My iPhone storage is getting full because of large video files. I want to keep these videos but need to reduce their file size. What are the easiest ways or apps to compress videos on an iPhone without losing too much quality? Any tips would be really appreciated.
PSA: How I Finally Tamed My Mega iPhone Photo Library
Okay, story time. After spending half a weekend trying to airdrop gigs of baby videos to my ancient laptop that kept screaming “disk full,” I hit my wits’ end. The iPhone Photos app just isn’t built for people who hoard random screenshots, cat Boomerangs, and those precious but space-eating Live Photos. Every other “photo cleaner” in the App Store wanted a subscription for the pleasure of deleting my own stuff—so I figured the only way out was to delete my memories… until I stumbled onto this in a random forum thread: Clever Cleaner app for the iPhone.
My Quick Fix For Bloated Storage
Here’s the deal: I downloaded it because it was free and expected the worst. Instead, this thing let me squish my Live Photos and videos without breaking the bank or nagging me for money every ten seconds. We’re talking gigs freed up faster than I could scroll TikTok. They even had a module specifically for Live Photos—finally, someone gets it! For reference, my 256GB phone was groaning at 2GB left; now I’ve got breathing room, and my settings app’s not yelling at me anymore.
Finding Duplicates & Cleaning Up Fast
The feature that actually sold me? It found duplicate photos—actual exact copies, not lookalikes—in seconds. No need to squint at dozens of near-identical pictures of my breakfast before deleting them. You hit “scan,” it does its magic, and you can clear all the unnecessary repeats out with one tap. Honestly, as a person who screenshots everything, this was life-changing.
The Catch? Wait, There Isn’t One?
Look, I went hunting for the catch. After getting burned by every “free” app that sneakily tosses you into a trial or buries you in ads, I was ready. But no—no ads, no popups, nothing shady. It’s just… totally free? If anyone knows how they’re pulling this off, tell me! Genuinely a wild card compared to the other “cleaners” that make you feel like you’re renting your photos.
Verdict: Try It Before Apple Notices
While I’m on this soapbox: It feels like every decent utility app eventually gets smothered by paywalls or vanishes altogether. But until that grim day, this one’s helping me actually afford to upgrade my phone when I want, not because I have to. Just download Clever Cleaner app for the iPhone before someone realizes they could’ve been charging for it.
Anyone else try this? Did I just get insanely lucky or does this thing actually work for anyone with a digital hoarding problem?
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Yeah, video files are like those guests who refuse to leave the party—massive, sweaty, and somehow multiplying every time you check your storage. I saw @mikeappsreviewer’s post about using Clever Cleaner for cleaning up Live Photos and finding duplicates (which is actually brilliant if you’ve got a million similar selfies), but when it comes to actual video compression, there’s a bit more to the story.
If your main pain is the sheer SIZE of individual video files and not just duplicates or stray clips, I’d steer slightly away from general cleaners and look for proper video compression apps. Here’s a quick little breakdown:
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Third-Party Video Compressor Apps
Check apps like “Video Compress – Shrink Movie,” “Video Compressor,” or “Videoshop.” They’re usually free for basic functions and let you customize resolution and bit rate so you can compromise less on quality. Most have slider bars for quality vs. file size—nice and simple. -
Shortcuts App (DIY mode)
If you like flexing your nerd muscles, mess with the Apple Shortcuts app. There are downloadable video compression workflows (just Google “iOS video compress shortcut”). Not as pretty, but you can squish a batch of videos automagically and save time. -
Clever Cleaner for Batch Management
Here’s where @mikeappsreviewer’s advice comes in clutch—if your storage is a total disaster, and you’ve got duplicate videos, or (like me) ten thousand TikToks of your dog, this app makes it way less painful to sort, merge, and spot-check which files even need compressing in the first place. Cleared up hours for me before I started compressing. -
iCloud & Offload
Not compression, but just a PSA: If you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem, slide those chunky videos into iCloud and just offload from your phone. Quality stays high, you don’t burn your storage, but sure, you’re trusting the Apple gods with your moments.
Real talk: Most compressor apps do cause some quality loss—if you’re archiving precious family stuff, back up the original file before you crush it down. For random memes, go full potato.
By the way, if you want a one-stop cleanup and don’t mind less control over video-specific settings, try out the super straightforward free iPhone storage manager—it’s like a pressure washer for your Camera Roll.
tl;dr: Compressor apps for quality tweaks, Shortcuts for power-users, Clever Cleaner for big cleanup, and iCloud for the lazy. Mix and match and don’t let your storage hold you hostage. Anyone else have tips for keeping quality but dumping size?
Alright, time for some real talk—everyone’s pitching their favorite apps and tricks (@mikeappsreviewer’s got a solid take with batch cleaning, and @chasseurdetoiles pretty much nailed the “video bloat is eternal suffering” angle), BUT compressing iPhone videos isn’t all rainbows.
Here’s my no-nonsense take: yeah, you could stack a bunch of random compressor apps and wave goodbye to crisp baby giggles along the way, but honestly, these third-party video shrinking apps are a minefield. Most of them want your $$ or slap watermarks on your kid’s first steps like some kind of low-rent NFT. Swipe left on that. Plus, let’s be honest—no app is making a huge video three times smaller “with zero loss.” Unless we’re talking about potato quality that would make your 2008 flip phone jealous.
If you actually care about keeping original memories not looking like a smudged potato, take this contrarian path:
- Keep the Originals Elsewhere: Offload full-res videos to a real computer or external drive (even a cloud like Google Drive or Dropbox if you don’t want to sell more of your soul to iCloud). THEN compress copies only for carrying around. That way, you never cry over lost wedding toasts.
- Native Apple Shortcuts: There’s this “Encode Media” action in the Shortcuts app (built right in, no shady downloads). It lets you batch compress videos – drag, drop, run, done. You can pick the balance between size and quality. It’s not pretty, but it’s not spyware either.
- Clever Cleaner app is cool for bulk cleanup, especially if you’re drowning in duplicates—can’t argue with that. Honestly, after cleaning up, you might be shocked how much space you gain before even touching actual file size. Worth a go. Check it out for massive storage relief: free up space instantly on your iPhone.
- Forget iMovie for Compression: People toss around iMovie like it’s this magic fix. Yes, you can export in “Low Quality,” but it looks like a VHS tape got microwaved. Pass.
Hot take: If the videos are just memes, compress the heck out of them. If they’re irreplaceable, do not trust your data to any app with less than 10,000 reviews and a legit privacy policy. And let’s face it—no one wants to pay for a monthly subscription just to make their iPhone stop nagging about storage.
Anyone had actual luck with online-only compressors? Or are those even riskier privacy-wise? Still, for the “managing bloat before compressing” game, Cleaner Cleaner is winning right now unless Apple does something wild with the next iOS.