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MOV to MP4 converter

Convert MOV to MP4 in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I want MP4
Quality

Applies only when the video has to be re-encoded. A straight copy keeps the original quality.

Advanced 2
Always re-encode Rebuilds the picture as H.264 (VP9 for WebM) even when it could be copied. Fixes files that won’t play on older TVs and PCs.

Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B

Related conversions

Need it the other way round? Convert MP4 to MOV

Other ways to convert MOV

Convert other formats to MP4

Read more about the MOV format and the MP4 format, or see every video tool and all video conversions.

Should you convert MOV to MP4?

iPhone and Mac videos are MOV files, often in HEVC, which Windows PCs, Android phones and many upload forms can’t handle. MP4 plays everywhere.

Usually a quick, safe conversion. MP4 can carry H.264 or HEVC (H.265), which is what MOV files normally contain, so the video can often be copied across without re-encoding: fast, and with no loss at all.

MP4 also plays in far more places: every phone, browser, TV, editor, chat app and upload form.

MOV is Apple’s video container, usually H.264 or HEVC from an iPhone; MP4 is the video container that plays on everything, usually holding H.264 video and AAC audio. Use MP4 whenever a video has to be sent, uploaded or played somewhere you don’t control.

MOV and MP4 compared
Property MOV MP4
Usually contains H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio, or ProRes from editors H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio
Support Mainly an Apple format Opens everywhere
Plays on Apple devices and most editors; some Windows PCs, Android phones and upload forms struggle with it Every phone, browser, TV, editor, chat app and upload form
Best for Recording and editing video on Apple devices Sharing video anywhere
Introduced 1991 2003

How to convert MOV to MP4

  1. 01

    Add your MOV

    Drop your MOV video onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.

  2. 02

    Check the settings

    The output is already set to MP4. Change the quality if you want to; the defaults suit most files.

  3. 03

    Save the MP4

    Press convert and save the MP4. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when MOV becomes MP4

Often a straight copy

When the MOV holds H.264 or HEVC (H.265) video, the stream is moved into the MP4 container untouched, so the conversion takes seconds even for long files. If the codec inside is something MP4 can’t hold, the picture is re-encoded instead and you’ll see a progress bar that takes longer.

Expect a smaller file

MP4 usually stores the same content in less space than MOV. MOV: A minute of 4K iPhone video is roughly 170–400 MB. MP4: 1080p phone video runs roughly 60–130 MB a minute.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of MOV and MP4, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Video files are big, and uploading one just to change its container can take longer than the conversion itself. Your browser can read and write these formats, so the file never has to leave your device.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • About the MOV. A MOV from an iPhone is usually an ordinary H.264 or HEVC video that can move into MP4 without re-encoding; a MOV exported from an editor may be ProRes and ten times larger.
  • About the MP4. An MP4 that won’t play is rarely broken; it usually holds a newer codec such as HEVC or AV1 that the player doesn’t support.
  • MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM are handled by your browser’s own video engine, often with hardware help. AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG and the other older formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, and are slower.

Questions

Why won’t my iPhone MOV video play on Windows or Android?

Most iPhones record HEVC (H.265) video. Many Windows PCs and apps lack an HEVC decoder. Converting to an H.264 MP4 makes the video play on practically any device.

Does converting MOV to MP4 lose quality?

Not when the video can be copied, which is the case for most MOV files: the stream moves into MP4 untouched. If it has to be re-encoded, the default quality keeps the difference invisible.

Will a MP4 play on my phone?

MP4 opens everywhere: every phone, browser, TV, editor, chat app and upload form. Every device plays MP4: double-click it, or drag it into a browser tab.

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