What is the shortcut to loop a video in QuickTime?
Option-Command-L turns Loop on or off for the movie in the front window. It does the same as View → Loop.
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How to loop a video on a Mac
QuickTime Player has a loop switch in its View menu. It repeats playback on your Mac only, so here is also how to save a copy that loops for everyone else.
To loop a video on a Mac, open it in QuickTime Player, choose View → Loop so a checkmark appears, and press play. The keyboard shortcut is Option-Command-L. The movie now restarts by itself every time it reaches the end, until you choose View → Loop again.
That switch only affects playback in QuickTime Player on your Mac. It is not saved into the movie, so if you send the file to someone, upload it or play it on a TV, it plays once. For that you need a copy with the repeats built in, which QuickTime Player can also make, more slowly, with Add Clip to End.
For a set number of repeats, an exact running time or a cleaner join, you can also loop the video in Safari or Chrome with loop.video, without uploading it anywhere.
Loop a video in QuickTime Player
Open the video in QuickTime Player
In Finder, double-click the movie. If another app opens it, Control-click the file, choose Open With and select QuickTime Player.
Choose View → Loop
In the menu bar, choose View → Loop so a checkmark appears next to it, or press Option-Command-L.
Press play
Click the Play button in the playback controls or press the Space bar. Press Command-F for full screen and Command-F or Esc to leave it.
Turn the loop off
Choose View → Loop again, or press Option-Command-L. The checkmark disappears and the movie plays once from then on.
Why the QuickTime loop does not travel with the file
The checkmark next to Loop is a setting for the window in front of you, not an edit. Saving or exporting the movie does not carry it across, and Apple’s guide describes it purely as continuous play. Anyone who opens the same file later sees it play once and stop.
- Fine for: reviewing a clip, running a video on your own display at an event, a reference loop while you draw or practise.
- Not enough for: a file to send, an upload to a website or social app, a USB stick for a TV, a background on another computer.
- QuickTime Player loops the whole movie. There is no setting to repeat only a section while leaving the rest in place.
Save a repeated copy with QuickTime Player
QuickTime Player can join clips end to end, and nothing stops you adding the same movie to itself. It works well for a handful of repeats; for dozens, it becomes tedious.
- Open the movie and choose View → Show Clips.
- With nothing selected, choose Edit → Add Clip to End, select the same movie and click Choose media.
- Repeat the previous step for each extra pass, then click Done.
- Choose File → Export As and pick a resolution no larger than the original. For 4K or 1080p, choose Greater Compatibility (H.264) under Format if the file is going to a Windows PC, a TV or an older device; Smaller File Size uses HEVC.
- Name the file, choose where to save it and click Save.
QuickTime Player always exports a .mov file, never an MP4, and the export is re-encoded. If a website or app insists on MP4, you will need another tool. iMovie can also repeat a clip on its timeline; see how to loop a video in iMovie.
Looping only part of the movie
Because Loop always covers the full movie, the way to repeat a short section is to cut the movie down to it first. Work on a copy so the original stays intact.
- Press Shift-Command-S to duplicate the movie, and work in the copy that opens.
- Choose Edit → Trim (Command-T), drag the yellow handles in the trimming bar around the section you want and click Trim.
- Turn on View → Loop and play it. Only the trimmed part repeats.
Everything outside the handles is removed from that copy, so keep the untrimmed original. On a long movie the trimming bar is compact and hard to set to an exact frame. To pick the frame precisely, or to save a file of just that section played several times, see how to loop part of a video.
Another option: loop.video in Safari or Chrome
loop.video runs in the browser on your Mac and reads the file locally, so nothing is uploaded and there is no account or watermark. It opens MOV, MP4 and WebM files where the browser can decode them; Chrome opens the widest range.
- Click Select video and pick the movie, or drag it onto Drop a video to loop.
- Choose Number of times for a fixed count, or Length to fill 30 seconds, an hour, or a Custom length up to three hours.
- Press F for Find the best loop, which looks for the start and end frames that join most closely, or choose Crossfade to dissolve the end into the start.
- Press Command-Return to export, then Download video. You get an MP4 with H.264 video and AAC sound.
Like QuickTime Player, it usually re-encodes; the original frames are copied only when the join is a Cut, Shape and Size are left as the original, Quality is Standard and the loop starts on a key frame. Animated WebP export works in Chrome but not Safari, and it cannot change playback speed. For more on counts, see repeat a video.
Looping videos on a Mac: common questions
Does QuickTime remember the loop when I save the video?
No. Loop is a playback setting in QuickTime Player only. The saved or exported file plays once in other apps and on other devices.
How do I make a video repeat 5 times in one file on a Mac?
In QuickTime Player, use View → Show Clips and Edit → Add Clip to End four times with the same movie, then File → Export As. Or set Number of times to 5 in loop.video.
Can QuickTime Player loop just part of a video?
Not directly; Loop always covers the whole movie. Duplicate the movie, use Edit → Trim on the copy to keep only the section you want, then turn on Loop.
Can QuickTime Player loop a video forever?
Yes, during playback. With Loop ticked the movie keeps restarting until you stop it, turn Loop off or close the window.
Can I export an MP4 loop from QuickTime Player?
No. QuickTime Player exports movies as .mov files using H.264 or HEVC. Many sites accept .mov, but if one requires MP4, use iMovie or a tool that exports MP4.
Does loop.video work in Safari on a Mac?
Yes, in current versions of Safari. MP4 and GIF export work there; animated WebP export needs Chrome. Your video stays on your Mac throughout.