How to Play Video from URL and Local Resource using VideoView in Android

In this blog post, you will learn how to create an Android app that plays videos from both an online URL and a local resource using VideoView. The post includes detailed explanations, project structure guidance, and beautifully highlighted code samples.

Project Structure Setup:

• Start a new project in Android Studio.
• To add local videos, create a directory: res/raw. If it doesn’t exist, right-click res → New → Android Resource Directory → choose raw.
• Add your local video file (e.g., cartoon.mp4) inside this raw folder.

1. XML Layout File: activity_video_view.xml

The XML defines a VideoView and two buttons, each responsible for playing video from URL and local resources.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:id="@+id/main"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:padding="16dp"
    tools:context=".VideoViewActivity">

    <VideoView
        android:id="@+id/videoView"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="300dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="16dp" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/buttonPlayUrl"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="▶ Play Video from URL"
        android:textSize="18sp"
        android:background="@android:color/holo_blue_light"
        android:textColor="@android:color/white"
        android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/buttonPlayLocal"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="▶ Play Video from Local"
        android:textSize="18sp"
        android:background="@android:color/holo_green_light"
        android:textColor="@android:color/white"/>

</LinearLayout>
    

2. Java Activity File: VideoViewActivity.java

This activity handles playback from both online and local sources, showing simple event listeners for each button.

package com.vipul.p6;

import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.MediaController;
import android.widget.VideoView;

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;

public class VideoViewActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    VideoView videoView;
    Button buttonPlayUrl, buttonPlayLocal;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_video_view);

        videoView = findViewById(R.id.videoView);
        buttonPlayUrl = findViewById(R.id.buttonPlayUrl);
        buttonPlayLocal = findViewById(R.id.buttonPlayLocal);

        buttonPlayUrl.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                Uri videoUri = Uri.parse("https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/ElephantsDream.mp4");
                videoView.setVideoURI(videoUri);
                videoView.start();
            }
        });

        buttonPlayLocal.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                Uri localUri = Uri.parse("android.resource://" + getPackageName() + "/" + R.raw.cartoon);
                videoView.setVideoURI(localUri);
                videoView.start();
            }
        });

        MediaController mediaController = new MediaController(this);
        videoView.setMediaController(mediaController);
        mediaController.setAnchorView(videoView);
    }
}
    

✅ Don’t forget to add permission in AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

That's it! 🎉 Try this code into your project, and you're ready to play videos from both URL and local files in Android.