Open Camera, swipe to Slo-mo and tap Record. Afterwards, open the clip in Photos, tap Edit and drag the vertical bars to choose which part plays slowly. Slow motion has to be shot as slow motion. An ordinary clip has too few frames to stretch, so it needs a different route, covered below.

A dog shaking off water, a jump, a pour: these are the clips worth slowing down. Here is how to record them, how to pick the slow part, and what to do when the clip was not shot that way.

slow motion video on iphone

Which method fits your clip?

At a glance

Cost
Free, forever
Account
None needed
App Store
No install
Runs on
iPhone, via Shortcuts
Your clip Where to slow it What to expect
Shot in Slo-mo mode Photos, Edit, drag the bars You choose which part plays slow
Shot in Video mode at 120 FPS (iPhone 16 Pro, 17 Pro and 18 Pro models) Photos, Edit, Video, then a playback speed Slower playback. The options depend on the format you captured
Ordinary video, or a clip saved from a social app iMovie, Speed control Slower, but choppier, because there are fewer frames to stretch

How do I record a slow motion video on iPhone?

  1. Open Camera.
  2. Swipe to Slo-mo mode.
  3. Tap the Record button. A volume button works too, and so does Camera Control on models that have it.
  4. Tap the Record button again to stop.

Slo-mo records the clip as normal and plays it back slowly. On supported models, the front camera can shoot Slo-mo as well.

How do I choose which part plays in slow motion?

The whole clip does not have to crawl. You pick the slow section after you shoot.

  1. Open Photos and open the Slo-mo video.
  2. Tap Edit.
  3. Drag the black vertical bars beneath the frame viewer. Between them, it plays slow. Outside them, it plays at normal speed.

Pull the bars close together for a short dramatic beat. Spread them out to slow most of the clip.

What frame rate does iPhone slow motion use?

Apple says Slo-mo is set to record at 1080 HD and 240 fps on the back camera, and 1080 HD at 120 fps on the front camera. More frames per second means more room to slow down.

To switch the back camera to 120 fps, go to Settings, then Camera, then Record Slo-mo. On supported models, that screen also offers 4K at 120 fps.

Apple lists a shortcut for newer Pro models. On iPhone 16 Pro, 17 Pro and 18 Pro models, you can record slow motion in Video mode. Tap the format and resolution values on screen, then select 120 FPS.

Can I slow down a video that was not shot in Slo-mo?

Partly. The Slo-mo bars only appear on clips recorded in Slo-mo mode. For other videos, Apple says Photos can slow down footage captured at a high frame rate: open the video, tap Edit, tap Video, then pick a playback speed. Which speeds appear depends on the format you captured.

A normal-frame-rate clip is different. It has fewer frames to stretch, so expect it to look choppy if you slow it a lot.

The free fix is iMovie. It is covered step by step in how to speed up a video on iPhone, and the same Speed slider slows a clip down too.

What about clips saved from social apps?

A clip you saved from TikTok or Instagram is an ordinary video, not a Slo-mo recording, so the bars never show up.

Grabio, the free iPhone Shortcut I built, saves social clips and converts files on-device with no account. It does not change playback speed, so slow the clip in iMovie. Get it at grabio.adityaarsharma.com, and see saving a Reel to your camera roll for the first step.

What should I do after slowing the clip down?

Now backwards or sideways? Reverse a video on iPhone and rotate a video on iPhone and keep it that way cover both.

If the finished file is too big to send, reduce video file size on iPhone shrinks it without touching the original. Want it on repeat? Loop a video on iPhone explains what Photos can and cannot do.

Frequently asked questions

How do I take a slow motion video on iPhone?

Open Camera, swipe to Slo-mo, and tap Record. Stop the same way. You can then open the video in Photos to choose which part plays slowly.

Can I slow down a video I already shot?

If it was recorded in Slo-mo mode, yes: edit it in Photos. If it was captured at a high frame rate, Photos offers playback speeds under Edit, then Video. For an ordinary video, use iMovie’s Speed control. A normal-frame-rate clip will look less smooth than one shot in Slo-mo.

What frame rate does iPhone slow motion use?

By default, 240 fps at 1080 HD from the back camera and 120 fps at 1080 HD from the front, according to Apple. You can change the back camera to 120 fps in Settings, then Camera, then Record Slo-mo.

How do I choose which part of the video is slow?

In Photos, open the Slo-mo video, tap Edit, and drag the black vertical bars under the frame viewer. The section between them plays slowly.

Can I shoot slow motion with the front camera?

On supported models, yes. Select Slo-mo mode and tap to record with the front camera.