`	Secondary text that will be displayed under the title.
title (optional)	`string`	The title of the video.

Android

iOS

Web

`VideoPlayerEvents`

Handlers for events which can be emitted by the player.

Name	Type	Description
playToEnd	`() => void`	Handler for an event emitted when the player plays to the end of the current source.
playbackRateChange	`(newPlaybackRate: number, oldPlaybackRate: number) => void`	Handler for an event emitted when the `playbackRate` property of the player changes.
playingChange	`(newIsPlaying: boolean, oldIsPlaying: boolean) => void`	Handler for an event emitted when the player starts or stops playback.
sourceChange	`(newSource: VideoSource, previousSource: VideoSource) => void`	Handler for an event emitted when the current media source of the player changes.
statusChange	`(newStatus: VideoPlayerStatus, oldStatus: VideoPlayerStatus, error?: PlayerError) => void`	Handler for an event emitted when the status of the player changes.
volumeChange	`(newVolume: VolumeEvent, oldVolume: VolumeEvent) => void`	Handler for an event emitted when the `volume` property of the player changes.

Android

iOS

Web

`VideoPlayerStatus`

Literal Type: string

Describes the current status of the player.

idle: The player is not playing or loading any videos.
loading: The player is loading video data from the provided source
readyToPlay: The player has loaded enough data to start playing or to continue playback.
error: The player has encountered an error while loading or playing the video.

Acceptable values are: 'idle' | 'loading' | 'readyToPlay' | 'error'

Android

iOS

Web

`VideoSource`

Type: string or object shaped as below:

Name	Type	Description
drm (optional)	`DRMOptions`	Specifies the DRM options which will be used by the player while loading the video.
headers (optional)	`Record<string, string>`	Only for: Android iOS Specifies headers sent with the video request. For DRM license headers use the `headers` field of `DRMOptions`.
metadata (optional)	`VideoMetadata`	Specifies information which will be displayed in the now playing notification. When undefined the player will display information contained in the video metadata.
uri	`string`	The URI of the video.

Android

iOS

Web

`VolumeEvent`

Contains information about the current volume and whether the player is muted.

Name	Type	Description
isMuted	`boolean`	-
volume	`number`	-