How To Compress A Video On Your iPhone (4 Different Ways)
Your iPhone’s video cameracan accomplish a lot, and take some pretty decent shots to boot, but quality video comes at a cost: File size. And the larger the file size, the more complicated your videos can be to handle.
On a base level, larger video files take up more space. If you store enough of them you’ll find yourself running out of room for them all (as well as any other files or apps you may want to keep on your phone). Beyond that, however, you may also need to consider file sizes to share your clips with anyone in the first place. Because different email services, social media platforms, and so on all have their own limitations when it comes to file sizes.
This is where video compression comes in, which metaphorically squeezes the video file down so that it takes up less storage space. The catch is that a reduction in file size also reduces the overall quality of the video. Depending on how you want the video to be viewed — a small phone screen, for example — this might not be an issue. Though if you need your video to look good on a large HD display you might want to consideralternative sharing methodsrather than compression.
Compressing in advance
The most direct way to reduce your iPhone videos' file size is to set them to record at a more space-friendly resolution from the start.
Be aware that the size of a given video will always be proportional to its resolution, so lower overall file sizes produce lower quality videos — though 720p (the lowest option) can still look decent enough depending on how you plan to use the clip.
Compress your videos with editing
Preemptive video compression won’t do you any good if you need to reduce the size of a video you’ve already taken, however, but if you don’t need the whole thing you’re able to still cut down on the size with some manual edits.
If you want to keep the full video intact but still need to reduce the file size, you should consider running it through avideo editing app.
Compression during export
Apple’s own video editor,iMovie, is relatively basic when compared to other unofficial offerings, but that doesn’t affect its ability to help with compression.
Be sure to tap the trash can icon at the bottom of the Project screen and delete the video project when finished, otherwise it will remain in iMovie indefinitely taking up storage space.
Third-party compression
Video Compressis a popular third-party app for the iPhone and iPad that’s specifically designed to compact your videos, from 360p up to 1080p Full HD, giving you control over both the resolution and bitrate.
you’re able to compress more than one video at a time by selecting multiple clips at the start, though Video Compress warns that you should avoid compressing “too many” (it doesn’t specify a number) all at once.
