The quick way
Drop the MOV file on the converter below. MP4 is already selected as the output format, so the conversion starts right away and the progress bar shows how far it is. When it is done, click Download, or Download all as ZIP if you added several videos.
If the video inside is H.264, which is what iPhones record with the Most Compatible setting and what most cameras produce, the result is ready in a few seconds even for a 20 minute clip, because nothing is re-encoded. If it is HEVC, the video is re-encoded to H.264 with your device's hardware encoder, which takes longer but plays everywhere afterwards.
Try it here: MOV to MP4
Open the full tool pageMOV and MP4 are containers, the codec is what matters
MOV (Apple QuickTime) and MP4 are both containers: boxes that hold a video track, an audio track and some metadata. MP4 was developed from the QuickTime format, which is why they are so similar and why the same video can usually move from one to the other without being touched.
What decides whether a video plays is the codec inside. H.264 video with AAC audio plays on practically every phone, browser, TV and editing app made in the last fifteen years. HEVC (H.265) gives the same picture at roughly half the size, but Windows needs an extra codec package to play it, many older Android phones and TVs cannot decode it, and upload forms often reject it.
This is also why simply renaming a file from .mov to .mp4 is unreliable. Sometimes a player accepts it, but the codec has not changed, so an HEVC video still will not play where HEVC is not supported.
| Feature | MOV | MP4 |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Apple (QuickTime) | ISO standard, based on QuickTime |
| Typical video codec | H.264, HEVC or ProRes | H.264, sometimes HEVC |
| Plays on Windows by default | Usually, if H.264 | Yes, with H.264 |
| Accepted by upload forms | Often not | Almost always |
| Best for | Recording and editing on Apple devices | Sharing, websites, other platforms |
Why your iPhone videos are MOV, and which codec they use
iPhones always save video as MOV. The codec depends on Settings > Camera > Formats. With High Efficiency, the default on iPhones since 2017, video is recorded in HEVC. With Most Compatible, it is recorded in H.264. Some modes, such as 4K at 60 frames per second and HDR video, require High Efficiency.
If you mostly share videos with Windows users or upload them to forms, switching to Most Compatible avoids the problem for future recordings, at the cost of files about twice as large. If you prefer smaller files on the phone, keep High Efficiency and convert only the videos you need to share.
- Settings > Camera > Formats > High Efficiency: HEVC in MOV, smaller files, may need conversion
- Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible: H.264 in MOV, larger files, converts to MP4 instantly
- Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC > Automatic: the iPhone converts to a compatible format when you copy files to a computer by cable
Converting on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
The converter runs in current versions of Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox, so the steps are the same on every system. On Windows and Mac, drag the file from File Explorer or Finder onto the drop area. On an iPhone, open the page in Safari, tap the drop area and choose the video from your photo library or from Files; the MP4 is saved to Files when you download it. On Android, choose the video from your gallery or file manager.
Re-encoding HEVC needs a browser that can read HEVC. Safari and current Chrome and Edge on most computers can; if yours cannot, you will see a clear message and can try another browser. ProRes videos from iPhone Pro models and editing apps cannot be read by browsers at all; export them as H.264 from the editing app instead.
Keeping the quality
When the video is already H.264, the converter copies the compressed video and audio data bit for bit into the new container. The picture is identical to the original and the file size stays almost exactly the same.
When the video is HEVC, it has to be decoded and encoded again as H.264. The converter uses a high quality setting, so the difference is hard to see, but the MP4 is often noticeably larger than the MOV because H.264 needs more data for the same picture. If size matters, for example for email or a messaging app, run the result through a video compressor afterwards and choose 1080p or 720p.
Audio that is not AAC, for example uncompressed audio from some cameras, is converted to AAC. If you do not need the sound at all, turn on Remove audio before adding the file; the MP4 gets smaller.
Common problems
- The MP4 still does not play on an old TV: some older TVs only accept 1080p or lower. Compress the video to 1080p or 720p and try again.
- Conversion takes long: the video is HEVC and is being re-encoded. A minute of 4K video can take a minute or more on an older laptop; plug it in and keep the tab open.
- Your browser cannot read the video inside this file: the codec is not supported by this browser. Try Chrome or Edge, or Safari on a Mac.
- The video plays without sound: the original may use an audio format that could not be converted, in which case the tool says the audio was left out.
- The file is very large: the limit is your device's memory, not an upload limit. Close other tabs if a multi gigabyte file fails.