iOS 16 Lets Third-Party Apps Using Apple's Video Player Offer a Playback Speed Menu - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 16 Lets Third-Party Apps Using Apple's Video Player Offer a Playback Speed Menu

Starting with iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and tvOS 16, apps using Apple's video player are able to offer a native playback speed menu. The feature is optional for developers, however, so the functionality may not be available in some apps.

ios 16 playback speed menu
Apple's default playback speed options are 0.5×, 1.0×, 1.25×, 1.5×, and 2.0×, but developers are able to modify the list of speeds.

In supported iPhone and iPad apps, the playback speed menu can be reached by tapping the icon with three dots surrounded by a circle. In supported Mac apps, the menu can be found by clicking on "»" and selecting Playback Speed. In supported Apple TV apps, there is a new timer icon for playback speed to the left of the subtitles icon.

tvos 16 playback speed menu
For developers, Apple says all apps using the new iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS SDKs will get this playback speed functionality automatically with no additional changes required. Developers wishing to disable the menu entirely can make use of new APIs added to AVPlayer, with more details available in this WWDC 2022 session video.

Some apps using a custom video player on iOS like YouTube already offer playback speed control, as do some Apple apps like the Developer app.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iphone 16e usb c feature

Apple Begins Selling a $419 iPhone

Monday July 6, 2026 6:29 am PDT by
Apple recently added the iPhone 16e to its refurbished store, with U.S. pricing starting as low as $419 for a model with 128GB of storage. Originally released in February 2025, the iPhone 16e is a lower-end device with a 6.1-inch OLED display, an A18 chip with 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence support, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, a 12-megapixel front camera, a USB-C port, an Action...
iphone 17 ceramic shield

iPhone 18 With 9GB RAM Still Won't Support Two New iOS 27 Features

Friday July 3, 2026 12:10 pm PDT by
The lower-end iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will be equipped with 9GB of RAM, up from 8GB in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a social media post, Kuo said the 1GB increase in RAM will ensure that Apple Intelligence features continue to run smoothly on the pair of devices. The higher-end iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra...
iPhone X 2022 Upload

'iPhone Ultra' Likely to 'Repeat the iPhone X Story' With Delayed Launch

Sunday July 5, 2026 10:28 am PDT by
Apple will likely "repeat the iPhone X story" by unveiling its foldable iPhone at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but starting foldable iPhone pre-orders at a later date, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo today said manufacturing challenges have limited early production of the foldable iPhone, which will reportedly be named iPhone Ultra. As a result, he...

Top Rated Comments

JosephAW Avatar
53 months ago
It would be nice to offer a rotation button even if your device is on locked rotation. :rolleyes:
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
53 months ago
Awesome I watch just about everything at 1.25x.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
53 months ago

It would be nice to offer a rotation button even if your device is on locked rotation. :rolleyes:
This! And let’s also add double tap the left or right side of the screen to jump 15s back or ahead.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheDailyApple Avatar
53 months ago
I always speed-up any videos that aren’t for entertainment purposes. People just speak too slowly. :D Which is why I typically prefer articles and written text.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
53 months ago
Nice. I hope Netflix gets it on tvOS.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
53 months ago
Interesting addition. Hope to see many apps supporting this later this year.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)