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MKV to MOV converter

Convert MKV to MOV in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I want MOV
Quality

Applies only when the video has to be re-encoded. A straight copy keeps the original quality.

Advanced 2
Always re-encode Rebuilds the picture as H.264 (VP9 for WebM) even when it could be copied. Fixes files that won’t play on older TVs and PCs.

Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B

Related conversions

Need it the other way round? Convert MOV to MKV

Other ways to convert MKV

Convert other formats to MOV

Read more about the MKV format and the MOV format, or see every video tool and all video conversions.

Should you convert MKV to MOV?

Usually a quick, safe conversion. MOV can carry H.264 or HEVC (H.265), which is what MKV files normally contain, so the video can often be copied across without re-encoding: fast, and with no loss at all.

MOV also plays in far more places: Apple devices and most editors; some Windows PCs, Android phones and upload forms struggle with it.

MKV is a flexible container for any codec, with several audio and subtitle tracks; MOV is Apple’s video container, usually H.264 or HEVC from an iPhone. Keep MOV for editing on a Mac; convert a copy to MP4 for sharing.

MKV and MOV compared
Property MKV MOV
Usually contains H.264 or HEVC video with AAC, AC-3 or Opus audio, often plus subtitles H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio, or ProRes from editors
Support Has patchy support Mainly an Apple format
Plays on VLC, Plex, Kodi and many smart TVs, but not iPhones, most editors or social apps Apple devices and most editors; some Windows PCs, Android phones and upload forms struggle with it
Best for Films and series with several languages and subtitle tracks Recording and editing video on Apple devices
Introduced 2002 1991

How to convert MKV to MOV

  1. 01

    Add your MKV

    Drop your MKV video onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.

  2. 02

    Check the settings

    The output is already set to MOV. Change the quality if you want to; the defaults suit most files.

  3. 03

    Save the MOV

    Press convert and save the MOV. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when MKV becomes MOV

Often a straight copy

When the MKV holds H.264 or HEVC (H.265) video, the stream is moved into the MOV container untouched, so the conversion takes seconds even for long files. If the codec inside is something MOV can’t hold, the picture is re-encoded instead and you’ll see a progress bar that takes longer.

Extra tracks

MKV files can hold several audio and subtitle tracks. The main video and first audio track are converted; use Unpack a Video to save the others as separate files.

The size stays about the same

MKV and MOV are close in size for the same content, so do this for compatibility rather than to save space. MKV: Depends entirely on the codec inside. MOV: A minute of 4K iPhone video is roughly 170–400 MB.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of MKV and MOV, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Video files are big, and uploading one just to change its container can take longer than the conversion itself. Your browser can read and write these formats, so the file never has to leave your device.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • About the MKV. Converting an MKV to a single-track format keeps only one audio track and drops soft subtitles unless you pick them.
  • About the MOV. A MOV from an iPhone is usually an ordinary H.264 or HEVC video that can move into MP4 without re-encoding; a MOV exported from an editor may be ProRes and ten times larger.
  • MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM are handled by your browser’s own video engine, often with hardware help. AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG and the other older formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, and are slower.

Questions

Does converting MKV to MOV lose quality?

Not when the video can be copied, which is the case for most MKV files: the stream moves into MOV untouched. If it has to be re-encoded, the default quality keeps the difference invisible.

Will a MOV play on my phone?

MOV mainly an Apple format: Apple devices and most editors; some Windows PCs, Android phones and upload forms struggle with it. QuickTime and Photos on a Mac, VLC anywhere; Windows needs HEVC support for iPhone recordings.

Read more about this

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