iPhone footage · the HEVC catch, solved
MOV to GIF
Most MOV files are iPhone footage, and most conversion problems are codec problems. Drop your clip below — if it loads, it converts; if not, the fix is one setting away.
MOV is a box, not a format
A .mov file tells you the container (Apple’s QuickTime), but the codec
inside decides whether any browser can open it. There are two common cases:
| Inside the MOV | Chrome / Firefox | Safari | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 / AVC (default on most iPhones and editors) | Decodes | Decodes | Decodes |
| HEVC / H.265 (“High Efficiency” on iPhones) | No* | Decodes | Yes, with hardware decoder |
*Chrome and Firefox deliberately skip software HEVC decoding; on machines with a hardware HEVC decoder, Chrome 107+ and Edge can play it. If your MOV loads here, great — if you see the load error, this is why.
The iPhone fix, in one setting
On the phone that recorded the clip: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. New clips are then recorded as H.264 and will convert anywhere. Clips already shot in HEVC can be re-exported from the Photos app (share → Save as New Clip via an editor, or use “Most Compatible” export in third-party apps) or converted with any H.264 encoder.
HDR: why washed-out colors happen
Newer iPhones record HDR (Dolby Vision) video by default on some models. Browsers tone-map HDR down to standard dynamic range frame by frame — highlights compress, contrast drops, and the GIF looks flatter than the original. Two ways out: turn off Settings → Camera → Record Video → HDR Video for future clips, or re-export existing clips to SDR in any editor before converting. The converter can only work with the frames the browser decodes, so fixing it at the source always beats fixing it here.
FAQ
Why won’t my MOV file load in the converter?
The MOV container is fine — the codec inside is the problem. Most failing MOVs are HEVC (H.265), which Chrome and Firefox cannot decode without hardware support. The error message above the tool means your browser tried and failed. Re-export as H.264, or change the iPhone camera setting described above and the same clip will load instantly.
Why do the colors in my GIF look washed out?
Your iPhone recorded HDR (Dolby Vision) video. The browser tone-maps HDR to standard dynamic range before each frame is captured, which flattens bright highlights and mutes contrast. Turn off “HDR video” in the camera formats setting, or re-export the clip through an editor in SDR, then convert again.
Can I convert a Live Photo or a slow-mo to GIF?
Yes — export it from the Photos app with “Save as Video” first; that produces a normal H.264 MOV (or MP4) that converts like any other clip. Slow-mo benefits from 15–20 fps output to keep the slowed action smooth.
Convert another format
- MP4 to GIF — the everyday case: phone clips, downloads, screen recordings.
- WebM to GIF — OBS captures, VP9/AV1 support, fps for text-heavy motion.
- Twitter video to GIF — land under X’s 15 MB GIF cap.
- How to convert a video to a GIF — the full walkthrough with per-platform settings.
Or head back to the video to GIF converter.