Expo Video (expo-video)A library that provides an API to implement video playback in apps.
expo-video is a cross-platform, performant video component for React Native and Expo with Web support.
Installation
- npx expo install expo-videoIf you are installing this in an existing React Native app, make sure to install expo in your project.
Configuration in app config
You can configure expo-video using its built-in config plugin if you use config plugins in your project (Continuous Native Generation (CNG)). 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 CNG, then you'll need to manually configure the library.
Example app.json with config plugin
{ "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 |
supportsPictureInPicture | undefined | A boolean value to enable Picture-in-Picture on Android and iOS. If |
Usage
Here's a simple example of a video with a play and pause button.
import { useEvent } from 'expo'; import { useVideoPlayer, VideoView } from 'expo-video'; import { StyleSheet, View, Button } from 'react-native'; const videoSource = 'https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/BigBuckBunny.mp4'; export default function VideoScreen() { const player = useVideoPlayer(videoSource, player => { player.loop = true; player.play(); }); const { isPlaying } = useEvent(player, 'playingChange', { isPlaying: player.playing }); return ( <View style={styles.contentContainer}> <VideoView style={styles.video} player={player} allowsFullscreen allowsPictureInPicture /> <View style={styles.controlsContainer}> <Button title={isPlaying ? 'Pause' : 'Play'} onPress={() => { if (isPlaying) { player.pause(); } else { player.play(); } }} /> </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, }, });
Receiving events
The changes in properties of the VideoPlayer do not update the React state. Therefore, to display the information about the current state of the VideoPlayer, it is necessary to listen to the events it emits.
The event system is based on the EventEmitter class and hooks from the expo package. There are a few ways to listen to events:
useEvent hook
Creates a listener that will return a stateful value that can be used in a component. It also cleans up automatically when the component unmounts.
import { useEvent } from 'expo'; // ... Other imports, definition of the component, creating the player etc. const { status, error } = useEvent(player, 'statusChange', { status: player.status }); // Rest of the component...
useEventListener hook
Built around the Player.addListener and Player.removeListener methods, creates an event listener with automatic cleanup.
import { useEventListener } from 'expo'; // ...Other imports, definition of the component, creating the player etc. useEventListener(player, 'statusChange', ({ status, error }) => { setPlayerStatus(status); setPlayerError(error); console.log('Player status changed: ', status); }); // Rest of the component...
Player.addListener method
Most flexible way to listen to events, but requires manual cleanup and more boilerplate code.
// ...Imports, definition of the component, creating the player etc. useEffect(() => { const subscription = player.addListener('statusChange', ({ status, error }) => { setPlayerStatus(status); setPlayerError(error); console.log('Player status changed: ', status); }); return () => { subscription.remove(); }; }, []); // Rest of the component...
Playing local media from the assets directory
expo-video supports playing local media loaded using the require function. You can use the result as a source directly, or assign it to the assetId parameter of a VideoSource if you also want to configure other properties.
import { VideoSource } from 'expo-video'; const assetId = require('./assets/bigbuckbunny.mp4'); const videoSource: VideoSource = { assetId, metadata: { title: 'Big Buck Bunny', artist: 'The Open Movie Project', }, }; const player1 = useVideoPlayer(assetId); // You can use the `asset` directly as a video source const player2 = useVideoPlayer(videoSource);
Preloading videos
While another video is playing, a video can be loaded before showing it in the view. This allows for quicker transitions between subsequent videos and a better user experience.
To preload a video, you have to create a VideoPlayer with a video source. Even when the player is not connected to a VideoView, it will fill the buffers. Once it is connected to the VideoView, it will be able to start playing without buffering.
In some cases, it is beneficial to preload a video later in the screen lifecycle. In that case, a VideoPlayer with a null source should be created. To start preloading, replace the player source with a video source using the replace() function.
