How to download and install VLC on Chromebook

Juniya

January 14, 2025

Install VLC For Chromebook

Hello everyone, yes, you can download VLC for Chromebook, but before you do that, I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday so far. My Sunday has been great so far. I have had a bit of problem with my internet connection this weekend though, that’s been the only thing that has annoyed me but besides that, everything else is okay. I am getting ready to go visit my grandmother in a couple of days though, wish me safe travels, it’s quite far. Anyway, please read on…

Today we have awesome and I do mean awesome news! For the first time ever, those of you who run a computer with Chrome OS, meaning if you own a Chromebook, Chromebase, Chromebit or a Chromebox, you will now finally be able to run the one and only VLC Media Player. Can I say that one more time? I just said, you can now download the official VLC Media Player for Chrome OS made by the cool folks at VideoLan. Let’s find how it works on your Chrome OS computers and we will find out if it’s as good as it sounds.

Installing VLC Media Player on Chromebook

To install VLC on your Chromebook, follow these steps:

Choose where you want to download VLC from:

🌐 Install via the Linux Development Environment (instructions below)
📦 Download from the Google Play Store (recommended)

1. Install via the Linux Development Environment

If you prefer the desktop version of VLC, you’ll need to enable Linux apps on your Chromebook first:

Open your Chromebook’s Settings.
Click on Advanced in the left panel.
Select Developers.
Turn on the Linux development environment option.
Follow the prompts to download and install Linux.

Once Linux is set up, open the Linux terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install vlc -y

This command updates your package lists and installs VLC in one step. The -y flag automatically answers “yes” to any prompts, streamlining the installation process.

2. Install from the Google Play Store

If your Chromebook supports the Google Play Store, you can also install VLC as follows:

Open the Google Play Store on your Chromebook.
Search for VLC Media Player.
Click on the Install button to download and add it to your device.

After Installation

After installation via either method, you can launch VLC from your app drawer. If you installed it through Linux, it will appear under the Linux apps section. If you used the Play Store, it will be in your regular app list. VLC’s interface is user-friendly and similar across platforms, so you should feel right at home using it.

What Is VLC Media Player?

VLC media player is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player that plays most video files and network streaming protocols.

This is the port of VLC media player to the Chrome OS platform. VLC for Chrome OS can play most video and audio files, as well as network streams and DVD ISOs, like the desktop version of VLC.

VLC for Chrome OS is also a full audio player, with a complete database, an equalizer and filters, playing all weird audio formats.