Convert MOV to MP4

MOV to MP4 in seconds – often without any quality loss

MOV is the video format of iPhones, iPads, Macs and QuickTime. It plays fine on Apple devices but can cause trouble elsewhere: some Windows apps, Android phones, smart TVs, video editors, upload forms and websites expect MP4. Fileopia's MOV to MP4 converter changes the format in your browser.

When the MOV already contains H.264 video – which is the case for many iPhone videos set to 'Most Compatible', screen recordings and camera files – the converter does not re-encode at all. It remuxes: it copies the existing video and audio streams from the MOV container into an MP4 container. That takes seconds even for long videos and is completely lossless. When the MOV uses a codec that MP4 players handle poorly (such as HEVC on older devices, or ProRes), it re-encodes to H.264 for maximum compatibility.

Because everything runs locally, there is nothing to upload – your 2 GB holiday video is converted as fast as your computer can read it, and it never leaves your device.

There is no account, no watermark and no daily limit. Convert a single clip from your phone or hundreds of videos from a camera card, and download the results straight to your device.

Features

• Lossless remux for H.264 MOV files – no re-encoding, no quality loss, very fast.
• Automatic re-encode to H.264 when needed.
• Resolution: keep, or downscale to 1080p, 720p or 480p.
• Quality presets if you want a smaller MP4.
• Keep or remove sound.
• Batch conversion: many MOVs at once.
• Also outputs WebM, MKV or MOV if you need another container.
• Large files: up to about 2 GB per file, limited by your device's memory.
• No upload: conversion starts instantly, at your device's speed.

How to convert MOV to MP4

• Drop one or more MOV files onto the page.
• Leave Quality on 'High quality' and Resolution on 'Keep' for a lossless copy.
• Make sure Format is MP4.
• Click Convert.
• Download the MP4 (or a ZIP for several files).

MOV vs MP4: what's the difference?

Both MOV and MP4 are containers – wrappers that hold video, audio, subtitles and metadata. MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) was actually based on Apple's QuickTime file format, so the two are close relatives with a very similar internal structure. The difference is mainly in compatibility and in which codecs are commonly used inside.

So converting MOV to MP4 does not inherently reduce quality. It only does if the video must be re-encoded – and then only slightly at the 'High quality' setting.

In everyday terms: if a friend can't open the video you sent, or a website rejects your upload, converting MOV to MP4 is almost always the fix. Nothing about the picture or the sound needs to change – only the wrapper that tells software how to read it. That is why a remux is both fast and lossless, and why it is the default whenever your MOV allows it.

Why iPhone videos are MOV

iPhones record in the MOV container. Since iOS 11, they use HEVC (H.265) by default ('High Efficiency' in Settings › Camera › Formats), which saves about half the space compared with H.264. HEVC is excellent but not supported everywhere – older Windows PCs, some Android phones, many smart TVs and various websites can't play it. If you choose 'Most Compatible' in the camera settings, the iPhone records H.264 instead, which can be remuxed to MP4 instantly. When you AirDrop or e-mail videos, iOS may also convert them automatically; files copied directly via cable or cloud usually stay as HEVC MOV.

Remux vs re-encode

Remuxing moves the compressed streams into a new container without touching them. It is fast (limited by disk speed), lossless and keeps the original file size. Re-encoding decodes every frame and compresses it again, which takes longer, slightly reduces quality and lets you change resolution, codec and size. Fileopia remuxes automatically when you keep 'High quality' and 'Keep' resolution and the video is already H.264; choosing a lower resolution or quality, or WebM output, triggers re-encoding.

Choosing settings

Common problems after converting

• The MP4 is the same size as the MOV. That is expected with a remux – the data is identical, only the container changed.
• It took longer than expected. The video needed re-encoding (for example HEVC or ProRes); speed depends on your device's hardware encoder.
• Colours look slightly different. HDR (Dolby Vision) iPhone videos are converted to standard dynamic range for compatibility.
• The browser says it can't encode. Use a current version of Chrome, Edge or Safari, which support WebCodecs.

Convert MOV to MP4 on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android

Mac: open this page in Safari or Chrome and drop the MOV from Finder or Photos (export the video from Photos first, or drag it out). Windows: drop MOV files copied from your iPhone via cable, iCloud for Windows or a USB stick. iPhone and iPad: open the page in Safari, tap the drop area, choose Photo Library and select videos; the MP4 is saved to Files. Android: if someone sent you a MOV file, open the page in Chrome and select the file from Downloads. Nothing needs to be installed on any platform.

Batch converting a whole folder

Select all your MOV files at once – for example everything copied from an iPhone camera roll – and drop them together. Each is converted with the same settings, and the MP4s are packed into one ZIP with the original file names. H.264 files are remuxed in seconds; HEVC files are re-encoded and take roughly as long as the video's duration on a typical laptop with hardware acceleration, often less.

Will my metadata be kept?

The video and audio streams, frame rate, resolution and orientation are preserved. Some Apple-specific metadata – Live Photo links, location and certain camera details – may not be carried over to the MP4 container, because MP4 players do not use them. If you need to keep location and date metadata for archiving, store the original MOV as well.

