How to compress video on iPhone without losing quality
· by Davyd Hruts
Re-encode the clip with HEVC at a sensible bitrate, keeping its resolution, or step it down from 4K to 1080p if it will only ever be watched on a phone or a TV across the room. A balanced re-encode is hard to tell apart on a phone and often halves a 4K clip. Keep the original until you have watched the result.
How much space video takes
| Setting | Per minute |
|---|---|
| 720p HD at 30 fps | about 45 MB |
| 1080p HD at 30 fps | about 60 MB |
| 1080p HD at 60 fps | about 90 MB |
| 4K at 30 fps | about 170 MB |
| 4K at 60 fps | about 400 MB |
Settings, Camera, Record Video shows these figures for your own phone.
Three ways to make a clip smaller
- Trim it. The cheapest compression is cutting the minute nobody will watch. Photos can trim, but it saves a trimmed version that still takes the original's full size until you choose Save as New Clip and delete the original.
- Re-encode it at the same resolution, at a lower bitrate. Most phone footage is recorded with more bitrate than the picture needs.
- Step down the resolution: 4K to 1080p saves the most, and for a clip of a birthday watched on a phone, it costs nothing visible.
Things that make a compressed video look worse
- Compressing the same clip twice. Always start from the original.
- Very low bitrates on fast motion, water or confetti: blocks appear first there.
- Dropping 60 fps footage to 30 for sport or a child running: keep 60 there.
Stop the problem at the source
Settings, Camera, Formats, High Efficiency records in HEVC, which is already about half the size of the old format. Settings, Camera, Record Video at 1080p 30 fps for everyday clips, and 4K only when you choose it.
Questions
Does compressing a video lower the resolution?
Not unless you choose a smaller size. Re-encoding at the same resolution only changes how efficiently the frames are stored.
Will a compressed video keep its date and location?
That depends on the tool. Many apps save a new file dated today. Check that the result sits next to the original in your library before you delete the original.