How to View MOV Files on Your iPhone

By Alexander Poirier

Videos are loaded on the iPhone through the iTunes application.
i Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Every iPhone comes with the iPod application installed; it is loaded on the device at the factory and allows you to watch videos stored on the iPhone. Many videos are stored in the MOV file format. The iPhone does not natively support this format, but iTunes -- the iPhone's media management application -- can readily convert MOV files to a format that is compatible with the device.

Step 1

Double-click the iTunes icon to launch the application. Click the "File" tab and select "Add to Library." Locate the MOV file on your computer's hard drive, highlight it and click the "Choose" button to add the MOV file to the iTunes library.

Step 2

Click the "Movies" subheading under "Library." Click the "MOV" file in the Movies section to highlight it. Click the "Advanced" tab and select "Create iPod or iPhone Version" to convert the MOV file to a format compatible with the iPhone. Allow several minutes for the conversion process to finish.

Step 3

Connect the iPhone to your computer using the USB cable supplied with the phone. Drag the iPhone version of the MOV file that you created in Step 2 and drop it onto the iPhone's icon, under "Devices." Once the file has been copied, click the "Eject" icon to eject the iPhone from the computer.

Step 4

Tap the "iPod" icon on the iPhone's home screen. Tap the "Videos" tab on the bottom of the iPod application screen to view the videos stored on the device. Tap the iPhone version of the MOV file to view the file on the iPhone.

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