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How to rotate a video in VLC

Rotate playback in a few clicks with Effects and Filters, save a rotated copy with Convert/Save, or skip the setup and rotate the file here.

Choose a video to rotate

Drop one here or choose one from your device.

Works withMP4MOVWebMMKVand more

Private: your video never leaves your device.

  1. 1Choose video
  2. 2Rotate
  3. 3Download

Quick answer: in VLC, go to Tools → Effects and Filters, open the Video Effects tab, then Geometry. Tick Transform, choose Rotate by 90 degrees (or 180 or 270), and close the window. The video turns immediately.

There's a catch: that only changes how VLC plays the video. The file itself stays sideways, so it will be wrong again in any other player or when you send it to someone. Saving a rotated video in VLC is possible, but it takes a detour through Convert/Save, explained below.

These steps are for VLC 3 on Windows and Linux. On a Mac, look for the same Geometry controls under Window → Video Effects. Labels can differ slightly between versions.

Rotate a video in VLC for playback

  1. Open the video

    Play the video in VLC.

  2. Open Effects and Filters

    Go to Tools → Effects and Filters, or press Ctrl+E.

  3. Go to Geometry

    Select the Video Effects tab, then the Geometry tab.

  4. Turn on Transform

    Tick Transform and choose Rotate by 90 degrees, Rotate by 180 degrees or Rotate by 270 degrees. Flip horizontally and Flip vertically are in the same list.

  5. Close the window

    Close the dialog. The video now plays rotated, in VLC only.

How to save a rotated video in VLC

To make the rotation permanent, VLC has to re-encode the video with its transformation filter switched on. It's fiddly, but it works:

  1. Go to Tools → Preferences and, at the bottom left, set Show settings to All.
  2. Open Video → Filters and tick Video transformation filter. Then expand Filters, select Transform, choose the rotation you need, and select Save.
  3. Go to Media → Convert / Save, add your video, and select Convert / Save.
  4. Pick a profile such as Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4) and select the wrench icon to edit it. On the Video codec tab, make sure Keep original video track is unticked. On its Filters tab, tick Video transformation filter, then save the profile.
  5. Choose a destination file name ending in .mp4 and select Start. Wait for the progress bar to finish.
  6. Go back to Preferences and untick Video transformation filter, or VLC may keep rotating the videos you play.

If the result still comes out sideways, check that the filter is ticked in both places and that the profile isn't keeping the original video track.

Limitations of rotating in VLC

  • Effects and Filters is playback only. Nothing is written to the file.
  • Saving means a full re-encode, which takes time and can cost some quality. Depending on the profile, the audio may be re-encoded too.
  • The settings are split between Preferences and the conversion profile, and they're easy to leave switched on by accident.
  • Transform only does 90° steps and flips. The separate Rotate option in the Geometry tab handles other angles during playback.
  • VLC's mobile apps are players and aren't designed for saving a rotated copy.

The quicker way to save a rotated video

If you just need the file the right way up, the tool at the top of this page takes three steps: drop the video in, press Left or Right until it's upright, then select Export video. For 90°, 180° and 270° turns with the default Expand canvas, it changes only the file's rotation flag, so there's no re-encode and no quality loss. VLC, like other modern players, reads that flag and shows the video upright.

You can flip a video here too, with a high-quality re-encode. Nothing is uploaded and there's no watermark. It works in modern browsers on phones too; see the guides for iPhone and Android. On Windows without VLC? See how to rotate a video in Windows.

VLC rotate video FAQ

Why does my video go back to sideways after rotating it in VLC?

Effects and Filters only changes playback in VLC. To keep the rotation, convert the file with the transformation filter enabled, or rotate it with the tool on this page.

How do I flip a video in VLC?

Go to Tools → Effects and Filters → Video Effects → Geometry, tick Transform, and choose Flip horizontally or Flip vertically. Like rotation, this is playback only unless you convert the file with the filter turned on.

How do I rotate a video in VLC by a custom angle?

Tick Rotate in the Geometry tab and drag the angle control. That is for playback, and odd angles leave the corners showing. To save a custom angle, use Fine angle in the tool above, with Fill or Blur corners.

Does VLC respect the rotation of phone videos?

Yes. Modern versions of VLC read the rotation flag that phone videos carry and show them upright. If a phone video still looks sideways in VLC, the flag itself is wrong; rotate it here to correct it.

Will saving a rotated video in VLC reduce quality?

It can, because VLC re-encodes the whole video. Quarter turns in the browser tool avoid that: only the rotation flag changes, so the video and audio are copied untouched.

Can I rotate a video in VLC on a Mac?

Yes, for playback: open Window → Video Effects, go to Geometry and tick Transform. Saving a copy goes through File → Convert / Stream, which is laid out differently from Windows, so the browser tool is often simpler.