How to convert MOV to MP4
- 1
Drop your MOV file into the converter above, or click to browse. Nothing is uploaded — the file stays on your device.
- 2
Adjust the settings (quality, resolution, and trim). Tip: Keep quality at 80 or above — MOV to MP4 conversion usually shrinks the file anyway, so there's no need to sacrifice quality for size.
- 3
Click “Convert to MP4”. The conversion runs locally in your browser — larger files take longer, and a progress bar keeps you posted.
- 4
Preview the result and hit Download to save your MP4 file.
Why convert MOV to MP4?
MOV is Apple's QuickTime container. Windows apps, Android phones, older smart TVs, and many websites either refuse MOV files outright or play them without sound. MP4 with H.264 video is the most universally supported video format in existence — converting means your video simply plays, everywhere.
Because MOV and MP4 are closely related containers carrying similar codecs, conversion at a high quality setting is visually indistinguishable from the original — and iPhone HEVC footage often comes out smaller as H.264 MP4 too.
MOV vs MP4 at a glance
| MOV | MP4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Video container (QuickTime) | Video container (H.264 + AAC) |
| Compression | Lossy (H.264/HEVC) | Lossy, very efficient |
| Audio | Yes (AAC/PCM) | Yes (AAC) |
| Compatibility | Excellent on Apple devices, patchy elsewhere | Universal — every device, browser, and editor |
| Best for | iPhone/Mac recording, Final Cut workflows | Sharing, social media, editing, playback anywhere |
About the formats
MOV Apple QuickTime Movie
MOV is Apple's QuickTime container, the default recording format on iPhones and Macs. It holds high-quality video (often H.264 or HEVC) and is excellent inside the Apple ecosystem, but Windows apps, Android devices, and many web platforms handle it poorly or not at all.
MP4 MPEG-4 Part 14
MP4 is the most widely supported video format in the world. Built on the H.264 codec with AAC audio, it plays on every phone, browser, TV, and editing app, and offers an excellent balance of quality and file size. When in doubt, MP4 is the safe choice for sharing video.
Frequently asked questions
Will converting MOV to MP4 lose quality?
At the default quality setting the difference is visually imperceptible. MOV and MP4 are both containers for similar video codecs, so this conversion re-encodes with H.264 at a quality level you control — at 80+ you won't see a difference.
Can I convert iPhone videos (HEVC/H.265)?
Yes. iPhone MOV files recorded in High Efficiency (HEVC) format are decoded and re-encoded as standard H.264 MP4, which plays on Windows, Android, and older devices that can't handle HEVC.
Is this MOV to MP4 converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no watermarks, no sign-up, and no conversion limits. The tool is supported by ads on this page, so the converter itself never asks you for anything.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly (a browser build of FFmpeg). Your MOV file never leaves your device — nothing is uploaded, stored, or seen by us, which also makes it safe for private or confidential files.
Is there a file size limit?
There's no hard limit. Because conversion happens on your own device, the practical ceiling is your browser's memory — files up to a few hundred megabytes work well on most computers. Very large files may be slow or fail on low-memory devices.
Why does the first conversion take a moment to start?
The first time you convert, your browser downloads the conversion engine (about 31 MB) once. It's cached after that, so later conversions start instantly — and they keep working even offline.
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