How to convert a MOV video to MP4
MOV is Apple's video format, used by the iPhone, QuickTime and many cameras. It plays fine on a Mac, but on Windows, smart TVs, some websites and video editors it can cause trouble, especially when the video uses the HEVC codec.
This converter turns your MOV into an MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio, the most compatible combination there is: it plays in browsers, on phones, TVs and social networks.
Step by step
- Click Select file and choose the .mov video (up to 50 MB and 10 minutes).
- Check that Convert to shows MP4.
- Click Convert video to MP4 and keep the tab open; it can take up to two minutes.
- Download the MP4 and test it on the device you will use it on.
How the video is converted
The video is re-encoded to H.264 with a balanced quality setting, and the sound to 160 kbps AAC. The MP4 is also prepared to start playing while it downloads, which helps if you upload it to a website.
The first video track and first audio track are kept. Extra tracks, subtitles and metadata such as the iPhone's recording date and location are not carried into the MP4.
HDR videos and limits
Recent iPhones record HDR by default. The resulting MP4 is a standard 8-bit video, so the extra dynamic range is not kept and colours may look slightly different. To avoid this in future, you can turn off HDR video in the iPhone's camera settings.
Videos up to 10 minutes, 4K resolution and 50 MB are accepted. Since one minute of iPhone 4K footage usually exceeds 50 MB, long 4K clips may not fit.
Frequently asked questions
- Why won't my MOV play on Windows?
- Many iPhone MOV files use HEVC, which not every computer can decode. An H.264 MP4 plays almost everywhere.
- Is quality lost?
- The video is re-encoded, so there is a small loss, usually hard to see with the setting used.
- Is the recording date kept?
- No, the video's metadata is not copied into the MP4.
- What is the length limit?
- 10 minutes per video, up to 4K and 50 MB.
