How to Install VLC on your Chromebook

Chromebook is a lightweight computer that runs on Chrome OS. Using it, you can perform basic tasks like – browsing the internet, sending emails, watching videos, playing music, and more. It is an online base operating system, but there are some features that you can use offline, such as playing videos.

You can use the built-in video player to play offline videos that are saved on your device. No doubt; that the built-in video player is good. However, you can also use more advanced players like VLC Media Player on your Chromebook. Here is a guide on; how to install VLC on a Chromebook.

How to Install VLC on a Chromebook

The latest version of Chrome OS includes support for Linux and the Google Play Store. So, you can install the Android version of VLC and the Linux version of VLC Media Player on your Chromebook. We believe the Android version performs better as it is updated periodically.

Now, let’s discuss the installation process one by one:

1. Using the Google Play Store

If you like the Android version of the VLC, you can install it from the Google Play Store. To do so, you first have to enable Google Play Store support. To do so, check our detailed guide on; how to enable Play Store on Chromebook.

Once done, you can follow the below-mentioned steps to install VLC Media Player on your device.

1Step 1: Click on the App Launcher icon to open the app drawer.

2Step 2: Here look for Google Play Store and open it.

Screenshot not in the archive: Accessing Google Play Store

3Step 3: It will open the Google Play Store. Here, on the search bar, search for VLC for Android and select the app from the search result.

Screenshot not in the archive: Google Play Store Interface

4Step 4: Click the Install button to download and install the VLC Media Player on your Chromebook. The installation process may take some time; wait for the process to complete.

Screenshot not in the archive: Installing VLC from Google Play Store on Chromebook

5Step 5: Once the installation is complete. You can open it from the App Launcher. For that, click the App Launcher icon, search for VLC, and open it.

Screenshot not in the archive: Accessing VLC Media Player on Chromebook

That’s it; this is how you can install the Android version of VLC on your Chromebook via Google Play. The interface of the application is similar to an Android phone.

2. Using the Linux Terminal Command

You can also install VLC Media Player using the Linux Terminal if you like the desktop version of the app. By default, the Terminal is not installed. You have to install the Linux Development Environment on your Chromebook. For that, check our linked guide.

After that, follow the following steps to install VLC using the Linux Terminal:

1Step 1: Click the App Launcher icon and look for the Linux Apps folder.

2Step 2: Here, you will get the Terminal app, open it. Alternatively, you can check our detailed guide on; how to open Terminal on Chrome OS.

3Step 3: Now, to install the Linux version of VLC Media Player, you need to run the following command on the terminal:

sudo apt-get install vlc

Screenshot not in the archive: Terminal Command to Install VLC on Chromebook

4Step 4: After that, you will get a question; “Do you want to continue?”. Here, press the Y key to continue the installation process.

5Step 5: Once the installation is complete. Click on the App Launcher icon and look for the Linux apps folder.

6Step 6: Then, click on the VLC Media Player icon to open it.

Screenshot not in the archive: Linux Version of VLC on Chrome OS

Conclusion

That’s it; this is how you can install VLC Media Player on a Chromebook using the Google Play Store and Linux methods. You also can check out our Chromebook troubleshooting guide if you are new to Chromebook and Chrome OS. Also, check how you can use WhatsApp on Chromebook.