How can we help?

Try these in order:

1. Open the video, tap More, then Decoder and switch between Hardware and Software. The software decoder handles almost every format.
2. If the file is in iCloud Drive, open it once in the Files app so it downloads to your iPhone.
3. Check the file isn't still copying, or damaged. Does it play on your computer?

Still stuck? Send us the file details and we'll look into it.

Check the ring/silent switch or Action button and the volume first. Then tap the waveform button in the player and pick another audio track: some MKV files have a silent or commentary track first. If the audio is in a format like DTS, switch to the Software decoder.

Tap the subtitles button in the player to choose a track. For a separate file, give it the same name as the video and put it in the same folder, for example Movie.mkv and Movie.srt (or Movie.en.srt). SRT and VTT files are supported.

In the subtitles panel, use Sync to move lines earlier or later. Change the size and color in Settings › Subtitles.

Picture in Picture works for MP4, MOV and M4V files using the hardware decoder. Make sure it's on in iOS Settings › General › Picture in Picture. MKV and AVI keep playing their sound in the background instead.

Fern Player remembers where you stopped and picks up from there. To start from the beginning, drag the timeline back to the start. Recent videos are in Continue Watching on the Videos tab.

Fern Player plays audio files you own: FLAC, MP3, M4A, AAC, OGG, WAV and more, from folders you add or files you send with Wi-Fi Transfer. Songs bought or streamed in Apple Music are protected and can't be played by other apps.

Songs keep playing with the screen locked. For videos, turn on Keep playing in the background in Settings so the sound carries on after you leave the app.

On Now Playing, open Equalizer and raise Volume boost, up to 200%. Turn it back down if you hear crackling.

Long-press any video or song in On My iPhone and choose Move to Private. Open the Private folder with Face ID or your iPhone passcode.

They are deleted with it. Private files live only inside Fern Player and are not uploaded anywhere. Move them out first (long-press, Move out of Private) if you plan to remove the app.

Allow Face ID for Fern Player in iOS Settings › Face ID & Passcode › Other Apps. If your iPhone has no passcode set, iOS has nothing to check against, so set one to lock the folder.

1. Your iPhone and computer must be on the same Wi-Fi network (not a guest network).
2. Keep the Wi-Fi Transfer screen open and your iPhone unlocked while you send.
3. Allow Local Network for Fern Player in iOS Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network.
4. Type the whole address, including the code at the end.

It runs only on your local network and only while the screen is open. Each session uses a new random code in the address, so someone on the same Wi-Fi can't guess it. Files go straight from your computer to your iPhone and never touch the internet.