MOV to MP4
How to use
Converts MOV videos from iPhones and Macs to MP4, usually without re-encoding. Drop the MOV and download the MP4.
Step 1 of 4: Upload
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Step 1 of 4 · Upload
- 1Upload
- 2Options
- 3Convert
- 4Download
- Sharing iPhone videos with Android and Windows users
- Uploading Mac screen recordings to sites that reject MOV
- Playing camera footage on a smart TV that does not read MOV
- Importing clips into editors that prefer MP4
Container versus codec: why most MOV files convert in seconds
MOV and MP4 are both containers, boxes that hold a video stream, an audio stream and some timing information. The streams inside are what actually determine quality, and an iPhone or QuickTime MOV very often already contains H.264 video and AAC audio, which MP4 supports directly. When that is the case, the converter copies the streams into an MP4 box without decoding or re-encoding a single frame. The result is identical in quality, and the conversion takes about as long as copying the file.
Newer iPhones record in HEVC, also called H.265, by default. MP4 can hold HEVC too, but not every browser can decode it: Safari usually can, while Chrome on Windows often needs hardware support to do so. If the browser cannot read the video stream, the conversion stops with a message saying so, rather than producing a broken file.
Re-encoding only happens when you ask for it, by choosing a lower resolution or quality. It then uses the video encoder built into your browser, which is usually hardware accelerated, so a minute of 1080p video takes seconds rather than minutes. The clip stays on your device throughout, which matters for family videos and for recordings of work meetings alike.
Free and private. Everything runs on your own device, with no account and no uploads.
MOV is Apple's QuickTime container, used by iPhones, Macs and many cameras. Windows, Android, smart TVs and a lot of upload forms prefer MP4. The two containers are close relatives and usually hold the same H.264 or HEVC video and AAC audio, so converting MOV to MP4 is most often a lossless rewrap: the video data is copied, not re-encoded, and a long clip converts in seconds.
When the MOV holds H.264 or HEVC video that the MP4 can carry, yes: the video is copied untouched. It is only re-encoded if you change resolution or quality, or the codec cannot go into MP4.
Recent iPhones record HEVC. Copying HEVC into MP4 needs no decoding, but resizing or re-encoding it does, and Chrome can only decode HEVC on supported hardware. Keep settings at Original/High, or use Safari.
H.264 MP4 plays everywhere. HEVC MP4 plays on most recent devices, but some older Windows PCs need the HEVC extension from the Microsoft Store.
Slow-motion videos convert as recorded at their high frame rate. The video part of a Live Photo is a short MOV and converts like any other.
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Add the MOV file
Drop videos from an iPhone, Mac screen recording or camera. MKV works too.
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Keep quality on High
That lets compatible streams be copied without any quality loss.
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Optionally scale down
Choose 1080p or 720p if the file also needs to be smaller.
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Convert and download
You get a standard MP4 that plays almost everywhere.
- ·Set the iPhone camera to Most Compatible if you regularly need MP4 on non-Apple devices
- ·A container-only conversion keeps full quality: only lower resolution if you also need a smaller file
- ·For a very large recording, keep the tab in view until it finishes