DB Labs DB Labs

Updated March 8, 2026

By Jack Smith, iOS Developer at DB Labs

Video & Storage

iPhone Video Codecs: H.264 vs H.265 vs ProRes Explained

Every video your iPhone records is compressed using a codec. The codec determines file size, quality, and compatibility. Here is a complete breakdown of H.264, H.265 (HEVC), and ProRes — what they are, how large the files get, and when to use each.

March 8, 2026  ·  8 min read

Quick Answer

For most users: use H.265 (High Efficiency) — it is the default and saves roughly 50% storage compared to H.264 at the same quality. Switch to H.264 (Most Compatible) only for compatibility with older software or devices. Use Apple ProRes only if you are a filmmaker editing in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve — ProRes 4K at 60fps consumes approximately 6 GB per minute and will fill your iPhone in a matter of hours.

File Size Comparison by Codec & Resolution

Quality Setting H.264 (per min) H.265 (per min) ProRes (per min)
1080p 30fps 130 MB 60 MB ~1.7 GB
1080p 60fps 200 MB 90 MB ~3.4 GB
4K 30fps 375 MB 170 MB ~6 GB
4K 60fps 600 MB 400 MB ~12 GB
4K 120fps (iPhone 16 Pro) N/A ~900 MB N/A
Context: A 128 GB iPhone (with ~115 GB available) holds about 11 hours of 4K 30fps H.265 video — or less than 20 minutes of 4K 30fps ProRes.

H.264: The Universal Codec

H.264 (also called AVC — Advanced Video Coding) has been the dominant video codec since 2003. It is supported by virtually every device, platform, streaming service, and editing application on the planet. When you upload a video to YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok, it almost certainly ends up transcoded to H.264 or its successor H.265 on the platform's servers.

The downside of H.264 is efficiency: it uses an older compression algorithm and produces files roughly twice the size of H.265 at the same quality. For modern iPhones, H.264 is mostly a compatibility choice — you pay a storage penalty to gain universal playback support.

To use H.264 on iPhone: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible.

H.265 (HEVC): The Default and Best for Most Users

H.265 (HEVC — High Efficiency Video Coding) is the successor to H.264. It uses a more sophisticated compression algorithm that analyzes larger blocks of video frame data, achieving roughly 50% better compression than H.264 at equivalent visual quality.

iPhone has used H.265 as its default video codec (in High Efficiency mode) since iPhone 7 and iOS 11. The A11 Bionic chip introduced hardware H.265 encoding and decoding, which is why it became the default — hardware-accelerated HEVC encoding adds no performance penalty or battery drain compared to H.264.

H.265 compatibility has improved dramatically. Modern Macs, Windows 11, Android, Google Photos, YouTube, Vimeo, and most editing software (Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve) fully support HEVC. The main remaining pain point is older Windows 10 machines without the HEVC codec extension and some legacy corporate IT environments.

To use H.265 on iPhone: Settings → Camera → Formats → High Efficiency.

Apple ProRes: For Filmmakers Only

Apple ProRes is an entirely different kind of codec. Where H.264 and H.265 are designed for storage efficiency, ProRes is designed for editing quality. It uses very low compression (nearly lossless), keeping almost all the color and detail information from the camera sensor intact for post-production work.

ProRes comes in multiple flavors on iPhone:

  • ProRes 422 HQ: Highest quality, largest files. Used for final deliverables and archiving.
  • ProRes 422: Standard ProRes. The default when you enable ProRes on iPhone.
  • ProRes 4444: Adds alpha channel support for compositing. Not available on iPhone.

ProRes availability by iPhone model:

  • iPhone 13 Pro / Max: ProRes up to 1080p 30fps (internal storage); 4K requires external SSD
  • iPhone 14 Pro / Max: ProRes up to 4K 30fps internal; 4K 60fps with external SSD
  • iPhone 15 Pro / Max: ProRes up to 4K 60fps internal (256GB+)
  • iPhone 16 Pro / Max: ProRes up to 4K 120fps internal
  • iPhone 17 Pro / Max: ProRes up to 4K 120fps with enhanced color science
ProRes warning: 10 minutes of 4K ProRes at 30fps consumes roughly 60 GB of storage. Enable ProRes only for specific professional shoots, and transfer footage to external storage or a Mac immediately after. Never leave ProRes enabled for day-to-day recording.

For a complete guide to video storage on iPhone, see our iPhone video storage guide. If you are interested in Dolby Vision HDR video (which is separate from codec choice), see our Dolby Vision iPhone guide.

How to Change Your iPhone Video Codec

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Camera.
  3. Tap Formats.
  4. Under Camera Capture, choose:
    • High Efficiency → H.265 (HEVC) for photos and video
    • Most Compatible → H.264 for video, JPEG for photos
  5. For ProRes (Pro models only): scroll down and toggle on Apple ProRes. Choose ProRes quality and resolution from the options shown.

Your camera roll will mix files recorded with different codecs freely — you do not need to stick to one codec for all videos. This lets you switch to ProRes for an important shot and back to H.265 for everyday recording.

Video files accumulate quickly regardless of codec. If your storage is nearly full, see our guide on transferring iPhone videos to your computer and our tips for how much storage 4K video uses on iPhone.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What video codec does iPhone use by default?

iPhone uses H.265 (HEVC) by default for video recording when the High Efficiency format is selected in Settings → Camera → Formats. If you choose Most Compatible, iPhone switches to H.264. H.265 produces roughly half the file size of H.264 at the same quality.

How much storage does 1 minute of 4K video use on iPhone?

At 4K 30fps with H.265: approximately 170 MB per minute. At 4K 30fps with H.264: approximately 375 MB per minute. At 4K 60fps with H.265: approximately 400 MB per minute. At 4K 60fps with ProRes: approximately 12 GB per minute. ProRes is intended for professional video production only.

Should I use H.264 or H.265 on iPhone?

Use H.265 (High Efficiency) for everyday recording — it produces the same quality as H.264 at about half the file size. Switch to H.264 (Most Compatible) only if you need to share videos with older Windows PCs, older Android devices, or software that does not support HEVC. Modern Macs, iPhones, iPads, and most streaming platforms fully support H.265.

What iPhones can record ProRes video?

Apple ProRes video is available on iPhone 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16 Pro, and 17 Pro series. On iPhone 13 Pro, ProRes is limited to 1080p without an external SSD. iPhone 14 Pro and later support 4K ProRes internally on 256GB or larger models. ProRes is not available on non-Pro iPhone models.