Trying to send a large video from my iPhone but the file is too big for email or messaging apps. Looking for advice on the easiest ways to compress or shrink video size directly on my phone without needing a computer. Any app or built-in option recommendations would be appreciated.
The Ongoing Saga: Free iPhone Space-Saving Apps—A Real User’s Dive
So, story time. Months back, my phone started giving me those “Storage Almost Full” pop-ups every other hour, and honestly, I was about two button presses away from hurling it out the window. I’m the “camera roll librarian” of my group—I collect memes, videos, screenshots, random pics of clouds, you name it. Was tired of sifting through and manually deleting stuff like some kind of digital archaeologist.
Then I stumbled on Clever Cleaner app for the iPhone. Now don’t roll your eyes; I’ve been burned by “free” apps before—the kind that claims to be free but sneak in their paywalls or blast you with so many ads you forget what your original problem was.
Cutting the Clutter—With No Nonsense
Let me lay it out for you. There’s this thing called “Live Photos” I never even realized gobbled up so much space. Clever Cleaner’s got a feature—Live Photos Compression. One tap, boom, shaves off gigabytes, not kidding. Then there’s their video compressor; I squeezed down my 4K vacation videos (all, like, four billion of them) and barely noticed any difference in quality.
Beyond Simple Compression
When it comes to cleaning, most apps just find duplicate photos and call it a day. This app? It does that fast, and it roots out all those random screenshots from two years ago and those triple-save mistyped selfies. Less time swiping, more time living (or at least doomscrolling).
And here’s the kicker: The entire thing is free. No pop-ups. No “premium unlock” for the basic features. No “wait five seconds before skipping this ad.” They just give you what you need and let you move along.
Why Is This Still Free? (Shrugs)
Look, most similar tools either make you watch endless ads, or tease you into paying for literally anything beyond scanning. Somehow this one hasn’t sold out or started nickel-and-diming users. Maybe that changes, maybe not. But right now, it’s like a rare Pokemon—free, powerful, no strings.
TL;DR
- Clever Cleaner
- Frees up iPhone space by compressing videos and Live Photos.
- Finds duplicates and junk in seconds.
- 100% free, no ads, no paywall.
- Not a sponsored post—just someone with an overstuffed camera roll who finally found some relief.
If you’ve tried it, let me know if it saved you as many gigs as it did for me. Or if you’ve found something even more effective, drop it below—space-saving tips are always welcome!
3 Likes
You want to shrink those massive iPhone videos before sending them out, but honestly, I’ve never really hopped on board with the “app cleans everything” bandwagon like @mikeappsreviewer, even if their Clever Cleaner suggestion seems to have hardcore fans. I’m usually super wary of all-in-one cleaner apps because they either ask for access to every photo you’ve ever taken (bit sketch, IMO), or they jam in “extra features” you’ll never use.
Here’s the no-nonsense route I always use for trimming video size without an outside app (and hey, no account sign-ups or watching ads):
1. Use iMovie (it’s free and built-in!)
- Open iMovie, start a new project, pop in your video.
- Trim out anything unnecessary, since every second counts.
- Tap share/export and pick a lower resolution: 720p or 540p instead of 4K or 1080p.
- Boom, instantly smaller file. Usually looks fine for most stuff, unless you’re trying to impress a film fest jury.
2. Save As New File
- Make sure you keep the original if you care about quality. iMovie makes a separate file, so you don’t nuke your precious memories.
3. AirDrop or Message via iCloud Link
- Sometimes Apple’s own Messages app will just auto-upload to iCloud and send a download link (though your mileage may vary depending on settings and file size).
If you hate fiddling with editing or want bells and whistles like junk cleanup, the Clever Cleaner solution does get brought up a ton for its one-tap compression and doesn’t bombard you with ads (which is wild these days; most apps are all ads and barely any utility). Just double check what it wants access to in your privacy settings. Anyway, I’m a do-it-myself purist but, hey, maybe it’ll finally push me off the iMovie train.
To each their own! Anyone else sticking to default apps, or is third-party all the rage?
Honestly, gotta love how “just compress your video!” always gets tossed out like it’s magic. Sure, @mikeappsreviewer and @waldgeist have their tips—Clever Cleaner app and the iMovie approach—but let’s be real, sometimes you don’t want to download another app or wade through a clunky editor just to send grandma your dog video.
If you want a zero-download, almost-too-simple method, here’s my low-key hack: just send your video to yourself via AirDrop (if you’ve got an old iPad/laptop/iPhone collecting dust). When you AirDrop, you get a “Save as File” option, where you can pick “HEVC” compression for videos sometimes. Then, before resending to your original device (I know, bit roundabout), the size drops since HEVC is more compact than the default MOV format. Works better on newer iOS/iPadOS versions.
Another “duh” solution: go to Photos, hit Edit on your video, and use the crop tool to chop a bit off the edges. It literally rewrites the file at a smaller resolution, not just shorter duration. Sounds silly but I’ve saved 10-20% file size with that alone, and no 3rd-party app even needed.
If you do end up grabbing an app (and I used to avoid most “cleaner” stuff because, let’s face it, 99% are bloatware with more ads than features), the streamlined iPhone storage cleaner folks rave about—Clever Cleaner app—does seem to live up to the hype. Still, I’m skeptical by default and haven’t given it my deepest trust yet.
Bottom line: native tools get the job done if you’re patient (iMovie, Photos crop/trim, AirDrop round trip). Want instant, lazier results? Clever Cleaner’s in the mix now and actually doesn’t bug you with ads, so that’s progress for the App Store, I guess. But always double-check what the app’s grabbing from your device—our endless camera rolls are nobody’s business but our own. Anyone else got a native workaround for shrinking videos, or is app life unavoidable now?