What is IINA?
IINA is a video player for macOS built on mpv, which supplies its format coverage, wrapped in an interface that follows Mac conventions: trackpad gestures, media keys, Picture in Picture, Live Text and a native sidebar. It is free and open source under GPL v3 and states that it includes no tracking or telemetry. It requires macOS 12.0 — or macOS 11.0 on Intel Macs, an unusual asymmetry worth knowing before you install it on an older Apple Silicon machine.
Verified product facts
- Type
- media playerEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Apple Silicon
- YesDeveloper-stated
- Pricing
- Open sourceDeveloper-stated
- Open source
- Yes
- Developer
- IINA communityDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Current version
- 1.5.0Developer-stated
- Official website
- iina.io/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What IINA does at a glance.
mpv playback engine
With wide format support
Trackpad gestures and macOS media key support
Picture in Picture
Live Text
On video frames
Rearranging of controls and sidebars
Plugin system
For subtitle sources and video tools
What you can use IINA for
- Playing video files without installing separate codec packs
- Watching video in Picture in Picture while working in another app
- Copying text from video frames with Live Text
- Adding subtitle sources through plugins
Who is IINA for?
- Mac users who want a native macOS interface rather than a ported player
- People who want a free, open-source player with no tracking or telemetry
- Users who watch files in many formats and do not want to manage codec packs
Who is IINA not for?
- Windows or Linux users — IINA is macOS only
- Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 11 — the current build requires macOS 12 on Apple Silicon
- Anyone who needs to convert or edit video — IINA plays media, while HandBrake transcodes it
Strengths and trade-offs
What IINA does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Native macOS interface with trackpad gestures, media controls, Picture in Picture and Live Text.Developer-stated
- Built on mpv, so it inherits wide format support without extra codec packs.Developer-stated
- Free and open source under GPL v3, with no paid tier.
- The developer states the app includes no tracking or telemetry.Developer-stated
- Controls, sidebars and interface elements can be rearranged, and plugins can add subtitle sources and video tools.Developer-stated
Trade-offs
- Requires macOS 12.0 on Apple Silicon, and the developer lists macOS 11.0 only for Intel — so an older Apple Silicon Mac cannot run the current build.Developer-stated
- Its format coverage comes from mpv, so it inherits that project's decoding limits and behaviour rather than adding its own.Editorially reviewed
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Download a .dmg from iina.io and drag the app to Applications; no account is required.
- First launch Developer-stated
- Opens on an empty player window that accepts dropped files; settings are organised into a native preferences window.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Responds to macOS media keys and supports Picture in Picture, so playback integrates with the system's media controls.
- Apple Silicon Developer-stated
- Supported
What it does
IINA wraps mpv — the open-source playback engine — in an interface built to Mac conventions rather than ported to them. That means trackpad gestures, media key support, Picture in Picture, Live Text and a native preferences window. Format coverage comes from mpv, so it plays effectively anything that project can decode, without separate codec packs.
It is free and open source under GPL v3, and the developer states it includes no tracking or telemetry.
Requirements
IINA lists an unusual pair of requirements:
- macOS 12.0 generally
- macOS 11.0 for Intel
The Intel build targets an older macOS than the Apple Silicon build. The practical consequence is that an early Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 11 cannot run the current release, while an Intel Mac of the same vintage can. That is the opposite of the usual pattern and is worth checking before assuming an older machine is fine.
Extensibility
The interface can be rearranged, and plugins extend it further — subtitle sources, video tools and alternative interfaces. Because the playback core is mpv, behaviour that mpv documents generally applies here too.
Release history
Dated releases recorded for IINA, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
1.5.0
Current release, published as IINA.v1.5.0.dmg.
Source: Source repository
Questions about IINA
Is IINA free?
Yes. IINA is free and open source under GPL v3, with no paid tier and, according to the developer, no tracking or telemetry.
Which macOS version does IINA require?
macOS 12.0, or macOS 11.0 on Intel Macs. The requirement is lower on Intel than on Apple Silicon, which is unusual and means an older Apple Silicon Mac may not run the current build.Developer-stated
What can IINA play?
IINA is built on mpv, so it inherits that project's format support — effectively any format mpv can decode, without separate codec packs.Developer-stated
Can IINA be extended?
Yes. Plugins can add subtitle sources, video tools and alternative interfaces, and the interface itself can be rearranged.Developer-stated
What is the latest IINA version?
1.5.0, released on 3 October 2026.
Alternatives to IINA
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
mpv
Free, open-source, and cross-platform media player.
IINA is built on mpv, so the two share decoding behaviour; mpv is a minimal keyboard-driven player without a graphical interface.
Elmedia Player
Mac media player with wide codec support and one-click casting.
Both are Mac-focused video players; Elmedia is a commercial app with a free tier while IINA is free and open source.
Compared with
Head-to-head comparisons Nuanyue has published.
VLC
Free open-source player for most media formats.
Both play nearly any format; VLC targets breadth and cross-platform parity while IINA is a native Mac interface built for feel.
Works well with
Not a replacement — apps commonly used alongside this one.
HandBrake
Video transcoder for converting media to modern formats.
IINA plays media while HandBrake transcodes it — a common pairing when a file needs converting.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
- IINA — official websiteGrade B
- IINA community — developer websiteGrade B
- IINA — source repositoryGrade D
