Software & Apps Windows How to Rotate Videos in Windows Media Player Use VLC media player to fix your video's orientation by Scott Orgera Writer Scott Orgera is a former writer who covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications. our editorial process Facebook Twitter Scott Orgera Updated on July 29, 2020 reviewed by Kayla Dube Lifewire Tech Review Board Member Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies. our review board Article reviewed on May 13, 2020 Kayla Dube Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide Tweet Share Email Sometimes when you play videos taken with your phone on your PC, the video appears in the wrong orientation in Windows Media Player. The program doesn't offer a built-in way to rotate videos, so you'll need a separate tool to do the job. Here's how to rotate a video in Windows Media Player using a third-party media player tool called VLC. VLC is available on multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone). These instructions are specifically for Windows PCs. Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images How to Rotate a Video With VLC The VLC media player is a frequently updated program by an active open-source developer community. Download and install VLC for Windows from the VideoLAN website. To rotate videos using VLC: Open the VLC application, select Media > Open File, then choose the video you want to rotate. Select Tools > Effects and Filters. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+E to open the Adjustments and Effects window. In the Adjustments and Effects window, go to the Video Effects tab and select the Geometry tab. Select the Transform check box, then select the drop-down menu underneath and choose the option you want. The video automatically rotates as you make a selection. When you're satisfied with the rotation, select Save, then select Close to return to the main VLC interface. How to Save Your Rotated Video in VLC To save the rotated video in the appropriate format: Select Tools > Preferences. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+P to open the Advanced Preferences window. Go to the lower-left corner of the Advanced Preferences window and select All. Scroll down the left menu pane to the Stream output section, expand the Sout stream entry, then select Transcode. On the right side of the window, select the Rotate video filter check box, then select Save. Select Media > Convert/Save. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+R to open the Open Media window. In the Open Media window, select Add, choose the file you rotated, then select Convert/Save. In the Convert window, go to the Destination section, select Browse, then choose an existing file to overwrite or enter a new file name. Select Start to begin the conversion process and save the video file. Using an Online Video Rotator If you don't want to download and install an application to rotate videos, several online, ad-supported options are available, including: Video RotateRotate My VideoRotateVideo.orgOnline Convert Most of these cloud-based solutions have limitations, however, including the inability to rotate lengthy videos.