What are iPhone Video Formats and How Adapt Other Formats for It

Finding out which video formats the iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone 13/12/11, XS, Pro/Max, etc. support is essential. Why? Thanks to its high-definition camera and sharp Retina display, the iPhone is one of the best portable devices for watching movies and taking videos.

But frequently, it either can not play your videos properly or will not play them at all. Most troubles with playback come because iPhone video formats that are not supported are the reason behind more than 90% of these kinds of issues. What video format does the iPhone utilize, then?

iPhone Supported Video Formats

There two sets of videos we gonna cover. The one you watch on your iPhone and the other one that you record with your iPhone.

What video formats can be played on iPhone?

The iPhone can play M-JEPG files with stereo audio in AVI format, as well as H.264 and MPEG-4 files with AAC audio in MP4, M4V, and MOV formats. To be more specific, they are:

• M4V, MP4, and MOV file formats are encoded with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo, and H.265/H.264 video up to 4K/60 fps and High Profile level 4.2.
• M4V, MP4, and MOV file formats are encoded with Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, PCM stereo audio;
• AVI file types are encoded with MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 480p/30 fps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, and stereo audio.

If you’re wondering how to work with formats, like swapping MOV to MP4 or even converting WMV to MP4 for compatibility, you can use tools like WALTR PRO, which quickly converts and transfers files.

What video formats does the iPhone use for recording?

• The video format that is recorded by the camera on iPhone models 6 and below is H264 MOV.
• You can select between H265 HEVC (High Efficiency) and H264 MOV (Most Compatible) for iPhone 7/7 plus and subsequent models (running iOS 11 and later).
• You can record in ProRes (HDR and SDR) for the iPhone 13 Pro/13 Pro Max (running iOS 15.1 or later).
• On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14, you can record in HEVC, H.264, and ProRes formats, as well as in Cinematic, Action, and Night modes. You can also capture time-lapse, slo-mo, and HDR videos.

To change the recording format, go to Settings > Camera > Formats, and choose between “High Efficiency” (HEVC) or “Most Compatible” (H.264 MOV). This helps optimize quality for how to add movies to Apple TV library and other streaming or sharing needs.

For further customization, you can learn how to add subtitles to a video on iPhone to make your video-watching experience even more enjoyable.

Important Note: iPhone users can adjust the default resolution and frame rate to 4K (30fps), 1080p HD (60fps), or 720p HD (30fps). This will not change the video codec that is currently selected.

Check out the comparison table for quick reference for iPhone models (from old to new ones) and video formats supported by them.

How to change iPhone video recording format?

To change the video recording format on your iPhone, follow these steps: navigate to Settings, then select Camera, and choose Formats. Here, you can decide between High Efficiency or Most Compatible.

Selecting the High-Efficiency option will enable video recording in the HEVC (H265) codec, resulting in MOV files for videos and HEIC files for photos taken with the camera. Alternatively, choosing the Most Compatible option will record videos using the H264 codec in MOV format, and photos will be saved as JPEGs.

Important Note: The High-Efficiency codec is mandatory for the quality of 4K with 60FPS and 1080P with 240FPS video recordings. 

To change the video format downloaded on your iPhone, such as WebM, MKV, AV1, AVI, FLV, and other formats, you'll need to export the videos from your iPhone to a computer, convert them, and then transfer them back to your iPhone.

Alternatively, you can install a media player app to play those formats directly on your iPhone. Some popular options include VLC for iOS, KMPlayer, and the in-app player in the Documents app.

How to Convert Any Video Format for iPhone Compatibility

If you have videos in unsupported formats like WebM, MKV, or AV1, you can convert them using best video converter tools, such as WALTR PRO. Simply export your video to a computer, convert it, and transfer it back to your iPhone. For example, if you want to transfer video from PC to iPhone, WALTR PRO handles the transfer and converts it to a compatible format.

Please take a quick look at how it works and see a follow-up guide on how to use it. Spoiler: It's super easy.

Thinking that you've already installed the app, let's proceed.

Using WALTR PRO for Seamless File Transfers

With WALTR PRO, you can bypass manual conversions and file compatibility issues. This app, available on Windows and Mac, allows you to drag and drop videos directly into the app, which then converts and transfers them to your iPhone in an Apple-compatible format. Whether it’s how to download movies on iPad or managing video formats, WALTR PRO simplifies the entire process.

Step 1. Launch the app & connect your device

You must activate a free trial to proceed and test it out fully. It's easily obtainable with your email on the app startup.

After you activated a free trial and connected your device you would see app interface close to the screenshot below.

Step 2. Drag & Drop the File into the App

Pick the file you want to transfer and move it into the app while you device is connected. That's it. Just wait the moment until the progress bar is filled and enjoy your movie or video in the compatible format on your device.

Little green checkmark would be lite when everything is done.

Conclusion

Hopefully you now know everything you wanted about iPhone video formats and how to navigate setting for them as well as convert any file into Apple compatible format.

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