Android's Format Flexibility -- and Its Limits
Android is the more open of the two major mobile platforms, and that openness extends to file format support. Android handles a wider range of formats natively than iOS, and when it does not, the Play Store offers apps to fill virtually every gap. But "more flexible" does not mean "everything works." Certain video codecs fail to play in the default player, some document formats lack native viewer support, and audio files in niche formats may not appear in your music app.
The fragmentation that defines Android -- thousands of device manufacturers, dozens of OS versions in active use, custom skins and app bundles -- also affects format support. A Samsung Galaxy running One UI may handle different formats than a Pixel running stock Android or a Xiaomi device with MIUI. This guide focuses on what works across the Android ecosystem broadly, with notes on manufacturer-specific behaviors where they matter.
Whether you are converting files for playback on your Android phone, preparing files from your phone for sharing with others, or managing a cross-platform workflow between Android, Windows, and macOS, this guide covers the formats, tools, and techniques you need.
Video Formats on Android
What Android Plays Natively
Android's media framework (based on MediaCodec and ExoPlayer in modern versions) supports the most common video formats out of the box:
| Format / Codec | Native Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MP4 (H.264) | Full (all Android versions) | Universal, best compatibility |
| MP4 (H.265/HEVC) | Full (Android 5.0+) | Hardware decoding on most modern devices |
| WebM (VP8) | Full (Android 2.3+) | Google's open codec |
| WebM (VP9) | Full (Android 4.4+) | Common for YouTube |
| WebM/MP4 (AV1) | Partial (Android 10+, hardware varies) | Newest codec, growing support |
| 3GP | Full | Legacy mobile format |
| MKV (H.264/HEVC) | Partial (depends on manufacturer) | Some players handle it, others do not |
| MOV (H.264) | Partial | Often plays, but inconsistent |
| AVI | Partial (depends on codec) | Ancient format, variable support |
| WMV | No (native) | Requires third-party app |
| FLV | No (native) | Requires third-party app |
Converting Videos for Android
The safest target format is MP4 with H.264 encoding. It plays on every Android device ever made and provides the best balance of quality, compatibility, and file size. For newer devices where storage is a concern, H.265 (HEVC) produces smaller files at the same quality but requires Android 5.0 or later.
Conversion options:
- Online: Use our video converter from Chrome on your Android device. Upload the video, select MP4, and download the result.
- Desktop: Convert on a computer using HandBrake or FFmpeg before transferring to your phone.
- Android app: VLC for Android includes a basic conversion feature.
For specific conversion guides:
Pro Tip: If a video plays but has no audio, the issue is almost always the audio codec, not the video codec. Many MKV files use DTS or AC3 audio codecs that lack native Android support. Converting with our video converter and selecting AAC audio encoding solves this problem. MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is the combination that works everywhere.
Video Player Apps for Android
Instead of converting, you can install a player that handles more formats:
- VLC for Android (free, open-source): Plays virtually every format including MKV, AVI, WMV, FLV, and files with DTS/AC3 audio
- MX Player (free with ads): Strong codec support, hardware acceleration, subtitle handling
- mpv for Android (free, open-source): Lightweight, excellent format support
Audio Formats on Android
Android's audio format support is broad:
| Format | Native Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Full | Universal, every music app supports it |
| AAC / M4A | Full | Apple's format, fully supported on Android |
| OGG Vorbis | Full | Open-source, good quality |
| Opus | Full (Android 5.0+) | Excellent for voice and music |
| FLAC | Full (Android 3.1+) | Lossless, larger files |
| WAV | Full | Uncompressed, very large files |
| AMR | Full | Voice recording format |
| WMA | Partial (varies by manufacturer) | Samsung often supports it; stock Android may not |
| ALAC | Partial (Android 12+) | Apple Lossless, newer support |
| AIFF | No (native) | Convert to FLAC or WAV |
For unsupported audio formats, convert to MP3 (universal compatibility) or FLAC (lossless quality) using our audio converter.
Image Formats on Android
Android handles images well across the board:
- JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, BMP: Full native support in Gallery and all apps
- HEIC/HEIF: Supported since Android 9 (Pie); older devices may need conversion
- AVIF: Supported since Android 12; convert for older devices
- SVG: Displayed in Chrome; not in Gallery
- RAW (DNG): Viewable in Google Photos and Files; editing requires specialized apps
- TIFF: Limited support; convert to PNG or JPEG for viewing
For converting between image formats on Android, use the image converter in Chrome. For HEIC files from iPhone users, our guide on how to convert HEIC to JPG covers the workflow.
Document Formats on Android
Viewing and Editing
Google's built-in apps handle the most common document formats:
| Format | Viewer | Editor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive, Chrome | Google Drive (annotations) | Full support, most common | |
| DOCX/DOC | Google Docs, MS Word | Google Docs, MS Word | Good compatibility |
| XLSX/XLS | Google Sheets, MS Excel | Google Sheets, MS Excel | Complex formulas may differ |
| PPTX/PPT | Google Slides, MS PowerPoint | Google Slides, MS PowerPoint | Animations may not transfer |
| TXT | Any text editor | Any text editor | Universal |
| ODT/ODS/ODP | Google apps, LibreOffice Viewer | Google apps (converts) | OpenDocument formats |
| RTF | Google Docs | Google Docs (converts) | Basic formatting |
| Markdown (.md) | Via Markdown editors (Markor) | Markor, Obsidian | No native rendering |
| Pages (Apple) | Not supported | Not supported | Convert to DOCX or PDF |
For unsupported document formats, convert using the document converter in Chrome. DOCX is the best target for editable documents, and PDF is best for read-only sharing.
