Choose what you actually need
If the video matters for editing, cropping or a large display later, keep a separate original. If you mainly watch it on your phone, a smaller version may suit you. There is no single quality setting that works for every recording.
Check faces, fine textures, fast movement and dark scenes when judging a smaller video. A lower file size is useful only if you are comfortable with the result.
Make a video smaller in Unclog
- Find the video. Open it from the storage map or ranked list and play it before deciding.
- Tap Make smaller. Choose from the supported quality options and compare the estimated sizes. An estimate is not the final file size.
- Let Unclog write the new version. It needs temporary free space; an iCloud-only original must download first.
- Confirm the replacement. Your original stays until you confirm its deletion. The result screen explains the smaller file and what happens to the original.
What stays, and what changesSound, date, location, favorite status and supported albums are retained. Lower resolution or frame rate reduces detail or smoothness. HDR stays HDR, but Dolby Vision’s additional metadata is not retained.
Make smaller supports compatible H.264 and HEVC videos. Slow-motion, Cinematic, spatial and ProRes videos are not supported; the app explains when it cannot convert a file.
An Apple alternative: iMovie
In iMovie, create a Movie project with your video, then choose Done → Share → Save or Share Video → Options. Select a lower resolution and save the export. Review the new copy before deciding whether to keep the original.
See Apple’s step-by-step iMovie compression guide. Available options depend on the device, software and source video.
Record smaller videos next time
Open Settings → Camera → Record Video and choose a resolution and frame rate that fit what you film. Higher resolutions and faster frame rates generally create larger files. This setting does not resize existing recordings.
A smaller video is only part of the story
The original may still occupy local storage in Recently Deleted. Also, a large iCloud original is not necessarily a large local file. Read why storage may not fall immediately before expecting the same saving on your iPhone and in iCloud.