How to compress videos on an iPhone without losing the original

Make new videos smaller

1. Open Settings, Camera, Formats and choose High Efficiency. HEVC files are about half the size of the older format at the same quality.
2. Open Settings, Camera, Record Video. 4K at 60 fps is about 400 MB a minute. 1080p at 30 fps is about 60 MB a minute. Choose the lowest setting you are happy to watch later.

This changes only what you record from now on.

Shrink the videos you already have

Photos cannot compress an existing video. Poof Pro can.

1. On Poof's Clean up tab, tap Big videos. It lists videos of 100 MB or more, biggest first.
2. Pick a video and choose a quality: High is 1080p, Medium is 720p, Low is 540p.
3. Poof estimates the result before it starts, then compresses on the device and shows the measured size before and after.
4. Watch the compressed copy, then choose Replace, free (the button shows the space it gives back), Save a copy, keep both, or Keep original. A replaced original moves to Recently Deleted and stays there 30 days.

If compressing would save almost nothing, Poof tells you and leaves the video alone.

Which quality to choose

• 1080p for anything you may watch on a TV or edit later.
• 720p for clips you only watch on the phone.
• 540p for long recordings kept as a record, such as lectures or screen recordings.

After compressing

The space comes back when the originals leave Recently Deleted. To free it now, open Photos, Utilities, Recently Deleted and tap Delete All.

Related guides

• iPhone storage full because of photos: what to clear first
• How to delete duplicate photos on an iPhone

Questions

Can the iPhone compress a video by itself?

Not an existing one. Photos has no compress option. You can lower the size of new recordings in Settings, Camera, Record Video, and choose High Efficiency under Formats.

How much space does compressing a video save?

It depends on the source. A 4K clip compressed to 1080p often drops to a quarter of its size. A clip that is already 1080p in HEVC may save very little, and Poof says so instead of compressing it.

Will I lose the original video?

Not until you approve it. Poof makes the compressed copy first, shows both sizes, lets you watch the copy, and only then offers to replace the original. The original then sits in Recently Deleted for 30 days.