For converting legacy Word formats, see our guide on how to convert DOC to DOCX.
Pro Tip: If you receive Apple Pages, Numbers, or Keynote files from iOS users, ask them to export as DOCX/XLSX/PPTX from the iWork app before sending. If that is not possible, use the document converter to convert them. There is no native Android support for Apple's iWork formats, and third-party app support is unreliable.
Ebook Formats on Android
Android's ebook ecosystem is rich, thanks to the variety of available reading apps:
Google Play Books
Supports EPUB and PDF. You can upload personal EPUBs and PDFs to your Google Play Books library for reading across devices.
Kindle App
Supports AZW3, AZW, MOBI, and (recently) EPUB. Your Amazon purchases appear automatically.
Moon+ Reader / FBReader
These third-party apps support virtually every ebook format: EPUB, MOBI, FB2, CBR, CBZ, DJVU, and more. If you read ebooks in niche formats, these apps are essential.
For converting between ebook formats, use our ebook converter. For format comparisons, see our AZW3 vs EPUB vs MOBI guide and the best ebook format guide.
Android-Specific Conversion Apps
Several Android apps handle file conversion locally on your device:
File Converter (by Google Play)
A lightweight app that converts between common image, video, and audio formats using the device's hardware. Good for quick conversions when you do not have internet access.
VLC for Android
Beyond playing media, VLC can convert video and audio files. Go to the Media menu and select "Convert" to change formats.
Total Commander with Plugins
Total Commander (a file manager) supports conversion plugins that add format conversion capabilities. It is a power-user tool but very flexible.
Browser-Based Conversion
The simplest approach for most Android users: open Chrome, navigate to our video converter, image converter, audio converter, or document converter, and convert files directly. No app installation needed.
Transferring Files to and from Android
File format conversion often happens during transfer. Here are the common scenarios and best formats for each:
Receiving Files from iPhone Users
- HEIC photos: Most modern Android (9+) handles HEIC, but convert to JPEG if your device does not
- MOV videos: Convert to MP4 for reliable playback
- Pages/Numbers/Keynote: Ask for DOCX/XLSX/PPTX export, or convert with our tools
Sharing Files with iPhone Users
- Photos: JPEG works universally (Android's default camera format on most devices)
- Videos: MP4 (H.264) works on every platform
- Documents: PDF for read-only, DOCX for editable
Transferring from PC/Mac
- Music: MP3 and FLAC work on all Android devices; ALAC and AIFF need conversion
- Videos: MP4 (H.264/HEVC) is safest; convert MKV, AVI, and WMV before transfer
- Documents: PDF and DOCX are universal
For cross-platform file format guidance, see our file format compatibility guide and cloud storage file formats guide.
Automating Conversions with Tasker
Tasker, Android's powerful automation app, can trigger file conversions automatically:
Example: Auto-convert screenshots to JPEG
- Create a Tasker profile that monitors the Screenshots folder
- When a new PNG file appears, trigger a task
- The task uses Tasker's built-in image conversion or calls a conversion API
- The converted JPEG replaces or supplements the PNG
Example: Compress videos before upload
- Monitor the Camera/DCIM folder for new videos
- Trigger a compression task via FFmpeg (via Termux) or an API call
- Save the compressed version for upload
For more on automating conversion workflows, see our guide on how to automate file conversions.
Storage Optimization on Android
Android devices, especially those without expandable storage, benefit from format-aware storage management:
| File Type | Storage Impact | Optimization |
|---|---|---|
| 4K HEVC video (1 min) | ~300-500 MB | Compress or reduce to 1080p for older content |
| 1080p H.264 video (1 min) | ~100-150 MB | Good balance of quality and size |
| RAW photo (DNG) | ~25-50 MB | Convert to high-quality JPEG (~3-5 MB) |
| FLAC audio (1 album) | ~300-500 MB | Convert to 320 kbps MP3 (~100 MB) or use Opus |
| PDF (scanned document) | ~5-50 MB | Compress with our PDF compressor |
Wrapping Up
Android's open ecosystem provides broader native format support than iOS, but the fragmentation across manufacturers and OS versions means compatibility is never guaranteed. The practical approach:
- Use MP4 (H.264 + AAC) for video -- it works on every Android device
- Use JPEG for photos when sharing; HEIC for storage efficiency on newer devices
- Use MP3 or FLAC for audio depending on whether you prioritize size or quality
- Use PDF for read-only documents, DOCX for editable
- Install VLC for playing unsupported video formats without conversion
- Use browser-based tools for conversion when you do not want to install dedicated apps
Our conversion tools work in Chrome on Android, so you can convert video, audio, images, and documents directly from your phone. For an iOS-focused perspective, see our companion guide on how to convert files for iPhone and iPad.
