VLC for Android can play YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo and other online video streams just like its desktop counterpart. The Android app can open videos using their URL and it will begin to stream immediately. Just copy and paste the link to the video in ☰ > Stream and it will load the video within the VLC app. When an online video is opened using VLC application, features of the Android app can be used on the stream as well.
An online video opened in VLC for Android can have its playback speed increased or decreased, subtitles can be loaded automatically or manually and even be formatted, audio speed can be controlled and synced. There is a whole host of features that come with VLC for Android and it is all available in an ad-free app. So, watch a YouTube video in 1.5x speed, sync the audio for Dailymotion videos or disable the video and hear just the audio of Vimeo streams. But the app does not continue playing the video when the phone is locked.
Here are the detailed steps to play YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo and Other Online Video Streams in VLC for Android:
- Copy the direct link to the video from your browser
- Switch to VLC for Android app
- Tap on Menu ☰
- Go to Stream
- Long press under Enter network address and hit Paste
The video will open shortly. Feel free to use the on-screen interface controls to navigate the video and switch video resolution. Using the More … option, you can set a timer, control playback speed, skip to time, use the equalizer, cut of the video to play just the audio, delay subtitles, delay audio, use picture-in-picture mode and enable/disable audio digital output for the video.
For copying and pasting the video URL: If it is from a site like Dailymotion or YouTube, open up the full video page first. Example: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6emr5p or https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-ap5Fp2T6c. It doesn’t support playlists.
Which video site works?
We have tried it with popular video hosting sites like YouTube, Dailymotion, and Vimeo. They all work. But streams from sites like Twitch, Yahoo View, Break, and Metacafe are not supported. Direct video links to .mp4 files hosted on http:// addresses will certainly work.
If you found additional video sites that work (or doesn’t work) in VLC for Android network streams, then let us know in the comments below.
It’s Sept 16 2022, and VLC for Android 6.0.1 doesn’t accept streams (playlists or individual vids) from https://m.youtube.com/(etc)
Not any answers but only questions
I think this wrong VLC forum
I have found additional video sites that do not work in VLC for Android network streams.
They are, the “bs.to” and “https://serienstream.sx/” websites.I tried different video hoster like “Streamtape” and “VOE”.
I use android 11 on a mobile device.
Maybe you can make it work.
Thanks.
hi. i have a question. when people copy the youtube url and stream it via the VLC app. do i still get the views for my video in my youtube account.? so if someone streams all my videos as many times in the vlc app. will i get those views, each time that person viewed that video. even if it was 5 times. will i get those 5 views in my youtube account?
How to add a subtitle file to it?
Tap on the screen after opening the stream. The player control menu should display on the bottom. Click on the leftmost button that is for on-screen text (subtitles). On the screen that follows, tap on Subtitles and you can select a subtitle file or download it as per your wish.
One drive and Google drive links not working
hi, will there be an update for vlc android to get youtube links working soon?
thanks
Hi Kevin, why does my vlc android downscale youtube network FHD and 4K streams to 480p and 720p on Formuler GTX? (when vlc android is used as an application external player). Thank you.
YouTube videos are not streaming even though the title gets displayed after copying and pasting the url. Could you please help me with a resolution for this error.
If you update to the latest version 3.0.11, it should work.
I am facing same issue..do you find any solution, plz guide
I streamed youtoob vids on my laptop using vlc there, no problem. Laptop died, now have Lenovo Android tablet, i have done the exact correct process to stream a youtoob video in vlc app, but it will not stream. It will not play. Nothing whatsoever happens.
Direct video links to .mkv files (https://doc-10-08-docs.googleusercontent.com/docs/securesc/…) hosted on google drive doesn’t work. (Android)
But vlc on PC working fine.
Please fix.
I had problems with stream function in VLC Android – app would try to launch audio player and not work after pasting a youtube or dailymotion link in the stream function.
Got it working by uninstalling the VLC and re-installing – now works!
We have downloaded the app seven times we cannot get it to work we have done everything that you’ll tell us who we followed every direction we place the URL address into stream nothing happens
before I setup my VLC Player (android) to play video files from Google Chrome android, instead of playing on it’s browser video elements… but now I forgot how I do that, or may be I need to setup Chrome to play video automatically to VLC?
I think you are looking at activating the web interface.
I use VLC on android and i have a problem. Why some youtube videos can not stream? It’s only show “the location xxxx xxx xxxx xxxx can not be played”, is there any solutions?
I have that problem with all YouTube videos, it won’t play any of them.
As with above poster, I need a way to store streaming locations on my VLC for Android.
My version of VLC doesn’t have a “Stream” option in the menu. It does have an “Open MRL” option which always fails whenever I enter a YouTube link into it.
I have successfully tested VLC for Android with the h.264 stream from an Axis video encoder. I would like to know if there is any way of creating a shortcut that will open the stream directly without having to paste the address in. I assume this would apply to other streams but I need to be able to directly access any one of 6 different encoders.
FWIW, this is to replace use of a Windows laptop running VLC and it was easily done by including the address on the command line of a shortcut.
You can copy and paste video links from Vivatv app