Play 4K Video on iPhone - No Need to Download a Specialized 4K Converter

4K iPhone Last Updated: September 14, 2018

Can I Play 4K Video on iPhone XS/XS Max/XR/X/8/7/6S? How to Play 4K UHD Video on iPhone?

Users of iPhone 6S and above are allowed to record 4K video at 30fps. Well, does it mean that it is available to play 4K videos on iPhone 6S, iPhone 7 and newer iPhone without glitch or other errors? Read on.

Can iPhone play 4K video?

4K UHD video is really difficult for a lot of things to play back. Many computers can't handle it. So, can iPhone play 4K shootings, 4K YouTube videos, and other 4K sources? iPhone 6S and above are possible to play video in 4K resolution even if they aren't equipped with full 4K resolution displays. But they are formatted to MP4 and MOV natively. However, a 4K video could be in MP4, MTS/M2TS, AVCHD, MKV, XAVC and MXF. This is also why we come across "Unsupported Video Format" error when importing 4K videos downloaded online or recorded by Phantom, Gopro and other 4K UHD cameras into an iPhone. To sum up, iPhone supports 4K video recording and playing, but doesn't cover all 4K videos.

How to Play 4K Video on iPhone Without Experiencing Unsupported Video Format Error?

Undoubtedly, we need to make video format conversion. But this doesn't mean that we have to download a specialized video converter program. Making use of WinX MediaTrans, we can transfer and convert 4K videos to iPhone from PC or other devices at one go for further playback.

WinX MediaTrans is a Windows-based iPhone file manager capable of transferring videos, music, pictures and other kinds of files between PC and iPhone powered by iOS 12 and earlier. iTunes only transfers videos up to 1080p resolution and will automatically compress higher-resolution videos, while WinX MediaTrans supports up to 4K (2160p) and never changes file resolution. More than file transfer, it will convert video format to iPhone supported format MP4 (H.264) automatically while transferring files to iPhone from PC or other storage devices. With hardware acceleration enabled, it can finish video conversion at a lightning speed. Another thing we want to mention here is that it can rotate video from vertical mode to horizontal during transferring for better viewing experience. But if you think it's unnecessary, you can uncheck it.

software needed for 4K playback on iPhone

How to transfer and convert 4K video to iPhone 6S/7/8/X/XS/XS Max/XR for later playback?

Preparation works:

1. Download and install WinX MediaTrans on PC. Windows 10 and lower are supported. Then, launch it.
2. Check "Prevent iPods, iPhones, iPads from syncing automatically" in iTunes to avoid data loss.
3. Connect iPhone to PC via a USB cable.
4. If target 4K videos are stored outside of your PC hard drive, such as in a SD card, just plug the device into your PC.
5. Click on the gear-like icon located at the top right corner to modify settings.

Get started:

Step 1. Click "Video Manager" button, and then you come to a new panel.
Step 2. Tap on Add Video in the top bar to browse and load the 4K video you want to play on iPhone later. Almost all 4K file formats are supported.
Step 3. If your imported 4K video isn't playable on iPhone, this tool will attach "Unsupported format" and "Convert" on the thumbnail.
Step 4.Choose either way below to execute conversion and transfer.
1. Click on "Convert" button on the thumbnail to convert 4K to iPhone playable format in advance. Once finished, hit "Sync" at the bottom right to transfer the 4K video to iPhone for playback.
2. After loading 4K video, simply hit "Sync". It will process conversion and transfer at one go.

convert and transfer 4k to iPhone for playback

Once done, navigate to Video app in your iPhone, find the 4K video you just transferred and then watch it on iPhone right now.

Tips: If you think it's unnecessary to keep a space-hogging 4K video (a minute of 4K video shot by iPhone requires 375MB) or your iPhone can't play it smoothly, you can compress 4K videos to 1080p HD video or lower. You won't see noticeable quality loss.

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WinX MediaTrans - The best iTunes alternative for Windows users to transfer 4K/HD videos/movies/TV shows, photos, music, ringtones, e-books, and more, between iPhone and PC at unmatchably fast speed. Besides, it supports iTunes purchases and can remove DRM for flexible playback.

All iOS devices running on iOS 7 and later are supported.