How To Convert Video To Mp4 On Iphone

Most people consider MOV files to be an outdated and limited format today and prefer to use MP4 format video files instead. If you have a collection of MOV files, it's relatively easy to convert them quickly and easily to MP4 files on macOS. We've covered this below, using a variety of methods, so continue reading to learn how to do it.

Which Devices Use MOV Files?

Apple devices use the MOV format by default, which means if you record a video on your iPhone or iPad and transfer it to your computer, it'll be in the MOV format. This is fine if you want to play it on macOS since QuickTime natively supports MOV, but you'll have problems playing it on any other platform, such as on a Windows PC (without codecs) or on a smart TV.

You can change this default in your iPhone's settings and set it to record videos in MP4 format instead. Just go to Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible. But in the case that you have already recorded MOV files, you might not be able to play them on other devices.

If you have a Mac, you can easily use these different methods to convert these MOV into MP4 files.

1. How to Convert MOV to MP4 Files Using iMovie

The first app that you can use to convert your MOV files to MP4 files is Apple's proprietary movie editing software—iMovie. iMovie should have been installed on your Mac when you purchased it. If not, you can download it for free from the Mac App Store. iMovie currently supports macOS Big Sur and later, so make sure your system is compatible.

Once you've installed and launched iMovie, simply follow the steps below to convert the files:

From the top-left menu, select File > New Movie.
Click on the Import Media button. This will open the media browser, from where you can import media into iMovie.
Find and click on the file you want to convert, then click Import Selected in the bottom-right corner.
Now that the file has been imported, click on it, and a yellow box should appear around it. Now click File in the top menu, and select Share > File.
Adjust the export settings as required (we suggest a 1080p resolution for most uses). Click on Next, and then select a file name and location to save the converted file. You should see the export progress as a small circle in the top-right corner of iMovie. Once the export is finished, you'll see a desktop notification, and your video will have converted to an MP4 file.

The iMovie method to convert a MOV to an MP4 file is quite easy. However, it has its limitations of only converting one file at a time. If you want to convert multiple files together and save time, we recommend trying out the HandBrake method described below.

2. How to Convert MOV to MP4 Files Using HandBrake

HandBrake is a free and open-source tool that you can use to convert your file formats to high quality. The app basically functions as a video encoder and has many out-of-the-box presets that you can use for file conversions. You can it for free from the HandBrake website.

Once installed, launch HandBrake and follow the steps below to convert your MOV files to MP4:

From the top of the HandBrake window, select Open Source.
Select the file you want to convert.
Once the file opens up in HandBrake, choose the file format you want to convert it to from the Preset menu. Similarly, choose the exported file location from the Save As an option at the bottom of the window.
If you want to batch-convert files, select the Add to Queue option. Once the file has been added to the queue, simply open up and add another file to the queue using the steps above.
Once you've imported all of your files into HandBrake, click on the Start button to start the encoding.
The progress bar for the encodings will be visible at the bottom of the window. Once the conversions are done, you'll be able to view and use your newly encoded MP4 files.

The HandBrake method is beneficial for batch MOV to MP4 conversions on your Mac, as it allows you to import multiple files, add them to a queue and convert them together. This can save quite some time as compared to the individual file conversions using iMovie.

3. How to Convert MOV to MP4 Files Using Terminal

If you want an alternative to the traditional UI-based method, you can opt to use Terminal to convert MOV to MP4 files on your Mac instead. This method will more suit those who are used to the command line inputs.

This conversion method involves the use of the ffmpeg shell program that is available through HomeBrew in Terminal. HomeBrew is an open-source software package manager that can be installed on your Mac using Terminal.

Follow the steps below to install HomeBrew and use ffmpeg to convert MOV to MP4 files using Terminal on your Mac:

Open up Terminal on your Mac. You can do this from Finder > Applications > Utilities.

Enter the following codes to install HomeBrew:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

The process may take a few minutes to complete, depending on your internet connection. Type in your Mac user password to authenticate yourself and press Enter to install HomeBrew.
Once done, type in the following command to install the ffmpeg shell program:
```
brew install ffmpeg
```

Once the add on has installed, use the following command to convert files, replacing the file paths as needed:

ffmpeg -i              [path to input file]              -c:v copy -c:a copy              [path to output file].mp4

Make sure to replace the file addresses with the address for the input and output file respectively.
That's it. The video should convert quickly and be available to use.

It's Easiest to Convert Video Files at the Source

If you're facing troubles playing MOV files on a device, you can easily convert MOV files into MP4 files using the Mac methods detailed above. But the simplest solution would be to record in MP4 at the source directly. Since the video file format can be changed on most devices, try to change the recording settings to MP4 on your device. This will save you the time and hassle of having to deal with multiple file conversions.

How to Convert MOV to MP4: 9 Easy Ways

Use these browser and desktop apps to convert your MOV files to MP4s.