How and Why to Change the Video Quality on an iPhone

The iPhone’s camera is renowned for being one of the best in the smartphone industry, so the image and video quality are always top-notch. What you may not know, though, is that the iPhone camera allows you to change video quality from a range of different options.

Here’s a guide on how to change the video quality on your iPhone, and why you should consider doing so.

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How to Change the Video Quality From the Camera App

This method only works with the iPhone X or later. Different video qualities and frame rates are available for various iPhone models, so you may not have all of the options we mention, depending on your model.

Follow these steps to change video quality before recording:

1. Open the Camera app and swipe to switch to Video mode. This feature also works with Slo-Mo mode.
2. By default, the top-right corner of your screen will show HD 30. HD references the quality, while 30 refers to the frame rate, measured in frames per second (fps). A higher frame rate will result in a smoother video.
3. Tap on HD to switch between HD, 4K, HD (PAL), and 4K (PAL), depending on your iPhone model.
4. Tap on 30 to switch between different frame rates, usually 30, 60, or 24.

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If you don’t know what PAL is, it is a television video format used across the globe. This feature was released with iOS 14, and it allows you to shoot better with artificial lightning. To enable PAL format, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings and go to Camera.
2. Tap on Record Video.
3. Turn on the toggle next to Show PAL formats. You can’t switch between PAL formats by tapping in your Camera app, so you’ll have to opt for changing your settings as described below.

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How to Change the Video Quality From the Settings

Changing the video quality from the Settings app will give you a better idea of the pros and cons of different qualities and frames rates. Here are the steps to change the quality in Settings:

1. Open Settings and go to Camera.
2. Tap on Record Video.
3. You will see a list of different options showing different video qualities paired with different frame rates.

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If you don’t know which one to choose, don’t worry. A short guide is given right beneath, indicating how much storage space each will take up, along with the smoothness and resolution. Experiment with different options to find what you like best.

Why Would You Want to Change the Video Quality?

The most obvious reason would be to adapt to the style of video you’re shooting. For example, the descriptions in the Settings tell us that recording with 4K at 24 fps will result in a film-style video, while 40K at 60 fps will result in high resolution and a smoother effect.

If you’re not too concerned with video quality, you may want to reduce the quality to save on storage space. If you’re lacking in storage, you can also clean up your photos and videos.

However, it often makes more sense to opt for lower quality videos to reduce future file sizes. This will make an immense difference if you record frequently. Another advantage of reducing video quality is that you can transfer videos a lot quicker thanks to the smaller files.

Shoot Like a Pro by Choosing the Right iPhone Video Quality

You can increase or decrease the quality of a video before you hit record to pick the right option for the job. The Camera section in your Settings gives you a clear indication as to what may be the best choice for you. Then you can change the settings with a mere tap at any time.

That’s not all the iPhone’s camera can do. If you’re looking to perfect your film-quality videos, Cinematic Mode is definitely worth learning about.