Why iPhone videos do not play everywhere
MOV is Apple's QuickTime container. Since iOS 11 the video inside is usually HEVC (H.265), which saves space but needs a decoder that many devices and programs do not have. The MOV to MP4 converter re-encodes the video as H.264 with AAC sound, the most compatible combination there is.
How to convert
- Copy the video from your iPhone to your computer, or open this site in Safari on the iPhone.
- Open MOV to MP4 and drop in or choose the video.
- Click Convert and download the MP4.
The MP4 is prepared for fast start, so it begins playing online before it has fully downloaded.
Does it lose quality?
The video is re-encoded at high quality, so on a phone, laptop or TV it looks the same. The resolution and frame rate stay as recorded. The MP4 may be somewhat larger than the HEVC original, because H.264 is less efficient; that is the cost of playing everywhere.
Videos recorded in HDR (shown as HDR or Dolby Vision on the iPhone) are converted to standard video, and their colours can look a little flatter. To avoid this for new recordings, turn off HDR Video in Settings, Camera, Record Video.
Other useful conversions
- Need only the sound? MOV to MP3.
- Want a short looping clip for a chat or document? MOV to GIF.
Make your iPhone record more compatible video
In Settings, Camera, Formats, choose Most Compatible. New videos are recorded with H.264 and play on more devices, though they take more space on the phone.
Large videos
Long 4K videos can be bigger than the upload limit. Trim the video in the iPhone Photos app (Edit, then drag the ends of the timeline) to just the part you need before converting.