iPhone Videos Too Large? How to Record Smaller Video Files

Where the megabytes come from

• Resolution: 4K has four times the pixels of 1080p. For phones, social media and most screens, 1080p is indistinguishable after the platform compresses it.
• Frame rate: 60 fps roughly doubles the size of 30 fps. Keep 60 for sport and slow motion; use 30 for talking, tutorials and everyday clips.
• Format: H.264 files are nearly twice the size of HEVC at the same quality.
• Length: long rolling takes with nothing happening are the silent killer.

Set it once in the Camera app

Open Settings > Camera. Under Record Video choose 1080p at 30 fps, and under Formats choose High Efficiency. Those two changes cut the size of a typical clip by three quarters without a visible difference on a phone screen.

A recorder that keeps sizes sensible by default

Multi-mode Video Recorder records 1080p HEVC out of the box, at 30 frames per second, in horizontal, vertical or square frames. You can raise the frame rate or switch to H.264 in Settings when a project needs it, and the library shows the exact size of every recording in its info sheet, so you know what you are about to send.

1. Open the app's Settings and check Video format is High Efficiency.
2. Set the frame rate to 30 unless you need smooth motion.
3. Record, then open the clip in the library and check its size before saving or sharing.

Recording into the app's own library also keeps experiments and rehearsals out of Photos and iCloud until you decide which ones to keep.

When the video is already too big

• Trim the dead air in Photos; trimming is lossless and often halves the length.
• Send through WhatsApp or Messages, which compress for you, when quality is not critical.
• For email, upload to iCloud Drive or Google Drive and send a link instead of the file.
• Convert a 4K clip to 1080p in iMovie or an editor if you must keep a smaller copy.