How to fix pixelated video in iMovie

iMovie hides most of the technical settings, which is great until your finished video comes out blocky. The good news is that the few controls it does have are enough to fix the usual causes.

On the Mac, the important screen is the Share dialog. On iPhone and iPad, it is the export size you pick after tapping the share button.

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Mac: the export dialog

Choose File, Share, File. In the dialog, set Resolution to the highest your project supports (1080p or 4K), Quality to High or Best, and Compress to Better Quality instead of Faster. Best (ProRes) makes very large files and is meant for further editing rather than uploading.

Watch the viewer too. If the preview looks soft in the timeline, it may simply be that iMovie is showing a lower-quality preview during editing.

iPhone and iPad

After you tap Done, tap the share button, then Options, and choose the largest resolution available such as 1080p or 4K, before tapping Save Video. Choosing 360p or 540p to make a smaller file is the most common reason iPhone-made iMovie projects look pixelated.

Zooming with the pinch gesture crops into the clip. Beyond about 150 percent on a 1080p clip, the pixelation is visible.

iMovie fix, step by step

  1. Check the project is not 720pOn Mac, project settings follow the first clip you add. If your first clip is low resolution, the project can be set low.
  2. Export at High or Best, Better QualityFile, Share, File, then set resolution, quality and compression as described above.
  3. On iPhone, pick the largest sizeTap Share, then Options, and choose 1080p or 4K before saving.
  4. Limit zoom and cropUse the Ken Burns or crop controls sparingly on lower-resolution clips.
  5. Rescue a blocky exportUpload the exported video to the fixer and compare the before and after slider in the free preview.

Try it on your own video

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Frequently asked questions

Why is my iMovie video blurry or pixelated?

Common causes are exporting at a low resolution, choosing Faster compression, zooming too far into a clip, or starting with low-resolution footage.

What is the best iMovie export quality?

For sharing, High with Better Quality compression at 1080p or 4K is the best balance. Best (ProRes) is for further editing and is very large.

Can I increase resolution in iMovie?

iMovie cannot add detail. It can export at a higher resolution only if your project and footage support it. An upscaler can enlarge and sharpen the finished file.

Why does iMovie look pixelated while editing?

The timeline viewer sometimes shows lower-quality frames during playback or when the computer is busy. Check the exported file instead.

Related guides

Fix pixelated video on iPhone

Why iPhone videos look blocky after sending, editing or zooming, and how to fix them: camera settings, AirDrop, iCloud and a fixer for existing clips.

Pixelated after export

A video that looked sharp in your editor but exports blocky usually has a bitrate, resolution or proxy problem. Here are the export settings that fix it.

Fix pixelated video in Final Cut Pro

If Final Cut Pro looks pixelated, check viewer quality, proxy playback and your Share settings. Here is the exact order to fix them.

Upscale video to 1080p

Upscale video to 1080p properly: choose a resampling filter, clean artifacts first, keep the aspect ratio and sharpen lightly. Online and FFmpeg methods.

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