Large Videos: Compress or Delete Your Biggest Files

Updated October 23, 2026

Quick answer: Sweepius shows every video over 50 MB, biggest first. Tap one to compress it — a smaller copy is saved next to the original with the same date and place — then delete the original to get the difference back. Or just delete it.

Why videos are the real space hog

A minute of 4K at 30 fps is roughly 170 MB, and at 60 fps it’s about 400 MB. A handful of long clips can outweigh thousands of photos. Use the free iPhone storage calculator to see what your recordings cost.

Two compression settings

Same resolution — keeps the original size in pixels, re-encoded with HEVC. On your phone it looks the same; the file is often much smaller.
1080p — the smallest file that still looks sharp on a TV, a good fit for 4K clips you’ll only ever watch on a phone.

Batch compress (Pro)

Select several videos and Pro compresses them one after another, saves every copy, then offers to delete all the originals in one confirmed step.

Frequently asked questions

Will a compressed video look worse?

The Same resolution setting keeps the original resolution and uses HEVC, which looks the same on a phone screen at a fraction of the size. If a video is already efficiently compressed, Sweepius tells you instead of saving a copy that isn't smaller.

What happens to the original?

Nothing, until you tap Delete the original and confirm. The smaller copy is saved next to it with the same date and location.