To convert MOV to MP4 without losing quality, change the container and copy the video inside it as it is. Most MOV files from iPhones and cameras already hold H.264 or H.265 video, which MP4 supports, so the conversion takes seconds and nothing is re-encoded. The JFDI file converter does this in your browser, with no upload and no file-size limit.
MOV and MP4 are wrappers, not formats
A video file is a container holding separate streams: video, sound, and sometimes subtitles and details such as the recording date. MOV is Apple’s QuickTime container; MP4 is the international standard container that was based on it. The video inside is usually compressed with a codec such as H.264 or H.265 (HEVC).
That’s why the same video can be a MOV or an MP4: the streams inside are identical, and only the packaging differs. Converting between them can be a simple repackage (called remuxing), which is lossless and fast, as long as the new container supports the codec.
Step by step
- Open the file converter and drop in your MOV files. You can add as many as you like.
- Under Video, choose MP4 in Convert to.
- Leave Quality on Same as the original. The converter copies the video and sound without re-encoding whenever it can.
- Press Convert, then Download, or Download all (ZIP) for several.
For very large files in Chrome or Edge on a computer, use Save into a folder… first. Each converted file is then written straight to disk as it’s made, rather than held in memory.
When the video has to be re-encoded
Sometimes copying isn’t enough:
- The video won’t play on an older TV or phone. iPhones set to High Efficiency record H.265 (HEVC), which some older devices can’t play. Set Video type to H.264, which plays on virtually everything. This re-encodes the video at high quality.
- You need a smaller file. Choose Medium or Small file, or Aim for a file size (for example 25 MB for email or 10 MB for Discord). If the first attempt comes out too big, it tries again a little smaller.
- You want to trim it. Set Start at and End at under Video.
Re-encoding uses your device’s own video hardware, the same chips that record and play video, so it’s quick. A minute of HD video typically takes well under a minute on a recent computer or phone.
The recording date and location
Most converters lose the date a video was recorded, so converted videos jump to “today” in your photo library. For MP4, MOV and M4A, the JFDI converter copies the recording date across, so converted phone videos stay in the right place.
Phones also store where a video was taken. The converter removes the location by default, which is what you want before posting a video publicly. If you’re archiving your own videos and want to keep it, untick Remove the location under More options.
Why not use an online converter?
Most online video converters upload your file to their servers, convert it there and let you download the result. That’s slow for big files, often capped at a size limit on free plans, and means your video sits on someone else’s server for a while. Converting in the browser avoids all three: the file never leaves your device, there’s no size limit beyond your device’s memory and storage, and there’s no queue.
Other options
- On a Mac, QuickTime Player’s File › Export As re-encodes to MOV, not MP4. The free app HandBrake converts to MP4 but always re-encodes.
- On an iPhone, set Settings › Camera › Formats to Most Compatible to record H.264 in future. Apple explains the options in Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices.
Common questions
Will I lose quality?
Not with Same as the original when the video can be copied across. Re-encoding (to H.264, or to make the file smaller) loses a little, though at high quality you’re unlikely to see it.
What about AVI or WMV?
Browsers can’t read those formats, so the converter can’t either. The free VLC player converts them to MP4.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in a current browser. A computer copes better with very long videos.