Here is an example of how to preload a video:
import { useVideoPlayer, VideoView, VideoSource } from 'expo-video'; import { useState, useCallback } from 'react'; import { StyleSheet, Text, TouchableOpacity, View } from 'react-native'; const bigBuckBunnySource: VideoSource = 'https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/BigBuckBunny.mp4'; const elephantsDreamSource: VideoSource = 'https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/ElephantsDream.mp4'; export default function PreloadingVideoPlayerScreen() { const player1 = useVideoPlayer(bigBuckBunnySource, player => { player.play(); }); const player2 = useVideoPlayer(elephantsDreamSource, player => { player.currentTime = 20; }); const [currentPlayer, setCurrentPlayer] = useState(player1); const replacePlayer = useCallback(async () => { currentPlayer.pause(); if (currentPlayer === player1) { setCurrentPlayer(player2); player1.pause(); player2.play(); } else { setCurrentPlayer(player1); player2.pause(); player1.play(); } }, [player1, currentPlayer]); return ( <View style={styles.contentContainer}> <VideoView player={currentPlayer} style={styles.video} nativeControls={false} /> <TouchableOpacity style={styles.button} onPress={replacePlayer}> <Text style={styles.buttonText}>Replace Player</Text> </TouchableOpacity> </View> ); } const styles = StyleSheet.create({ contentContainer: { flex: 1, padding: 10, alignItems: 'center', justifyContent: 'center', paddingHorizontal: 50, }, button: { alignItems: 'center', justifyContent: 'center', borderRadius: 3, paddingVertical: 8, paddingHorizontal: 12, backgroundColor: '#4630ec', }, buttonText: { fontSize: 12, fontWeight: 'bold', color: '#eeeeee', textAlign: 'center', }, video: { width: 300, height: 168.75, marginVertical: 20, }, });
Using the VideoPlayer directly
In most cases, the useVideoPlayer hook should be used to create a VideoPlayer instance. It manages the player's lifecycle and ensures that it is properly disposed of when the component is unmounted. However, in some advanced use cases, it might be necessary to create a VideoPlayer that does not get automatically destroyed when the component is unmounted.
In those cases, the VideoPlayer can be created using the createVideoPlayer function. You need be aware of the risks that come with this approach, as it is your responsibility to call the release() method when the player is no longer needed. If not handled properly, this approach may lead to memory leaks.
import { createVideoPlayer } from 'expo-video'; const player = createVideoPlayer(videoSource);
On Android, mounting multipleVideoViewcomponents at the same time with the sameVideoPlayerinstance will not work due to a platform limitation.
API
import { VideoView, useVideoPlayer } from 'expo-video';
Component
Type: React.PureComponent<VideoViewProps>
boolean • Default: trueDetermines whether fullscreen mode is allowed or not.
booleanDetermines whether the player allows Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.
Note: The
supportsPictureInPictureproperty of the config plugin has to be configured for the PiP to work.
boolean • Default: trueSpecifies whether to perform video frame analysis (Live Text in videos). Check official Apple documentation for more details.
VideoContentFit • Default: 'contain'Describes how the video should be scaled to fit in the container.
Options are 'contain', 'cover', and 'fill'.
{
dx: number,
dy: number
}Determines the position offset of the video inside the container.
boolean • Default: trueDetermines whether native controls should be displayed or not.
() => voidA callback to call after the video player enters fullscreen mode.
() => voidA callback to call after the video player exits fullscreen mode.
() => voidA callback to call after the video player enters Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.
() => voidA callback to call after the video player exits Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.
VideoPlayerA video player instance. Use useVideoPlayer() hook to create one.
boolean • Default: falseDetermines whether the player allows the user to skip media content.
boolean • Default: trueDetermines whether the timecodes should be displayed or not.
boolean • Default: falseDetermines 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
supportsPictureInPictureproperty of the config plugin has to be configured for the PiP to work.
Component Methods
Enters fullscreen mode.
Promise<void>Exits fullscreen mode.
Promise<void>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
supportsPictureInPictureproperty of the config plugin has to be configured for the PiP to work.
Promise<void>Exits Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.
Promise<void>Hooks
| Parameter | 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.
VideoPlayerClasses
Type: Class extends SharedObject<VideoPlayerEvents>
A class that represents an instance of the video player.
VideoPlayer Properties
boolean • Default: trueDetermines whether the player should allow external playback.
AudioMixingMode • Default: 'auto'Determines how the player will interact with other audio playing in the system.
SubtitleTrack[]An array of subtitle tracks available for the current video.
numberFloat value indicating how far the player has buffered the video in seconds.
