Open source video player IINA 1.5 launches with biggest interface redesign in decade

Ten years after its humble beginnings in a university library, video player IINA has unveiled version 1.5, representing the most significant interface overhaul since the project's inception. The release, developed over nearly a year by the small maintenance team behind the open-source player, introduces fundamental changes to how users interact with the application while preserving its core philosophy of staying true to modern macOS design principles.

Among the headline features is the ability to freely resize the player window, a longstanding limitation that forced the interface to follow video aspect ratios. Users can now dock sidebars and controllers to create layouts reminiscent of traditional players like VLC, with both left and right panels available simultaneously. The update also includes a ground-up rewrite of the settings' window using Swift result builders, improved spacing for modern macOS aesthetics, and support for Apple's Liquid Glass effects on macOS 26 and 27. Additional enhancements include Live Text integration, a newly launched plugin store for community contributions, and a complete redesign of the iina.io website that removes ads and tracking in keeping with the app's privacy-first ethos.

On the technical front, IINA 1.5 updates its core dependencies to mpv 0.41.0 and FFmpeg 9.0.1, bringing enhanced codec support and performance optimizations. The release raises system requirements to macOS 11 Big Sur or later for Intel Macs and macOS 12 Monterey for Apple Silicon devices, with the team indicating further deprecation of older versions in future releases. Notable bug fixes address HDR tone mapping issues on SDR displays, crashes related to external monitor connections, and now playing metadata inconsistencies. Additional polish comes in the form of a revamped log viewer and playback history window, automatic parsing of pasted mpv options, and richer on-screen display elements including volume sliders and state-reflection buttons throughout the interface.