Convert MOV to MP4
To convert a MOV to MP4, drop the .mov into the converter above and click Convert to MP4; the file downloads when it is ready. Because video re-encoding needs more than a browser can do for a large file, it is sent to our server over an encrypted connection, converted, and then deleted. The result is a standard MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio) that plays essentially everywhere.
Encrypted upload on an EU server, deleted within about an hour.
Drop your MOV hereChoose a MOV to convert
It becomes a MP4 right in your browser, up to 500 MB
Limits, published exactly
| Where it runs | On our server, over an encrypted connection; deleted within about an hour. |
|---|---|
| Free conversions | 2 per day without an account, 5 per day with a free account. |
| Max file size, free | 500 MB |
Why convert MOV to MP4?
MOV is Apple's QuickTime container and what an iPhone records by default. It plays fine on Apple devices, but the moment a clip leaves that world it hits friction: some Android phones, Windows players, web upload forms and editing tools either refuse it or stutter. MP4 with H.264 is the format the whole internet agrees on, so converting is what makes an iPhone video actually shareable, uploadable and editable anywhere.
What is MOV?
MOV is the QuickTime container Apple has shipped since the early 1990s and still records on iPhone and Mac today. Structurally it is the direct ancestor of MP4, usually carrying H.264 or HEVC video, but the .mov wrapper itself is what trips up Windows apps, Android phones and many upload forms. Rewrapping or transcoding to MP4 keeps the picture and makes the file land everywhere.
What is MP4?
MP4 is the default container of modern video: phones record into it, cameras export it, and every browser, TV and editing tool plays it, usually carrying H.264 video and AAC audio. Being a container, an MP4 is really a box around separate video and audio tracks, which is why useful conversions include not just other video formats but also pulling the audio track out on its own.
Quality and what to expect
The video is re-encoded to H.264 and the audio to AAC, the codec pair every browser, phone and editor supports. This is a re-encode, not a lossless container swap, so there is a small generational quality step at the default high-quality setting; in exchange the clip plays everywhere, which the source MOV may not. Dimensions are kept (nudged to even numbers, which H.264 requires), and the file is written with fast-start so it begins playing before it fully downloads. On privacy, this is a server conversion: the upload is encrypted, the input is deleted immediately after conversion and the MP4 within about an hour, and the dropzone marks it a server conversion before you start.
MOV to MP4 FAQ
Why does my iPhone record MOV instead of MP4?
QuickTime (.mov) is Apple's native container and integrates tightly with iOS and macOS. It is a fine format inside the Apple ecosystem; the trouble is only reach, which is exactly what converting to MP4 fixes.
Will the video lose quality?
There is a small, usually imperceptible loss because the video is re-encoded to H.264 at a high-quality setting, not copied losslessly. The trade is universal playback: a clip that stuttered or refused to open elsewhere now plays everywhere.
Is my video uploaded to a server?
Yes, this one has to be: re-encoding a large video cannot run in a browser. The MOV uploads over an encrypted connection, converts, and is deleted: the input immediately after conversion, the MP4 within about an hour. The dropzone labels it a server conversion before you start.
How large a file can I convert?
The server lane is built for the big files a browser cannot handle. Very long clips take real time to re-encode, since video is processed roughly in real time, so a multi-minute clip is not instant.