This value is 0 when the player has not buffered up to the current playback time. When it's impossible to determine the buffer state (for example, when the player isn't playing any media), this value is -1.
BufferOptionsSpecifies buffer options which will be used by the player when buffering the video.
You should provide a
BufferOptionsobject when setting this property. Setting individual buffer properties is not supported.
unionThe exact timestamp when the currently displayed video frame was sent from the server,
based on the EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME tag in the livestream metadata.
If this metadata is missing, this property will return null.
Acceptable values are: null | number
unionFloat value indicating the latency of the live stream in seconds.
If a livestream doesn't have the required metadata, this will return null.
Acceptable values are: null | number
numberFloat 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.
numberFloat value indicating the duration of the current video in seconds.
booleanBoolean value indicating whether the player is currently playing a live stream.
boolean • Default: falseDetermines whether the player should automatically replay after reaching the end of the video.
boolean • Default: falseBoolean value whether the player is currently muted.
Setting this property to true/false will mute/unmute the player.
number • Default: 1.0Float value between 0 and 16.0 indicating the current playback speed of the player.
booleanBoolean value whether the player is currently playing.
Use
playandpausemethods to control the playback.
boolean • Default: trueBoolean value indicating if the player should correct audio pitch when the playback speed changes.
boolean • Default: falseBoolean value determining whether the player should show the now playing notification.
VideoPlayerStatusIndicates the current status of the player.
boolean • Default: falseDetermines whether the player should continue playing after the app enters the background.
union • Default: nullSpecifies the subtitle track which is currently displayed by the player. null when no subtitles are displayed.
To ensure a valid subtitle track, always assign one of the subtitle tracks from the
availableSubtitleTracksarray.
Acceptable values are: null | SubtitleTrack
number • Default: 0Float value indicating the interval in seconds at which the player will emit the timeUpdate event.
When the value is equal to 0, the event will not be emitted.
VideoPlayer Methods
| Parameter | Type |
|---|---|
| times | number | number[] |
Generates thumbnails from the currently played asset. The thumbnails are references to native images,
thus they can be used as a source of the Image component from expo-image.
Promise<VideoThumbnail[]>Type: Class extends SharedRef<'image'>
Represents a video thumbnail that references a native image.
Instances of this class can be passed as a source to the Image component from expo-image.
VideoThumbnail Properties
Methods
| Parameter | Type |
|---|---|
| source | VideoSource |
Creates a direct instance of VideoPlayer that doesn't release automatically.
For most use cases you should use theuseVideoPlayerhook instead. See the Using the VideoPlayer Directly section for more details.
VideoPlayerReturns whether the current device supports Picture in Picture (PiP) mode.
Note: All major web browsers support Picture in Picture (PiP) mode except Firefox. For more information, see MDN web docs.
booleanA boolean which is true if the device supports PiP mode, and false otherwise.
Types
Literal Type: string
Specifies the audio mode that the player should use. Audio mode is set on per-app basis, if there are multiple players playing and
have different a AudioMode specified, the highest priority mode will be used. Priority order: 'doNotMix' > 'auto' > 'duckOthers' > 'mixWithOthers'.
mixWithOthers: The player will mix its audio output with other apps.duckOthers: The player will lower the volume of other apps if any of the active players is outputting audio.auto: The player will allow other apps to keep playing audio only when it is muted. On iOS it will always interrupt other apps whenshowNowPlayingNotificationistruedue to system requirements.doNotMix: The player will pause playback in other apps, even when it's muted.
On iOS, the Now Playing notification is dependent on the audio mode. If the audio mode is different from
doNotMixorautothis feature will not work.
Acceptable values are: 'mixWithOthers' | 'duckOthers' | 'auto' | 'doNotMix'
Specifies buffer options which will be used by the player when buffering the video.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| maxBufferBytes(optional) | number | null | Only for: Android The maximum number of bytes that the player can buffer from the network. When 0 the player will automatically decide appropriate buffer size. Default: 0 |
| minBufferForPlayback(optional) | number | Only for: Android Minimum duration of the buffer in seconds required to continue playing after the player has been paused or started buffering.
