Skip to main content

How to rotate video on an iPhone or iPad quickly and easily

How to rotate a video on an iPhone
Simon Hill/Digital Trends

You just recorded a video of a memorable moment using your iPhone, but belatedly realize that it's in portrait mode rather than landscape. No worries. You can easily correct this digital faux pas right on your iPhone or iPad.

With Apple's Photos or iMovie apps for iOS, there are built-in ways to fix rotation issues. We show you how it's done in iOS 15.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • iPhone

Use the Photos app

This is the quickest and easiest way to rotate videos and photos. Every iPhone includes the Photos app.

The Photos app has numerous tools that let you rotate video using a slider, add a horizontal or vertical tilt, or flip video horizontally.

Step 1: Open the Photos app, and tap on the video you wish to rotate.

iPhone Photos app all photos pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Tap Edit in the top-right corner.

iPhone Photos app video Edit pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Tap the Crop and straighten tool icon on the toolbar at the bottom.

iPhone Photos app video rotate control.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: Tap the Rotate tool located in the top-left corner — it resembles a box with a curved arrow. Tap the tool until the video rotates to the proper orientation.

iPhone Photos app video rotate pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 5: Tap Done to save your changes.

iPhone Photos app video rotate Done pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Use iMovie

This is a longer process for fixing video orientation. It’s the next-best method besides Photos and may come in handy if you want to do additional editing.

Step 1: Launch iMovie for iOS from your App Library.

iPhone App Library module.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Tap Start new project > Movie.

iMovie for iPhone new movie pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Tap Create movie.

iMovie for iPhone create movie pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: With your original movie at the top of the screen and in the timeline, tap the Plus sign (+) on the left, under the movie preview.

iMovie for iPhone preview pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 5: A video pane appears with your selected movie already highlighted.

iMovie for iPhone all movie pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 6: Tap to see a series of icons underneath the filmstrip and then tap the Plus sign (+) at the left.

iMovie for iPhone all movie pane.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 7: Use your thumb and forefinger on the movie preview up top for a rotate gesture. You will see an arrow onscreen indicating the direction of the rotation.

iMovvie rotate arrow.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 8: Tap Done at the upper left.

iMovie Done button.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Jackie Dove
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jackie is an obsessive, insomniac tech writer and editor in northern California. A wildlife advocate, cat fan, and photo app…
First iPhone 16e benchmark test reveals mostly good news
A view of both long edges of the iPhone 16e

The iPhone 16e is now available for pre-order ahead of its release on February 28. As we approach this date, we are learning more about the device and how it compares to other models in the iPhone 16 series. So far, the news seems promising for anyone interested in an iPhone 16 series phone at a more affordable price.

First, a fresh Geekbench test has confirmed the new phone offers 8GB of RAM. This is the same number found in the regular iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple Intelligence requires at least 8GB to work, so this makes sense.

Read more
Apple iPhone 16e pre-orders have begun, so grab yours now
Side view of the iPhone 16e camera lens

Apple has started taking pre-orders for its latest smartphone, the iPhone 16e, in the U.S. and elsewhere. The rather divisive budget-focused smartphone from Apple is a major evolution over the now-defunct iPhone SE and sits underneath the mainline iPhones with a bunch of similarities and some serious feature-trimmings, as well.

It starts at $599 in the U.S. for the 128GB storage variant, while the 256GB and 512GB variants will have you parting ways with $699 and $899, respectively.

Read more
Own an Android? It looks like you may buy an iPhone next
The iPhone 16 Pro and the Galaxy S25 Plus held in the hand together

In a recent survey of iPhone owners, 48% of those now wielding Apple’s smartphone had previously owned an Android phone. The data comes from an extensive report using information gathered from 4,000 individuals by analysts at Counterpoint Research, and shows despite the challenges those who switch from Android to iOS (or vice versa) often face, it didn’t put almost half of current iPhone owners off.

The research then states it’s Samsung and Google suffering the most when someone decides it’s time to buy an iPhone, to the point the paper warns Samsung may see a marked fall in S-series ownership over the next two years if the trend continues. It’s added that Samsung, along with brands like OnePlus and China’s market leader Vivo, are using AI and flagship specifications to differentiate devices, in an effort to entice and retain buyers.

Read more