How to Stop VLC Media Player Resizing Automatically

VLC automatically resizes according to the video resolution. If you don’t like this, here’s how to stop VLC from resizing automatically.

VLC is one of the best media players out there for Windows. In fact, I don’t think there is any other Windows application that can outperform VLC when it comes to file format support and media playback. I almost regularly use the VLC media player to play songs, videos, movies, etc.

Though VLC is pretty good at what it does, there is one thing that bugged me for a long time. i.e., the VLC window keeps resizing automatically every time the current video resolution. This can be a big annoying issue when enjoying a video playlist with different resolutions.

Now, this is not an issue for most people. However, as I said before, I watch a lot of media and not in a fully maximized or fullscreen window. Generally, I resize the media window and place it in a corner so that I can watch a video while doing other work.

Once I resize the VLC window, I like it to be that way. However, VLC automatically resizes the video due to an option enabled by default. So, if you are like me and don’t like VLC automatically resizing the window, you can change that behavior with just a couple of clicks.

Here is how to stop VLC auto-resizing in Windows.

Note: The steps shown below work the same in Windows 10 and 11.

Prevent VLC from Resizing Automatically

VLC has a ton of options. Unless you know where to look for it, it can be hard to find the option to stop VLC from automatically resizing according to the video resolution. Follow the below steps, and you are should be good.

1. Open the VLC media player application.
2. Click on “Tools.”
3. Choose the “Preferences” option.
4. Select “Interface” at the top.
5. Select the “Simple” option at the bottom left.
6. Uncheck the “Resize interface to video size” checkbox.
7. Click the “Save” button.
8. Relaunch the VLC media player.

Same steps with screenshots and a bit of detail:

1. First, search for VLC in the start menu and open it. You can also open any media file with the VLC media player.

2. After opening the VLC media player, go to the “Tools” > “Preferences” page. This is where you will find all the options to customize and configure the VLC media player. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + P to open the Preferences window.

3. In the preferences window, ensure that the “Simple” mode is selected under the “Show Settings” section. Next, uncheck the “Resize interface to video size” option. Click on the “Save” button to save the changes.

4. To apply the changes, restart the VLC media player.

That is all.

(Optional) Alternative Method

If the above method did not work for some reason or if you are looking for an alternative way, then follow along. VLC stores all its settings in a configuration file called “vlcrc.” All we have to do is modify a number in this file.

Warning: Before making changes to the file, I recommend creating a copy of the original file. This allows you to restore the file if something goes wrong.

1. To start, press Win + R, copy and paste the below folder path in the blank field and click on the “Ok” button.

%userprofile%/AppData/Roaming/VLC

2. Here, find the “vlcrc” file, right-click on it and select “Open with -> Notepad.”

3. In the notepad, we need to have the resizing option. So, press Ctrl + F, type “qt-video-autoresize” in the blank field, and click on the “Find Next” button.

4. After finding the “Resize interface to the native video size” option, replace “1” with “0” next to “qt-video-autoresize.” After changing, this is how it should look in the notepad.

5. To save the changes, go to the “File” tab and click on the “Save” option.

That is it. From now on, VLC will not resize according to the video resolution.

I hope this simple and easy VLC how-to guide helped you.

If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.

If you like this article, check out how to record the computer screen with VLC and how to rotate and save the video in VLC.