How to convert a MOV video to MP4 on iPhone

MOV is Apple’s QuickTime container, and the iPhone camera has always used it. A container is only the wrapper; the actual picture is stored inside as video, usually HEVC or H.264. MP4 is a close relative of MOV: a different wrapper that many devices and websites treat as the default.

You can see which video format your camera uses in Settings, then Camera, then Formats. High Efficiency records HEVC, which gives smaller files. Most Compatible records H.264, which older players handle better. Either way, the file comes out as a .MOV.

Often not. Chat apps, email, YouTube, Instagram and most social sites accept an iPhone .MOV as it is. Before converting anything, work out which of these is really going wrong:

• A form or website only allows .mp4. This is a file-type rule, so a real MP4 solves it.
• The video will not play on a Windows PC, an older TV or an Android phone. Often the cause is the HEVC video inside, not the .MOV wrapper. Re-encoding to H.264 inside an MP4 fixes both.
• The file is too large. Converting alone does not shrink it. You need to re-encode at a lower resolution or bitrate, which is also what makes an MP4.

Changing the extension in the Files app changes only the name. The contents stay exactly as they were. Some players will open it anyway because both formats share a similar structure, but a website that checks the file will often still reject it, and the video inside may still be HEVC. Do not rely on it for something that matters, such as a job application or a school upload.

Photos and the share sheet do not let you choose a file format, so the practical routes are an app that re-encodes the clip or a computer. Here is the route on the phone itself, with Minivid:

1. 1Open Minivid and pick the video from your library.
2. 2On the settings screen, choose a preset. The estimated size of the result is shown before anything starts, and it updates as you change the settings.
3. 3Tap Compress and keep Minivid open while it runs.
4. 4On the result screen, tap Save to Photos to put the video back in your library, or tap Share and choose Save to Files to keep it as a file you can upload or send. Shared files are named minivid_ followed by a number, ending in .mp4.

The result is a new file; your original .MOV is never modified. Nothing is uploaded, because the video is encoded by the iPhone’s own hardware encoder, so it also works in airplane mode.

Two things to know. This is a re-encode, not a lossless copy of the old file in a new wrapper, so the picture can look slightly different, and the Keep Quality preset (part of Pro) stays closest to the original. And it is always an MP4: Minivid does not offer MOV output.

By default Minivid encodes H.264, which plays almost everywhere, including older Windows PCs, smart TVs and websites. That is the safe choice when you are not sure what the other person uses.

Pro adds HEVC, which makes a smaller file at similar quality, still inside an MP4. Use it for your own library or for recent devices, and stay with H.264 for a form, an old player or someone else’s computer.

In the free version, Minivid handles videos up to 100 MB and writes the result at up to 720p. That is enough for most forms and chat uploads. Pro removes both limits, so you can keep 1080p or 4K in the MP4, and it also adds the HEVC option.

If the video is longer than you need, trimming it in Photos first is free and reduces the size before you convert.

• A computer. A free desktop tool such as HandBrake can export MP4 from a .MOV you have copied across, and keeps more control over quality. It means moving the file off the phone first.
• Online converters. They work in Safari, but the video is uploaded to someone else’s server and most have a size limit, so be careful with anything private.
• Another video app. Many editors export MP4 by default. Check that the export is a real MP4 and see what the app does with your video and account before you use it.