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How to Play MKV Files on iPad

Josh Brown

Published: June 16, 2019

Updated: September 26, 2024

6 min read

Playing MKV on iPad is tricky, as Apple made this format "officially" unsupported. Nevertheless, a quick workaround exists to put MKV movies on the iPad.

There are plenty of third-party players inside the AppStore that will help you play MKV on iPad, but not natively, which sucks. Playing videos natively is always more convenient simply because Apple's native apps, in most cases, are great performers.

In this article, I'll share the simplest way to play MKV on an iPhone or iPad without using iTunes.

How to Convert MKV to MP4 for Your iPhone

WALTR PRO is a file transfer app for macOS and Windows that supports all generations of Apple devices. The drag-and-drop mechanic makes WALTR PRO incredibly easy to use, and its built-in converter allows you to play almost any kind of file on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod.

Check out what MacRumors had to say about WALTR.

Other essential features that WALTR holds:

Transfer MKV, AVI, MP4 for Natural playback of iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.
Drag & drop solution. (It doesn't get easier than this!)
Imported files appear directly in the native Videos app.
No need to launch iTunes for sync. WALTR does the dirty work for you.
The app name was inspired by Walter White from Breaking Bad

Take a look at it in action!

Now, let's get to the process.

Step 1. Download WALTR PRO & Install it on your Mac or PC.

Let's begin by downloading WALTR PRO. You can do it by clicking the direct download button below.

After downloading the .dmg file, open it and install Waltr.app into your "Applications" folder. If you're on a PC, simply launch the installation file, and go through the quick setup process.

Step 2. Launch WALTR PRO & connect the iPad to your Mac or PC.

After connecting your iPad, the app will recognize it and prompt with a pop-up window asking you to drop ANY media file into the drop-zone.

WALTR PRO can take any file and even multiple formats at the same time.

Step 3. Drop MKV movie into WALTR & sit back.

Locate your desired MKV movie and drop it into WALTR. You may also drop multiple files that Apple doesn’t naturally support.

WALTR will still sync them into your iPad for natural playback. In the highest quality possible.

After dropping the files, the progress will automatically start. You can sit back and wait for WALTR to do your dirty work.

It will pick up the best conversion settings (if needed) for the best quality your device can play. Simultaneously, it will sync your iPad without even having you touch iTunes. When WALTR transfers your file successfully, you will be notified with a ‘pleasant’ message.

It’s that simple! Just drag & drop. Nothing else. There are no third-party movie apps for iPads. No pop-up ads or crashes. You may now natively play MKV on your iPad using nothing more than your default movie player!

What are iPad Video Formats?

Now that you know how to put MKV files on the iPad, let me do a quick run-through of iPad video formats. iPad supports some of the most common formats, including MP4, M4V, MOV, MPEG-4, and M-JPEG.

M4V is a video format for iPad and iPhone developed by Apple to support many of its products. MP4 is one of the most popular video formats. Both formats share plenty of similarities with MKV.

In conclusion

MKV is widely used for ripping high-quality movie files. Unfortunately, users encounter the issue that this format is not as extensively supported as other formats.

Even though MKV has less compatibility, we consider it "better" as an all-around source.

WALTR PRO is the best help you can get if you want to watch videos on an iPad that initially used the MKV format. The simplicity of the process speaks for itself.

There is no need to worry about the format anymore because WALTR PRO will do everything to ensure that you have your movie on your device.

FAQ

How do I play MKV on iPad?

To play MKV files on an iPad, use WALTR PRO. It automatically converts and transfers MKV files, so they appear in the native Videos app on your iPad without needing a third-party player.

Can iPad play MKV files natively?

No, iPads don’t support MKV files natively. However, you can use WALTR PRO to convert MKV files to a compatible format for seamless playback in the native Videos app.

How to convert MKV to MP4 for iPad?

Use WALTR PRO to convert MKV to MP4. Just drag and drop the MKV file into the app, and it will automatically convert and transfer it to your iPad’s Videos app for native playback.

Is there an easy way to transfer MKV files to iPad without iTunes?

Yes, WALTR PRO lets you transfer MKV files to your iPad without using iTunes. Simply drag and drop the files into the app, and they’ll be converted and sent to your iPad.

What video formats does iPad support?

iPads support MP4, M4V, MOV, MPEG-4, and M-JPEG video formats. With WALTR PRO, you can easily convert and transfer unsupported formats like MKV for native playback.