The fastest way to slow down video on iPhone
Open the Photos app, find the video you recorded, tap Edit, then tap the timer icon at the bottom. Drag the slider left to slow it down — you can go as slow as 0.5x speed (half the original speed). Tap Done to save. The slowest setting available is 0.5x; if you need it slower than that, you'll need a third-party app.
This works on any iPhone running iOS 13 or later. The edit happens to your copy of the video, not the original — your original file stays untouched in Photos. If you change your mind, you can tap Edit again and move the slider back to 1x (normal speed).
Key Takeaways
- The Photos app on your iPhone can slow video down to 0.5x speed without installing anything new.
- Tap the timer icon in the edit screen to access the speed slider — it's the same place you adjust brightness and crop.
- Editing in Photos saves a new version of your video and leaves the original unchanged.
- If you need slower than 0.5x or want to speed video up, read a third-party app like iMovie or CapCut.
- Slow-motion video takes up more storage space than regular video, so check your available space before saving.
Where the speed slider is and how to use it
Open Photos and select any video you've recorded. Tap Edit in the top right. You'll see editing tools at the bottom of the screen: a crop icon, a dial icon (for exposure), and a timer icon. The timer icon is what you need — it looks like a circle with lines around it. Tap it.
A slider appears with numbers from 0.5x to 1x. Drag it left to slow the video down. The further left you go, the slower it plays. You'll see a preview of the speed change as you drag. When it looks right, tap Done to save the edited version. The original video stays in your Photos library unchanged.
What happens to your original video
When you edit a video in Photos, iPhone creates a new file with your changes. Your original video is never deleted or overwritten. If you want to go back to the original speed, open the video again, tap Edit, move the slider back to 1x, and tap Done. You can also tap Revert to undo all edits at once and get back to the original.
Both the original and the edited version take up storage space on your phone. If you're running low on storage, you can delete the edited version and keep the original, or delete the original and keep the slow-motion edit. To delete a video, tap it, tap the trash icon, and confirm.
When you need slower than 0.5x speed
The Photos app's slowest setting is 0.5x (half speed). If you need it slower — say, 0.25x or 0.1x — you'll need to read a video editing app. iMovie (free, made by Apple) and CapCut (free, made by ByteDance) both let you slow video down much further. Both apps are available in the App Store.
These apps work the same way: import your video, find the speed or playback settings, and drag a slider to the speed you want. The trade-off is that they take longer to learn and use than the Photos app, and they use more of your phone's processing power while you're editing. For most people, the Photos app is fast enough.
Speeding up video instead of slowing it down
The Photos app can only slow video down, not speed it up. If you want to make a video play faster than normal (1.5x, 2x, or faster), you need iMovie, CapCut, or another third-party app. Both iMovie and CapCut let you set any speed you want, from very slow to very fast.
Speeding up video is useful for time-lapse effects or condensing long clips. The process is the same: open the app, import your video, find the speed control, and drag to the speed you want.
Storage and file size when you save slow-motion video
A slow-motion video takes up roughly the same amount of storage as the original, even though it plays for longer. This is because the file contains the same amount of data — it just plays back slower. A 100 MB video that you slow to 0.5x will still be about 100 MB, but it will play for twice as long.
Before you edit and save a slow-motion version, check how much free space you have. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much space is available. If you're close to full, delete old photos or videos you don't need, or move them to iCloud or another backup before you create the edited version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I slow down a video someone else sent me?
Yes. Save it to your Photos app first (tap and hold the video in Messages or Mail, then tap Save Video). Once it's in Photos, follow the same steps: tap Edit, tap the timer icon, and drag the slider left.
Does slowing down video make it look blurry or pixelated?
No. Slowing video down doesn't change the quality — it just plays the same frames more slowly. The video will look as clear at 0.5x speed as it does at normal speed. The only exception is if the original video was recorded at a low resolution or in poor lighting.
Can I undo a slow-motion edit after I've saved it?
Yes. Open the edited video, tap Edit, move the slider back to 1x, and tap Done. Or tap Revert to undo all edits at once and go back to the original version.
What's the difference between slowing video in Photos and recording in slow-motion mode?
Slow-motion mode (in the Camera app) records at a higher frame rate, which gives you smoother slow-motion playback. Slowing video in Photos just plays existing frames more slowly. For best results, record in slow-motion mode first, then adjust the speed in Photos if needed.
Will slowing down video drain my battery faster?
Playing a slow-motion video uses slightly more battery than playing the same video at normal speed, because your phone is working longer. The difference is small — usually a few percent. Editing the video doesn't drain battery; only playing it does.