How can I make a looping animation with a background video component in Webflow that plays on mobile devices?

You want a looping background animation in Webflow that also plays properly on mobile devices. Here's exactly how you can set it up:

1. Add a Background Video Component

• Drag the Background Video element from the Add panel into your page.
• Upload your video (Webflow supports only .mp4 format for background videos).
• Background videos in Webflow automatically loop and are muted by default—both required for autoplay across devices.

2. Ensure Video Plays on Mobile

• Background Videos in Webflow do not autoplay on mobile initially by Webflow’s default setting to conserve bandwidth.
• Workarounds:
• Make the background video very short (a few seconds) and compressed to reduce file size.
• Use a looping Lottie animation instead if the video is mostly motion graphics. Lottie files are lightweight and autoplay reliably on mobile.
• Use custom video embed with a standard Video element (not Background Video) and configure mobile properties manually. However, this requires extra controls for play/pause/mute, which can complicate UX.

3. (Optional) Hide the Background Video on Mobile and Replace

• If playback issues persist, you can set the Background Video’s display to none on mobile breakpoints and replace it with an animated GIF or a static fallback image.
• Steps:
• Select the Background Video element.
• Go to Style Panel → Display Setting.
• Set Display: None for Tablet, Mobile Landscape, and Mobile Portrait breakpoints.
• Add an Image or GIF in place of the video for mobile only.

4. Important Limitations

• Webflow’s native Background Video component limits video file size to 30MB.
• There's no autoplay guarantee on all mobile browsers even if the video is small and muted—especially older Safari or Chrome versions.
• Alternative method: For more control, upload your video elsewhere (e.g., AWS, Vimeo Pro) and embed it manually with HTML Embed component, setting attributes like muted, autoplay, playsinline, and loop.

Summary

The Webflow Background Video component loops and autoplays on desktop by default, but mobile complexities may require using a lightweight video, switching to a Lottie animation, or hiding the video on mobile and using an alternate solution like an image or GIF. Always optimize your video size to under 30MB to ensure the best possible performance.