Convert MOV to MP4 on a Mac
Short answer
Macs record .mov; most of the world expects .mp4. Both usually hold the same H.264 video, so this rewraps rather than re-encodes — lossless, and in seconds.
Drop a MOV here or choose a file
or drop your file here.
MOV · converted in your browser, never uploaded
Runs in your browser — your file is never uploaded.
QuickTime on macOS can export to MP4, but only via File → Export As, one file at a time, and it re-encodes on the way out — which costs you quality and minutes for a change that should be neither. The .mov your iPhone or QuickTime screen recording produces almost always already contains H.264 video and AAC audio, exactly what an MP4 holds.
So the honest conversion is to copy those streams into an MP4 container and change the extension. That is what happens here: no decoding, no re-compression, no quality loss, and it finishes about as fast as your Mac can write the file.
The one case that cannot be rewrapped is ProRes, the high-bitrate format Final Cut and some iPhone Pro capture modes produce. ProRes cannot live inside an MP4, so those files need a real re-encode — the video compressor handles that instead.
How to convert MOV to MP4 on a Mac
- 1Open this page in Safari or Chrome. There is nothing to download or install.
- 2Drag your .mov in from Finder. The file stays on your Mac — it is never uploaded.
- 3Convert. The streams are rewrapped into an MP4 container.
- 4Download the MP4. Same quality, universally playable.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert MOV to MP4 on a Mac without QuickTime?+
Use this page — drop the .mov in and download the MP4. Unlike QuickTime's Export As, it does not re-encode, so there is no quality loss and no wait.
Will it lose quality?+
No. The existing video and audio streams are copied into the MP4 container untouched, so the result matches your original exactly.
My file is ProRes and it failed — why?+
ProRes cannot be stored inside an MP4 container, so it cannot be rewrapped. That file needs a genuine re-encode; use the video compressor for it.