Make Mac BetterHow to compress a video on a Mac
Videos from an iPhone or a screen recording are often too heavy to send. A Mac can shrink them without any website; the key is choosing the right resolution and format.
Step by step
QuickTime Player: export at a lower resolution
Open the video in QuickTime Player and choose File › Export As › 1080p, 720p or 480p. A video in 4K exported at 1080p usually takes up a fraction of the space and still looks good on a phone.
The Finder: encode selected files
Control-click one or more videos and choose Services (or Quick Actions) › Encode Selected Video Files. Choose a resolution and, for smaller files, HEVC.
iMovie: control quality
In iMovie, choose Share › File and lower the resolution or quality. Useful if you are also editing the video.
Check the result before sending
Compare the size in the Finder (⌘I) and play it. If it still doesn’t fit, export at a lower resolution or trim the parts you don’t need.
Which format makes the smallest file?
HEVC (H.265) usually takes up much less than H.264 at the same quality. Some older devices and websites only accept H.264; if the recipient can’t play it, export in H.264.
How do I compress many videos at once?
In Make Mac Better, Tools › Compress video processes batches in the background and leaves the results in a new folder; the originals are never touched. It also resizes, trims, removes audio and turns a clip into a GIF.
Why not use an online compressor?
You’d have to upload the whole video, which is slow, and send a personal file to an unknown server. Every method here works on your Mac without uploading anything.
My file is too big for email. What else can I do?
Mail can send large attachments with Mail Drop, and you can also send files directly from your phone to your Mac or between devices over Wi‑Fi.