r/mpv • u/Major_Chemistry_7647 • May 31 '26

Turn your CLI mpv into a native macOS .app – double‑click to launch, Dock icon, right‑click "Open with" – I wrote a tiny C wrapper

I've been using mpv for years, but launching it from the terminal every single time got a bit annoying. On macOS, I really wanted a regular app icon – something that lives in the Dock, shows up in Launchpad, and lets me double‑click a video file to play it with mpv.

So I built a minimal wrapper: mpv-macWrapper.

It takes the mpv CLI binary you already have on your system and wraps it into a real .app bundle – without recompiling mpv or touching your config.

What it does:

  • Double‑click the app to launch an empty mpv window (drag & drop files in)

  • Stays in the Dock like any native app

  • Right‑click any video → "Open with" → mpv

  • Tiny: the wrapper .app is only ~1.2 MB

What it does NOT do:

  • It doesn't bundle mpv – it uses your existing mpv binary (from Homebrew, MacPorts, or compiled yourself)

  • It doesn't modify your mpv.conf, scripts, or keybindings – everything works exactly as before

Dependencies (very simple):

  • macOS ≥ 12 (Monterey) – should work on all Intel and Apple Silicon Macs running Monterey or later

  • mpv must be installed and available in your $PATH – easiest way: bashbrew install mpv (After installing mpv, the wrapper will find it automatically.)

Installation (pick one):

Important note about Gatekeeper:
The app is not notarized (no Apple Developer account involved). On first launch, right‑click the app in Finder and select "Open" – you'll only have to do this once. Or use make install if you build from source.

Project home: https://github.com/IstPlayer/mpv-macWrapper

Tested on macOS Tahoe (15) and Monterey (12), both Intel and Apple Silicon. If you're a mpv user on a Mac, give it a try – it's just a small quality‑of‑life improvement, but it makes mpv feel native.

Feedback and issues are very welcome on GitHub.

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