A MOV file is the format Apple uses for QuickTime, and it is what many iPhones and Macs save by default. It plays perfectly on your own device, then refuses to open in a web form, a Windows player or a TV. MP4 is the fix, because almost everything can play it.
This page is a free MOV to MP4 converter that runs right in your browser. Your video is not uploaded, so a private family clip or a work recording stays on your computer. Below we explain what happens to your file, why iPhone clips take longer than Mac clips, and which settings to leave alone.
How to convert MOV to MP4 step by step
- Drop your MOV file onto the tool above. You can add several files and convert them in one go.
- The target is already set to MP4. Check the "Convert to" tiles if you want to confirm.
- Look at Quality. Balanced is the right choice for most clips.
- Keep "Keep the sound" switched on unless you want a silent video.
- Press Convert, then save the MP4. If you added several files, download them all as one zip.
That is all it takes to change a MOV file to MP4. The new file keeps your original name with an .mp4 ending. There is no account, no watermark and no limit on how many clips you convert, because video tools are not part of the free daily limit that applies to document conversions.
What is a MOV (QuickTime) file, and why convert it?
MOV is a container, a box that holds a picture track and a sound track. It was created for QuickTime, Apple's media system, and it is still the default for iPhone video, Mac screen recordings and many Apple editing apps. Inside the box, the picture is compressed with a codec, and that codec is what decides whether another device can play it.
MP4 is also a container, and it is far more widely accepted. Uploads to websites, messaging apps, smart TVs, game consoles and older Windows players expect it. Going from QuickTime to MP4 is a common step before you send a clip to someone who does not use Apple devices.
| MOV | MP4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Apple QuickTime | General use on any device |
| Typical source | iPhone, Mac, Apple editors | Cameras, phones, downloads, exports |
| Acceptance on upload forms | Often limited | Almost universal |
| Sound saved by this tool | Not applicable | AAC |
Will converting MOV to MP4 lose quality?
It depends on what is inside the MOV, and the tool works that out for you. There are two cases.
H.264 inside: a quick repackage
Many MOV files from Macs, and from some cameras and screen recorders, hold H.264 video. H.264 is also what MP4 uses, so the tool can lift the picture out of one box and drop it into the other without touching it. That is fast and loses no quality at all. When this happens, the Quality control shows the note "This video is copied as it is into the new format, so the quality does not change it."
HEVC inside: re-encoded once
Recent iPhone recordings are usually HEVC (also called H.265). To give you an MP4 that plays on the widest range of devices, the tool re-encodes the picture to H.264. This takes longer, and the file is compressed once more, so the Quality setting now matters. Balanced looks close to the original. Choose Best if you will edit the clip again, or Smaller if you only need to share it.
Each Quality option shows an estimated size, so you can see the difference before you start.
Convert MOV to MP4 on a Mac or Windows PC
On a Mac or a Windows PC, open this page in current Chrome, Edge or Firefox. There is nothing to install, and the steps are the same on both, so you convert MOV to MP4 on Windows exactly as you would on a Mac. Your file is never sent to a server, as explained on our privacy page.
For iPhone videos, copy the clip to the computer first, then drop it here like any other MOV. So to convert an iPhone video to MP4, the only extra step is getting it onto your computer.
| Control | What it does | Advice for MOV files |
|---|---|---|
| Convert to | Chooses MP4, WebM, MOV or MKV | Leave it on MP4 for this page |
| Quality | Smaller, Balanced or Best, with a size estimate | Balanced for sharing, Best for editing |
| Keep the sound | Keeps or removes the sound track | Leave on unless you want silence |
An H.264 MOV is normally quick to convert, with no size limit, because the picture is copied rather than decoded. An HEVC clip has to be decoded before it can be re-encoded. If your browser and computer can decode HEVC, it has no size limit either; if not, the conversion is slower and takes files up to 2 GB. Before you press Convert, the note beside the button says which applies: "Fast, on this device. Nothing uploaded" or "Slower for this file, on this device". Long 4K iPhone clips can take a while either way, because re-encoding is work for your processor.
- If the MP4 is still too large for an email or chat, shrink it with compress video.
- This tool does not make MP3 or WAV, so if you need just the sound, use Extract audio or MP4 to MP3, which also takes MOV files.
- If you need the opposite direction, see the MP4 to MOV page.
When should you convert MOV to MP4?
Not every MOV needs converting. If the clip only ever plays on your own iPhone, Mac or Apple editing app, leave it alone. It is worth the minute it takes to change MOV to MP4 when the file has to travel to somewhere that expects MP4.
- Sending a clip to someone on Windows or Android who cannot open it.
- Uploading to a website, a job application portal or a school system that lists MP4 as the accepted type.
- Playing a recording from a USB stick on a TV or a car screen.
- Embedding a video on a web page, where MP4 is the safe, familiar choice.
- Handing a screen recording from a Mac to a colleague who uses other software.
Once you have an MP4, you can go on to other jobs. Make it smaller with compress video, or turn a short moment into a looping picture with video to GIF. If the file is going the other way, into an Apple app that prefers QuickTime, use the MP4 to MOV page instead.
Keep the original
The tool never changes your source file. It writes a new MP4 beside it, so your original MOV stays exactly as it was. For clips you may want to edit again, keep the MOV and use the MP4 as your sharing copy.
Get your MP4 in a minute
To convert MOV to MP4, drop your file into the tool above, leave Quality on Balanced and press Convert. The MOV to MP4 converter is free, private and adds no watermark. Your original MOV is never touched, so you can always convert again with a different Quality if the first result is not quite right. Whether the clip came from an iPhone, a Mac screen recording or an editing app, the steps are the same, and the result is an MP4 that opens almost anywhere you send it.
For other formats, head back to the main convert video page.
