Controlling Video Playback

Videos play in widescreen to take full advantage of the display.

The scrubber bar lets you skip to any point along the timeline. You can adjust the scrub rate by sliding your finger down as you drag the playhead along the scrubber bar.

The video playback screen showing a video that's playing. At the top of the screen from left to right are: the Done button, the scrubber bar showing how much of the video has been played and how much remains to be played, the playhead, and the Scale button. At the bottom of the screen from left to right are: the Restart/Rewind button, the Play/Pause button, and the Fast-forward button, with the Volume slider below the buttons.

Pause a video: 

Tap Pause icon, or press the center button on the iPhone headset (or the equivalent button on your Bluetooth headset).

Resume playback: 

Tap Play icon, or press the center button on the iPhone headset (or the equivalent button on your Bluetooth headset).

Raise or lower the volume: 

Drag the volume slider. You can also use the volume buttons on the iPhone headset (iPhone 3GS only).

Start a video over: 

Drag the playhead on the scrubber bar all the way to the left, or tap Rewind icon if the video doesn’t contain chapters.

Skip to the next chapter (if available): 

Tap Fast forward icon, or press the center button on the iPhone headset (or the equivalent button on your Bluetooth headset) twice quickly.

Go to the previous chapter (if available): 

Tap Rewind icon, or press the center button on the iPhone headset (or the equivalent button on your Bluetooth headset) three times quickly.

Start playing at a specific chapter (if available): 

Tap Chapter list icon, then choose a chapter from the list.

Rewind or fast-forward: 

Touch and hold Rewind icon or Fast forward icon.

Skip to any point in a video: 

Drag the playhead along the scrubber bar. Slide your finger down to adjust the scrub rate. The scrub rate becomes slower the farther down you slide your finger.

Stop watching a video before it finishes playing: 

Tap Done. Or press the Home Home button icon button.

Scale a video to fill the screen or fit to the screen: 

Tap Scale icon with arrows pointing outward to make the video fill the screen. Tap Scale icon with arrows pointing inward to make it fit the screen. You can also double-tap the video to toggle between fitting and filling the screen.

When you scale a video to fill the screen, the sides or top may be cropped from view. When you scale it to fit the screen, you may see black bars on the sides or above and below the video.

Select an alternate audio language (if available): 

Tap Language/subtitles icon, then choose a language from the Audio list.

Show or hide subtitles (if available): 

Tap Language/subtitles icon, then choose a language, or Off, from the Subtitles list.