Default: 2 |
| preferredForwardBufferDuration(optional) | number | Only for: Android iOS The duration in seconds which determines how much media the player should buffer ahead of the current playback time. On iOS when set to Equivalent to Default: Android: 20, iOS: 0 |
| prioritizeTimeOverSizeThreshold(optional) | boolean | Only for: Android A Boolean value which determines whether the player should prioritize time over size when buffering media. Default: false |
| waitsToMinimizeStalling(optional) | boolean | Only for: iOS A Boolean value that indicates whether the player should automatically delay playback in order to minimize stalling. Equivalent to Default: true |
Specifies DRM options which will be used by the player while loading the video.
| Property | 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(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. |
Literal Type: string
Specifies which type of DRM to use:
- Android supports ClearKey, PlayReady and Widevine.
- iOS supports FairPlay.
Acceptable values are: 'clearkey' | 'fairplay' | 'playready' | 'widevine'
Data delivered with the mutedChange event.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| muted | boolean | Boolean value whether the player is currently muted. |
| oldMuted(optional) | boolean | Previous value of the |
Data delivered with the playbackRateChange event.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| oldPlaybackRate(optional) | number | Previous value of the |
| playbackRate | number | Float value indicating the current playback speed of the player. |
Contains information about any errors that the player encountered during the playback
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| message | string | - |
Data delivered with the playingChange event.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| isPlaying | boolean | Boolean value whether the player is currently playing. |
| oldIsPlaying(optional) | boolean | Previous value of the |
Data delivered with the sourceChange event.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| oldSource(optional) | VideoSource | Previous source of the player. |
| source | VideoSource | New source of the player. |
Data delivered with the statusChange event.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| error(optional) | PlayerError | Error object containing information about the error that occurred. |
| oldStatus(optional) | VideoPlayerStatus | Previous status of the player. |
| status | VideoPlayerStatus | New status of the player. |
Data delivered with the timeUpdate event, contains information about the current playback progress.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| bufferedPosition | number | Only for: Android iOS Float value indicating how far the player has buffered the video in seconds.
Same as the |
| currentLiveTimestamp | number | null | Only for: Android iOS The exact timestamp when the currently displayed video frame was sent from the server,
based on the |
| currentOffsetFromLive | number | null | Only for: Android iOS Float value indicating the latency of the live stream in seconds.
Same as the |
| currentTime | number | Float value indicating the current playback time in seconds. Same as the |
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'
Contains information that will be displayed in the now playing notification when the video is playing.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| artist(optional) | string | Only for: Android iOS Secondary text that will be displayed under the title. |
| artwork(optional) | string | Only for: Android iOS The uri of the video artwork. |
| title(optional) | string | Only for: Android iOS The title of the video. |
Handlers for events which can be emitted by the player.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| availableSubtitleTracksChange | (payload: AvailableSubtitleTracksChangeEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted when the available subtitle tracks change. |
| mutedChange | (payload: MutedChangeEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted when the |
| playbackRateChange | (payload: PlaybackRateChangeEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted when the |
| playingChange | (payload: PlayingChangeEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted when the player starts or stops playback. |
| playToEnd | () => void | Handler for an event emitted when the player plays to the end of the current source. |
| sourceChange | (payload: SourceChangeEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted when the current media source of the player changes. |
| statusChange | (payload: StatusChangeEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted when the status of the player changes. |
| subtitleTrackChange | (payload: SubtitleTrackChangeEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted when the current subtitle track changes. |
| timeUpdate | (payload: TimeUpdateEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted in a given interval specified by the |
| volumeChange | (payload: VolumeChangeEventPayload) => void | Handler for an event emitted when the |
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 sourcereadyToPlay: 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'
Type: string or number or null or object shaped as below:
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| assetId(optional) | number | The asset ID of a local video asset, acquired with the |
| 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.
|
| metadata(optional) | VideoMetadata | Only for: Android iOS Specifies information which will be displayed in the now playing notification. When undefined the player will display information contained in the video metadata. |
| uri(optional) | string | The URI of the video. This property is exclusive with the |
Data delivered with the volumeChange event.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| oldVolume(optional) | number | Previous value of the |
| volume | number | Float value indicating the current volume of the player. |