I recorded a long video on my iPhone, but it’s too large to send or upload anywhere. I need to reduce the file size without losing too much quality. What’s the easiest way to compress videos on an iPhone, and are there any free app recommendations?
Anyone Else Finally Winning the Battle Against iPhone Storage? I Might’ve Found a Cheat Code
Not long ago, I spent way too much time scrolling through my phone, desperately trying to find anything worth deleting. Every time I recorded a concert, filmed my dog being weird, or let Live Photos do its thing, my fancy iPhone would start nagging me about storage. Classic, right?
I Stumbled On a Free Solution (No, Really)
Hunting for answers, I downloaded too many “cleaner” apps. You know the type—promise the world, then hit you with ads, paywalls, or both every 30 seconds. Most of them were more annoying than actually helpful. Just as I was about to give up and pay Apple for more cloud space, I came across one that honestly shocked me: Clever Cleaner app for the iPhone.
How Did This Thing Go Under My Radar?
Let me set the scene. I downloaded it, expecting disappointment. But bam—no subscription screen, no ad pop-up. Just a simple toolbox. There’s a dedicated spot for compressing both Live Photos and videos (which, if you know Live Photos, are serious storage hogs). I shaved off gigabytes in, like, the time it takes to microwave a burrito. My camera roll hasn’t felt this light in ages.
Duplicates? Gone in a Flash.
If you’ve mistaken burst shots for art (guilty) and your albums are stuffed with lookalikes, this thing zaps duplicates fast. Like, it doesn’t make you scroll through a jungle of selfies and ask, “this one or that one?”—it just handles it.
Here’s the Proof (Screenshots, or It Didn’t Happen):
What’s the Catch?
Honestly, I kept waiting for the “Upgrade Now!” button, but nope—no banners, no limited free trial, and not even those sneaky “watch an ad to unlock.” No puzzle games popping up. It’s just…free.
So, Why Isn’t Everyone Talking About This?
Look, I know it almost sounds unreal, and I triple-checked the fine print for weird catches. So far, nothing fishy. I don’t know how long it’ll stay this way (these things tend to get popular and go premium real fast), but for now—the storage struggle is over.
TL;DR
If your iPhone storage woes are making you consider dramatic actions (factory reset, anyone?), just download Clever Cleaner app for the iPhone and fire up that compressor module. Might buy you a couple months before Apple finally gets your money for more iCloud.
Anyone else try it? Does it feel like cheating? Let me know if your phone stays clean, or if there’s something even better out there.
2 Likes
First off, totally get the pain. Just tried airdropping a 6-min video to a friend last week and got that “file too large” slap from iMessage. @mikeappsreviewer is pretty much the Marie Kondo of iPhone storage, but compressing videos? There are other routes if Clever Cleaner isn’t your thing, or you just want options.
iOS doesn’t give you an official built-in compressor (yeah, you’d think they’d have figured this out). If you want simple, you can always trim the video in the Photos app, but that’s a cop out if you want to keep the full thing.
For actual compression and control over quality, third-party apps are where it’s at—besides the highly-praised Clever Cleaner app. Something like “Video Compress – Shrink Vids” works, or “Compress Videos & Resize Video.” Both are free (with annoying ads, but that’s life). You pick your video, choose quality, compress, and voilà. Files smaller, often with only a slight dip in quality.
If you’re worried about messing up the original video, always keep a backup before compressing. I learned that the hard way. Dropped bitrate too low once—faces melted. Fun times.
Also, you can go third party, but if you’re sending via WhatsApp/Telegram, they compress automatically—just not always in a way you’d like.
And honestly, if you don’t want to bother with apps at all—upload uncompressed video to Google Drive or Dropbox, then send a link (dodging the headache altogether).
But yeah, the ultimate iPhone storage hack is trending now because it’s all-in-one, lets you batch compress, clear up duplicate nightmares, etc. If you like simple, it’s a win. I don’t think it’s cheating. But of course, every app eventually wants your cash, so use it while it’s still free and clean, unlike most on the App Store graveyard.
Anyway, if you find a cloud-free solution better than these—spill the tea. iPhone storage conspiracy is real.
Alright, let’s cut through the cloud-induced panic attacks and creative storage solutions for a sec. @mikeappsreviewer and @mike34 both make some solid points about going third-party or cloud if you’re in deep water, but man, isn’t it wild Apple still hasn’t given us a built-in video compressor in iOS? So classic.
Here’s the deal: If “easy” is your jam, don’t overthink it. The most hassle-free way right now really is an app that handles both video shrink and the random stuff hogging gigabytes in there. Not just because someone hyped it, but because it actually saves you time. I’ve done the “Video Compress & Resize Video” dance and sure, it works, but PREPARE for ads, severely basic interfaces, or random “premium” prompts that basically say “give us a tip or else.”
Not loving the cloud option either unless you like giving Big Tech yet another download of your 20-minute dog video. Privacy, anyone?
Honestly, the Clever Cleaner app gets talked about because it crams a lot–video compression, duplicate zapper, Live Photo shrinker–all under one roof, without radical quality loss. Hell, my phone started breathing easier after a batch compress. And before anyone calls this an ad, try looking at your storage stats after it works its magic. It’s free now, so milk it before it gets paywalled.
One catch no one’s mentioned—every compression loses some quality. You can fudge the settings but if you want crystal clear, you’ll need to keep those backups or suck it up and pay for that shiny iCloud. If you’re more hands-on, you COULD use a desktop app for granular control (HandBrake, anyone?), then Airdrop it back.
For anyone skeptical, see what’s up with streamlining your iPhone storage with Clever Cleaner and see if your “long video” nightmare turns into something you can actually attach to an email. And if Apple ever surprises us with built-in compressor in iOS 18, someone please ping this thread so we can all uninstall half our apps.
Tl;dr: All-in-one app is fastest, traditional third-party works but clunky/annoying, cloud is a last resort, and quality always drops a notch. Your call.