Record video in slow motion directly from the Camera app
The easiest way to get slow-motion video on your iPhone is to record it that way from the start. Open the Camera app, swipe left until you see "Slo-Mo" (or tap it if it appears in your mode list), then press the red record button. Everything you film will play back at one-quarter speed by default — a person walking looks like they are gliding, water splashing unfolds in detail, a ball flying through the air hangs suspended.
Slow-motion recording uses more storage than regular video because your iPhone captures more frames per second. A 30-second slow-motion clip can take up 500 MB or more, depending on your iPhone model and video resolution. Check your available storage before you start filming, especially if you plan to record several clips in a row.
When you stop recording, the video saves to your Photos app like any other clip. You can watch it when ready by tapping the thumbnail, and it will play in slow motion without any extra steps.
Key Takeaways
- Slow-motion mode is built into the Camera app — swipe to "Slo-Mo" and record normally, and playback will be one-quarter speed automatically.
- You can change which parts of a regular video play in slow motion using the editing tools in the Photos app, without re-recording.
- Slow-motion video uses significantly more storage than regular video, so check your available space before filming long clips.
- iPhone models from the past five years all support slow-motion recording, but older phones may have lower frame rates or resolution options.
Edit an existing video to add slow motion in the Photos app
If you already have a regular-speed video and want to slow down part of it, you do not need to re-record. Open the Photos app, find the video, tap "Edit" in the top right, then tap the speed icon (it looks like a speedometer). A timeline appears below the video with yellow handles at the start and end.
Drag the handles to select only the section you want to slow down. The yellow area will play at slow speed, and the rest stays normal. You can create multiple slow-motion sections in one video by tapping the plus button and adding another range. When you are done, tap "Done" and then "Save" to replace the original or "Save as New Clip" to keep both versions.
This method works on any video in your Photos library, whether you shot it in slow-motion mode or regular mode. It is useful when you want only part of a clip to be slow — for example, slowing down the moment a goal is scored while keeping the lead-up at normal speed.
Understand frame rates and what they mean for your video
When you record in slow-motion mode, your iPhone captures the action at a higher frame rate than normal video. Standard video is 24 or 30 frames per second; slow-motion mode on most iPhones shoots at 120 or 240 frames per second. More frames per second means smoother slow-motion playback, because there is more detail captured in each moment.
The trade-off is file size. A 30-second clip shot at 240 fps will be roughly twice as large as the same clip shot at 120 fps. If you are running low on storage, use 120 fps instead — the difference in smoothness is visible only on larger screens or when you zoom in on the video.
Older iPhone models (iPhone 6s and earlier) max out at 120 fps. iPhone 7 and newer support 240 fps. If you have an iPhone 11 or later, you also get the option to record at 1080p resolution in slow-motion mode, which gives you sharper video at the cost of more storage.
Trim and combine slow-motion clips
After you record or edit a slow-motion video, you can trim it to remove unwanted sections. Open the video in Photos, tap "Edit", then tap the crop icon (overlapping rectangles in the top left). Yellow handles appear at the start and end of the timeline — drag them inward to cut out the parts you do not want, then tap "Done" and "Save".
If you want to combine multiple slow-motion clips into one video, you will need a third-party app like iMovie (free from the App Store) or CapCut (also free). These apps let you import multiple clips, arrange them in order, and export them as a single video file. iMovie is built by Apple and integrates smoothly with your Photos library; CapCut offers more editing options if you want to add music, text, or transitions.
Both apps preserve the slow-motion effect when you combine clips. The final video will play back at whatever speed each clip was set to — slow sections stay slow, and normal sections stay normal.
Share slow-motion video without losing quality
When you share a slow-motion video through Messages, Mail, or AirDrop, your iPhone sends the full-quality file by default. The recipient will see it in slow motion on their device. If you share through social media apps like Instagram or TikTok, those platforms may compress the video, which can reduce quality slightly but will not affect the slow-motion playback.
If you want to send a video to someone who uses an older phone or a non-Apple device, the slow-motion effect will still work — it is baked into the video file itself, not dependent on the device. However, some older Android phones or computers may play it at normal speed if they do not recognize the slow-motion metadata. To be safe, mention in your message that the video is meant to be watched in slow motion.
For the highest quality when sharing, use AirDrop to send to another Apple device, or upload through the native app (Instagram, YouTube, etc.) rather than downloading and re-uploading. Each time you export or re-encode a video, you lose some quality.
Troubleshoot common slow-motion problems
If your slow-motion video plays at normal speed, check that you actually recorded in Slo-Mo mode — swipe through your Camera modes and confirm the button says "Slo-Mo", not "Video". If you edited a regular video to add slow motion and it is not working, make sure you dragged the yellow handles to select a range and tapped "Done" before saving.
If your slow-motion video is choppy or stutters, you may have run out of storage while recording. Delete old photos or videos to free up space, then re-record. Slow-motion recording requires consistent write speed to your storage, and a nearly-full iPhone will drop frames.
If the slow-motion effect disappears after you share the video, the app you used may have re-encoded it. Try sharing through a different method — AirDrop or email usually preserve the effect better than social media apps. If you are sharing with someone on Android, let them know the video was shot in slow motion, because some Android players do not recognize the metadata.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the speed of slow-motion video after I record it?
Yes. Open the video in Photos, tap "Edit", then tap the speed icon. You can adjust the playback speed to anywhere from 0.5x (half speed, even slower) to 2x (double speed, faster than normal). Drag the slider to the speed you want, then tap "Done" and "Save".
How much storage does a slow-motion video use?
A one-minute slow-motion clip shot at 120 fps typically uses 350 to 500 MB, depending on your iPhone model and resolution. A clip shot at 240 fps uses roughly twice as much. Check your available storage in Settings > General > iPhone Storage before you record long clips.
Will slow-motion video work on older iPhones?
Slow-motion recording is available on iPhone 5s and newer. iPhone 6s and earlier max out at 120 fps; iPhone 7 and newer support 240 fps. If you have an older phone, you can still edit regular videos to add slow motion using the Photos app.
Can I record slow motion and regular video at the same time?
No. You have to choose one mode before you start recording. If you want both versions of the same moment, record it twice — once in Slo-Mo mode and once in regular Video mode.
What is the best way to share slow-motion video?
AirDrop to another Apple device preserves the full quality and slow-motion effect. For social media, upload directly through the app (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) rather than saving and re-uploading. Avoid compressing or re-encoding the file if you can, because each step reduces quality.