MOV to MP4 your iPhone video, ready for anything.
To convert MOV to MP4, choose the video from your iPhone, your camera or a Mac screen recording and click convert. Because MOV and MP4 are sibling formats, HEVC or H.264 video moves into MP4 in seconds, without recompressing. Only the PCM audio some cameras record is rewritten as AAC.
Free, no sign-upEverything fits MP4: we only swap the container. It takes seconds and the quality stays identical.
This video is HDR. When it is re-encoded, colors may look different from the original.
For Windows PCs without the HEVC extension, older TVs and iPhones or Macs without AV1. Takes longer.
How to turn a MOV into an MP4
- 01
Choose the .mov
Drag the video onto the area above or tap to choose it. On an iPhone the page opens your photo library; on a computer the video can come from AirDrop, iCloud or a cable.
- 02
Check the plan
For most MOV files the plan says copied without re-encoding. If the video is going to an older Windows PC, tick maximum compatibility to get H.264.
- 03
Download the MP4
The copy takes seconds. Watch the preview, check the report and download the .mp4 with the same name as the .mov.
Why does the iPhone record MOV instead of MP4?
MOV is Apple's QuickTime format, and MP4 was built on it: both store video the same way, in boxes with an index of the frames. That's why converting MOV to MP4 usually needs no recompression at all. We copy the picture and sound as they are and only swap the wrapper.
The codec inside the MOV depends on an iPhone setting under Settings, Camera, Formats. On High Efficiency, the default, video is recorded in HEVC (H.265), which takes about half the space. On Most Compatible, it's H.264. Either way the audio is AAC, and the MP4 is ready in seconds at the original quality.
Videos shot with the phone upright carry a rotation flag, and it goes into the MP4 too. A vertical video stays vertical.
| Where the MOV came from | What's inside | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone on High Efficiency | HEVC + AAC | Copy, in seconds |
| iPhone on Most Compatible | H.264 + AAC | Copy, in seconds |
| Mac screen recording | H.264 + AAC | Copy, in seconds |
| Camera with PCM audio | H.264 + PCM | Copy video, audio becomes AAC |
| iPhone Pro in ProRes | ProRes | Not supported |
iPhone MOV in HDR and ProRes: what happens?
From iPhone 12 onward, the camera records HDR by default: Dolby Vision with 10 bits and an HLG base, always in HEVC. When copied into MP4, the HDR color tags come along, so the video stays HDR on screens that show HDR. If the destination handles HDR poorly, as some editors and social apps do, turn off HDR Video under Settings, Camera, Record Video before your next recordings.
Pro iPhones can also record ProRes, an editing format with huge files: about 6 GB per minute in 4K. This page can't read ProRes and says so clearly, without producing a broken file. For that case, export the video as HEVC or H.264 from your editor, then convert it here if you still need to.
MOV that won't open on Windows, Android or in your editor
The problem is almost never the MOV itself, it's HEVC. The built-in apps on Windows 10 and 11 only play HEVC with the HEVC extension from the Microsoft Store, and older TVs and PCs may not play it at all. If that's your case, tick maximum compatibility: the video is re-encoded to H.264, which needs no extension. It takes longer and the file gets bigger, but it fixes the problem.
To send it on WhatsApp, post it on social media or open it in CapCut or Premiere Pro, the copied MP4 is usually enough. Recent Android phones and the most used browsers play HEVC with no extra step.
- iPhone video shot on Most Compatible is already H.264: the MP4 plays everywhere.
- Some cameras record MOV with uncompressed PCM audio; it becomes AAC and the file shrinks.
- If the MOV has several audio tracks, all of them go into the MP4.
More than MOV to MP4. Your phone video becomes text and clips.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert MOV to MP4 for free?
Choose the .mov file on this page and click convert MOV to MP4. For iPhone and Mac videos we copy the picture and sound without recompressing, and the MP4 is ready in seconds. It's free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no usage limit.
Does converting MOV to MP4 lose quality?
No, when the MOV holds HEVC or H.264, as iPhone videos do. We only swap the wrapper and the picture stays identical. Recompression only happens if you tick maximum compatibility to turn HEVC into H.264, or for the PCM audio of some cameras.
Can I convert MOV to MP4 on my iPhone?
Yes. Open this page on your iPhone, tap the upload area, pick the video from your library and download the MP4 at the end. The file goes to the Downloads folder in the Files app.
Why won't my iPhone video play on Windows?
Because the iPhone records HEVC by default, and the built-in Windows apps need the HEVC extension from the Microsoft Store to play it. Tick maximum compatibility and the MP4 comes out as H.264, which plays on any PC. For future recordings, the Most Compatible setting avoids the issue.
Does the MP4 stay HDR?
Yes. In a copy the HDR color tags come along, and HDR screens show the video as the iPhone did. If you tick maximum compatibility, the video is re-encoded and colors may shift; a warning appears before you convert.
Does it work with ProRes video?
No. ProRes is an editing format used by Pro iPhones and professional cameras, and this page can't read it. Export the video as HEVC or H.264 from your editor and convert it here if you still need to.
Your iPhone video as text and clips. No converting first.
Upload the MOV as it is. We transcribe it, find the best moments and deliver vertical captioned clips, ready to review and download.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.