Convert MOV to MP4

Why convert MOV to MP4?

MP4 is the most widely supported video format. Converting from MOV fixes "unsupported file" errors on phones, social sites, presentation apps and video editors.

How the conversion works

QuickTime MOV files often already contain H.264 video. The tool first tries a fast, lossless remux that copies the streams straight into an MP4 container. If the codecs don't fit in an MP4, it re-encodes to H.264 video and AAC audio instead.

What is the difference between MOV and MP4?

MOV is Apple's QuickTime format. iPhone and iPad cameras use it, and so do Mac screen recordings and many editing apps. MP4 grew out of QuickTime, so the two formats are close relatives. Both can hold the same H.264 video and AAC audio. The real difference is support. Windows, Android, smart TVs, social networks and most upload forms expect MP4. Some of them reject a .mov file or can't preview it. Going from MOV to MP4 is often just a change of wrapper.

Why some MOV files convert in seconds

The MOV to MP4 converter first reads the codecs inside your file. If the video is H.264 and the audio is AAC or MP3, it copies both streams into the MP4 unchanged. This is called a remux. It finishes fast and the picture stays bit-for-bit identical. Newer iPhones set to High Efficiency record HEVC, also known as H.265. Editing apps may export ProRes. Those files are re-encoded to H.264. That takes longer and is a new lossy encode, but the MP4 then plays on older computers and TVs. Audio in any other codec is converted to AAC at 160 kbps.

How to convert MOV to MP4 on Windows, Mac or iPhone

The converter works the same in any current browser. Drop one or more .mov files, or on an iPhone tap the box and choose videos from your photo library. Press Convert all. Each file is checked, then remuxed or re-encoded, and you download the MP4s one by one or as a ZIP. Nothing is installed and the videos never leave your device.

Record iPhone videos that convert faster

If you often need MP4s from your iPhone, set the camera to record H.264 instead of HEVC. Those MOV files remux almost at once here. The trade-off is larger files on the phone.

• Open the Settings app and tap Camera.
• Tap Formats.
• Choose Most Compatible. New videos are recorded in H.264.

Encoding happens on your device

Video encoding runs in this browser tab, on your own device. There is no upload and no queue. Your device does all the work, so a large or long clip can take a minute or more.

Before you start

Input: MOV and QT. Output: MP4. The settings appear before anything runs, so you can check them first. Your original file is never changed.

Video work uses a lot of memory and CPU. Try a short clip first and check that the sound and playback work. On a phone, split large batches into smaller ones.

Keep the original until you have opened and checked the result. The work happens in this browser tab, so the size you can handle depends on your device's memory, your browser and the file itself.

How to convert MOV to MP4

1. Drop one or more .mov files into the converter above, or tap it to pick videos from your files or photo library.
2. Press Convert all. The tool checks each file and either remuxes it or re-encodes it to H.264 and AAC.
3. Watch the progress bar. Remuxes finish fast. Re-encodes depend on the clip length and your device.
4. Download each MP4, or download them all as a ZIP when several files are done.