When you’re using your iPhone as a camera, it’s easy to hold it in such a way that the resulting image ends up rotated. You can fix this using the Photos app, but it’s a whole different story when you record a video clip. Here we’ll cover all bases in showing you how to rotate videos on your iPhone.
While anyone below iOS 13 will need to use third-party apps to rotate a video on iPhone, anyone on iOS 13 or above can now do so right through the Photos app. Even if you’re not on the latest version of iOS, you can still use the Photos app to rotate videos, but you’ll need to do a little bit more legwork.
Rotate a Video using Photos App (iOS 13)
Finally, as of iOS 13, iPhone users have the ability to record and save a video, then rotate it from right within the video editor in the Photos app.
To do this, first go to the “Photos app -> Albums -> Media Types -> Videos.” Tap on the video clip you want to rotate, then tap edit to open the video editor.
Next, tap the Crop/rotation icon at the bottom of the screen, then the Rotate button that appears at the top. Hit Done when you’re ready.
Rotate a Video on Your iPhone (iOS 12 and Older)
Before you can rotate a video on your phone on iOS 12 or older, you’ll need to install iMovie.
Fortunately, this is free as Apple makes it available to anyone who has bought an iPhone. Just open the App Store, search for iMovie, then tap Get to install the app.
Once you have installed iMovie, open the Photos app and tap on the video you want to rotate, then tap the Edit button. Next, tap the Extensions button, which looks like the inside of a circle, then select iMovie in the pop-up dialog.
Once iMovie opens, just use two fingers to rotate the video on the screen. Once you’ve done this, tap Done, and the app will export the edited video back to your camera roll. Simply repeat the process for any other videos you need to rotate.
Other Ways to Rotate a Video on Your iPhone
Using iMovie isn’t the only way to rotate videos on an iPhone. This is handy, as there are some situations iMovie doesn’t handle well, such as, when a video is upside down.
If you need to do this, you can use an app like RFV, which is a free download on the App Store. In addition to rotating videos, this app can flip them as well.
Just open the app, then tap the camera icon to select the video you want to rotate or flip. There are two arrow-style buttons to flip the video either horizontally or vertically. If your video is upside down, tap the vertical flip button, then tap Save and you’re done.
No matter how you deal with rotating your videos, you don’t want to lose them when you’re done. That’s why a backup strategy is important to keeping your data safe. Take a look at our guide to backing up your iPhone if you’re not sure how to get started. Also check out our guide on how to fix cellular data when it stops working on your iPhone or iPad.
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