Andy Walker / Android Authority
VLC Player has been my go-to video app for years, dating back to the good ol’ Windows XP days. That loyalty progressed to Android, and I still use it across desktop and mobile for my video content needs. While it remains a powerful product, VLC often feels cumbersome when I crave simplicity. Why opt for a piledriver when you need a chisel?
I searched for a secondary player for more immediate video viewing tasks a few months ago and discovered Next Player. Although it’s not as feature-rich as VLC, this is to its benefit. I believe the veteran player could learn a lot from this underdog.
What is your preferred video player app on Android? 116 votes VLC Player 52 % Next Player 31 % My phone's default video player (mention the app in the comments). 8 % Another third-party app (mention the app in the comments). 9 %
Next Player excels in design and usability
Andy Walker / Android Authority
What Next Player lacks in features, it makes up for in design. It’s one of the most visually appealing Android apps I’ve used in ages, fully utilizing Material You and sensible element placements. The app offers two settings menus: one for home screen organization and another for additional tweaks and toggles. I’m never more than two screens away from the home screen, and since I’ve set up the environment to my liking, I rarely have to revisit these menus.
Its clean design initially attracted me, but Next Player’s strength is its straightforward functionality.
Its clean design initially attracted me, but Next Player’s strength is its straightforward functionality. The home screen’s organizational options are somewhat customizable, but it displays only folders containing supported content by default. This makes it easy to jump into a directory and start watching content immediately.
The video player itself is a core part of the video player experience, and I find Next’s interface much easier to use. While VLC often hides important icons behind an overflow menu, Next offers immediate access to core controls on the player screen.
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