Apple apps such as QuickTime Player, Photos, and Keynote work with many kinds of audio and video formats. Some apps prefer specific formats, but QuickTime movie files (.mov), most MPEG files (.mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .mp3, .mpg), some AVI and WAV files, and many other formats usually work in most apps without additional software.
WMV is not natively supported on Macs. To play WMV files on your Mac, install Switch – a multiformat player and encoder developed by Telestream. The software enables WMV playback on Mac computers. Alternatively, you can convert WMV to a compatible format, like MP4 or MOV.
- WMV files are a type of video file (usually containing audio) from Microsoft. These files can be played on a variety of video players on both Mac and PC machines. Some WMV files may have digital rights management (DRM) protection which prevents users from making unauthorized copies of files purchased in online stores.
- If you find out there are a lot of limitations of WMV and you are looking for a reliable WMV to MOV converter, this is the article you shouldn't miss.
Older or specialized media formats might not work in your app, because the format requires software designed to support it. If that happens, your app won't open the file or won't play back its audio or video.
How to search for an app that works with your file
You might already have an app that supports the format of your file. If you don't know which of your installed apps to try, your Mac might be able to suggest one:
Wmv File Converter
- Control-click (or right-click) the file in the Finder.
- From the shortcut menu that opens, choose Open With. You should see a submenu listing all of the other installed apps that your Mac thinks might be able to open the file.
Adobe media encoder 2017. If none of your installed apps can open the file, search the Internet or Mac App Store for apps that can play or convert the file:
How To Download A Wmv File On A Mac Laptop
- Include the name of the media format in your search. To find the format, select the file and press Command-I to open an Info window. The format might appear after the label Kind, such as ”Kind: Matroska Video File.”
- Include the filename extension in your search. The extension is the letters shown at the end of the file's name, such as .avi,.wmv, or .mkv.
Learn more
How To Download A Wmv File On A Mac Desktop
- QuickTime Player (version 10.0 and later) in OS X Mavericks through macOS Mojave converts legacy media files that use certain older or third-party compression formats.
- Learn about incompatible media in Final Cut Pro and iMovie.