MOV, MP4 and social media

Most social networks and video platforms accept both MOV and MP4 uploads, but many web forms, learning platforms, CMSs and messaging apps accept only MP4, and some smart TVs and older media players refuse MOV files. Converting to MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio – the most universally compatible combination – avoids 'unsupported format' errors and the black-screen-with-sound problem that HEVC files cause on unsupported devices.

When to keep MOV

If you edit video in Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Premiere with ProRes footage, keep the MOV originals: ProRes is an editing codec designed for quality and fast scrubbing, not for distribution. Convert only the finished export to MP4 for sharing. Likewise, HDR iPhone footage is best kept in its original MOV if you want to preserve Dolby Vision for viewing on Apple devices.

Other containers

The same converter also changes MP4 to MOV, and outputs WebM (VP9 video, Opus audio) for the web or MKV (Matroska) for media servers like Plex and Jellyfin. MKV output keeps the original codecs where possible, so it is also a fast, lossless option. MTS and M2TS files from camcorders and TS recordings are accepted as input too.

Speed: what to expect

Real-time factors depend on your hardware encoder; recent Apple Silicon Macs, Intel and AMD laptops with integrated graphics, and current phones are fastest.

Understanding HEVC (H.265)

HEVC, or H.265, is the successor to H.264. It achieves similar quality at roughly half the bitrate, which is why Apple adopted it as the default for iPhone videos. The downside is compatibility: HEVC decoding requires newer hardware or licensed software, so Windows PCs without the HEVC extension, many Android phones before 2018, older TVs and a number of web services cannot play it. Converting to H.264 MP4 makes the video play everywhere at the cost of a larger file – typically 1.5–2× the size of the HEVC original at equivalent quality. If size matters, combine the conversion with 1080p or 720p resolution.

Frame rate and slow motion

The converter keeps the original frame rate: 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps videos stay that way, so motion looks identical. Slow-motion iPhone videos recorded at 120 or 240 fps are stored with special timing metadata that the Photos app uses to play them slowed down; after conversion, they generally play at normal speed in other players. If you want the slow-motion effect preserved, export the video from the Photos app first (which renders the slow-motion part) and convert the exported file.

Orientation, audio and subtitles

Portrait and landscape orientation is preserved, so vertical phone videos remain vertical. The main audio track is copied, or re-encoded to AAC when needed for MP4 compatibility. Multiple audio tracks and subtitle tracks found in some professional MOV files are not all carried over – only the primary video and audio track are converted – so check the output if your file has several languages.

Checklist before deleting the originals

• Play the MP4 from start to end, or at least check the beginning, middle and end.
• Verify the sound is in sync with the picture.
• Check the resolution and length in your file manager.
• Keep the original MOV if it contains HDR, ProRes or metadata you may need.
• Back up important videos before deleting anything.

Why convert in the browser instead of an app?

Desktop converters such as HandBrake, VLC or ffmpeg are powerful but must be downloaded, installed and configured, and their many options can be confusing when you just want an MP4. Online converters avoid the installation but upload your video to their servers – slow for large files, with size limits on free plans and your private videos stored, at least temporarily, elsewhere. Fileopia combines the advantages: nothing to install, nothing to upload, and a fast lossless path for files that only need a new container. It works on locked-down work computers, Chromebooks and phones alike.

Glossary

• Container: the file format that wraps video, audio and metadata – MOV, MP4, MKV, WebM.
• Codec: the compression method inside, such as H.264, HEVC or ProRes.
• Remux: moving streams into a new container without re-encoding – fast and lossless.
• Re-encode / transcode: decoding and compressing again, allowing changes to size and codec.
• HDR: high dynamic range; brighter highlights and wider colours, used by recent iPhones.
• ProRes: Apple's professional editing codec with very large files.
• Bitrate: data per second, which determines file size.

MOV to MP4 for video editors and presentations

Windows video editors, older versions of PowerPoint and many online editing tools handle MP4 with H.264 more reliably than MOV, especially HEVC MOV. Converting first avoids import errors, missing audio and stuttering playback. For PowerPoint, keep the resolution at 1080p and choose 'High quality'; for web-based editors with upload limits, 'Recommended' at 1080p or 720p keeps files manageable. After editing, export your finished project as MP4 for the widest compatibility when sharing or uploading.

Privacy

Every step happens inside your browser tab. The file is read from your disk, decoded and re-encoded on your own device using the browser's built-in media engine (WebCodecs and Web Audio) and WebAssembly, and the result goes straight to your downloads folder. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored on a server and there is no queue – so family videos, interviews, voice memos, meetings and unreleased content never leave your computer or phone. Large files are not slowed down by your upload speed either: a 1 GB video starts processing instantly instead of after a ten-minute upload.

Related tools

• Compress Video – shrink MP4 to a target size.
• MP4 to MP3 – extract the audio.
• Trim Video – cut the clip.
• Video to GIF – make a GIF.
• HEIC to JPG – convert iPhone photos.