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Convert MOV to MP4 (iPhone videos)

Videos shot with an iPhone are saved as MOV. Depending on how you'll use them, a simple copy into an MP4 may be enough, or you may need to re-encode to H.264 so the video plays on every device.

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How to use it
 
  1. Install ffmpeg if you haven't already.
  2. Open a terminal in the folder containing your file.
  3. Copy the generated command, adjust the file names if needed, then run it.
  4. Open the resulting file to check the result.
  
HEVC or H.264?
 
Depending on the camera setting, an iPhone records in HEVC (H.265) or H.264. HEVC is smaller but doesn't play everywhere, especially on older PCs. Compatible mode converts to H.264 with a CRF of 20, which gives quality close to the original at the cost of a larger file.
 
Convert several files at once
 
On Linux or macOS, a loop in the terminal converts all the MOV files in the folder to MP4 using a fast copy:
for f in *.mov; do ffmpeg -i "$f" -c copy -movflags +faststart "${f%.mov}.mp4"; done
Frequently asked questions
 
What's the difference between MOV and MP4?
They are two similar containers. What determines compatibility is mainly the video codec inside (HEVC or H.264).
Why does Compatible mode take longer?
It decodes and then re-encodes the entire video, whereas copying simply copies the data.
The colors look dull after conversion. Why?
An HDR video converted to standard H.264 can lose some vibrancy, because the conversion to SDR requires extra processing. In that case, prefer copy mode or an HDR-capable player.
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