Why iPhone videos are so large
iPhones often record in 4K, and a minute of 4K video can take a few hundred MB. That is far more than email, Discord or WhatsApp will accept. Pick the limit you need above, and the tool scales the video to fit while keeping as much detail as the limit allows.
HEVC and .MOV
By default an iPhone saves video as HEVC, also called H.265, in a .MOV file. HEVC is efficient, but some Windows PCs, older Android phones and many apps can't play it. mp4mini re-encodes it as H.264 in an .MP4 file, which plays nearly everywhere. If an iPhone video is already small enough, the tool offers to convert it anyway, so it opens for everyone.
To record H.264 from the start, open Settings > Camera > Formats on the iPhone and choose Most Compatible.
HDR video
Recent iPhones record HDR video. The MP4 from this tool is standard range, so bright highlights and colors can look a little flatter than they did on the iPhone. To record without HDR, turn off HDR Video in Settings > Camera > Record Video.
On the iPhone itself
- Open mp4mini.com in Safari.
- Tap Choose video and pick the clip from your library.
- Tap Compress. When it's done, tap Share to send it, or choose Save Video in the share sheet to put it back in Photos.
Questions
Does it keep the location?
No. Location and other details stored in the original aren't copied into the new file. That's deliberate: a video you send on shouldn't say where it was filmed. Photos may file the new copy under the day you made it.
Do portrait videos stay portrait?
Yes. The tool reads the rotation the iPhone stored and keeps the picture the right way up.
Can I do several videos at once?
One at a time for now.
Do I need to install an app?
No. It runs in Safari. Nothing is installed and nothing is uploaded.