Skip to main content

Convert HEVC to MP4

Turn HEVC (H.265) video into MP4 (H.264), which plays on any device. Your video is never sent anywhere.

  1. Choose a video

    Drop a video here, or

    Your video never leaves your device

  2. What do you want to do?

  3. How do you want to edit it?

    Pick as many as you like. Each one opens its own editing screen, and they are all applied in one pass at the end.

  4. Make the file

Four promises

No upload

Your video is handled only on your own device. It is never sent anywhere, so you can safely use it with work or school videos.

Just pick

Pick Discord as the place you are sending to, and the size and the picture quality are set for you. There is nothing complicated to set up.

No watermark

Nothing is stamped onto your video, and there is no limit on how many you make.

Picture quality like the pros

We use the numbers people use in video work. If the picture quality is going to drop a lot, we tell you before you save.

How to use it

  1. Press "Choose a video" and pick the video you want to convert.
  2. Check that the format says "MP4 (H.264)".
  3. Press "Compress and save".
  4. Open the saved MP4 on the device or in the app you want to watch it in.

Where HEVC gets in the way

HEVC (H.265) keeps quality at a smaller file size, and iPhones record in it by default. Plenty of software still refuses it.

  • Windows cannot play it out of the box; it needs a paid extension from the Microsoft Store (some PC makers provide a free version).
  • Older editing software, projectors and TVs often will not open it.
  • Upload destinations such as X reliably accept MP4 (H.264).

Converting to MP4 (H.264) solves all of this at once. There is more detail in when an iPhone video will not play on Windows.

What happens to the file

H.264 is the older method, so the file gets larger at the same quality — roughly 1.3 to 2 times. To keep it small, compress it at the same time and set a target size.

The conversion is set up not to throw away more quality than it has to, but it can never improve on the original, so keep your original file.

If it does not work

  • “Not supported” when you choose the file — your device cannot read HEVC. On Windows, install the extension or try another device.
  • It takes a while — HEVC is heavy to decode. A computer is faster than a phone.
  • The sound drifts out of sync — usually a problem in the original. Re-cutting it with edit the length sometimes fixes it.

Tips from the pros

  • HEVC looks good and stays small, but older devices and some editing software cannot open it. As H.264 it plays almost anywhere.
  • If you want it smaller at the same time, use "Make a video smaller" to pick where it is going or a size, then save.
  • Converting rebuilds the picture. It can never look better than what you started with.

Common questions

What is the difference between HEVC and MP4?

Both are containers. What differs is how the inside is made (the codec) and how many devices can play it. MP4 (H.264) plays on the most.

Does the picture quality drop?

It is rebuilt, so it drops a little. To keep it close to the original, use "Pick a quality" and choose "High".

Is the sound converted too?

Yes. The sound becomes AAC.

Does the file size change?

It depends on the format. If you want it smaller, use "Make a video smaller".

Some of my videos will not open.

Your device may not support that format. Try the newest version of Chrome or Safari.

Keep going with this video

Your video carries over. You do not have to choose it again.