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Have you ever run into such inconvenience that as you import a video shot by mobile phone into your PC which comes with either the Windows or macOS, you end up finding the clip is sideways or upside down? This usually happens when your phone's gyroscope doesn't tag the orientation metadata correctly during recording.
The good news is you don't need to buy expensive software to fix it. In this post, we will take you on a tour, showing you how to rotate a video on Windows, Mac and mobile phone, and permanently save it as an independent video file, all using the free tools already installed on your device.
How to Rotate a Video on Windows 11/10
1. Clipchamp
- Best for: rotate a video on Windows 11/10
- Supported video formats: MP4, MOV, WEBM, AVI, DIVX, FLV, 3GP, WMV, VOB, DCM, and MKV
Clipchamp is a modern alternative to the classic Windows Movie Maker (here's a guide on how to download the latter if you still need it). Since Microsoft acquired it, the app has become the default built-in video editor for Windows 11.
Unlike older Windows tools, Clipchamp feels like a professional mobile app. It is the best "middle ground" for Windows users. You don't have to install anything new, and it gives you more control than a simple player, allowing you to trim or add text while you rotate. It's sleek, supports modern vertical (9:16) aspect ratios, and handles 4K exports for free.
Step 1. Open Clipchamp from your Start menu.
Step 2. Click "Create a new video".
Step 3. Click "Import media" to select your video, then drag and drop it onto the timeline at the bottom.
Step 4. Click the video on the timeline to select it.
Step 5. In the floating toolbar next to the preview window, use the Rotate button (circle arrow icon) or click Rotate by 90°.
Step 6. Click Export (top right corner) and choose a resolution to save the new file to your computer.
2. VideoProc Converter AI
- Best for: batch rotation without losing quality
- Supported video formats: MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, FLV, WMV, HEVC, H.264, AV1, etc.
When you have a massive library of videos, perhaps from a full day of filming on a GoPro or iPhone, rotating them one by one is a nightmare. Designed for this heavy lifting, VideoProc Converter AI can rotate multiple videos at once. It uses Level-3 Hardware Acceleration (GPU) to process videos up to 47x faster than standard editors without overheating your computer.
- Rotate videos by 90/180/270 degrees and flip footage in simple clicks.
- Compatible with multifarious media files (370+ ) like MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, HEVC, H.264, 4K, and more.
- Run smoothly on all recent Windows and Mac without file size limits.
- Level-3 hardware acceleration helps speed up the video rotation process 5x faster than online tools.
- A full set of AI tools to improve video quality: AI Super Resolution, Frame Interpolation, Stabilization. NEW
- A basket of baked-in features could fulfill the basic editing demands, including merging, trimming, compressing, resizing, converting, etc.
Step 1. Import one or multiple videos to VideoProc Converter AI.
Download the software on your Windows or Mac devices. Launch the software and click "Video Converter" and "+Video" to choose one or more clips you want to rotate in bulk. The program could handle video rotation of any sort, when you are recording either on iPhone and Android, or on action cameras.
Step 2. Set an output format.
Before editing, you should choose a target video format for exporting. Click "Target Format" in the lower tab, where you can see tons of formats commonly used in different platforms, If you find it confused to pick the right format, simply go with the one preferred by your devices or the sharing platform.
Step 3. Rotate and flip the video.
Click "Rotate" in the quick edit section. As the Edit page pops up, click "Rotate Left" or "Rotate Right" to adjust the angle of rotation. Down below, you can also apply Vertical Flip or Horizontal Flip to easily turn your video upside down, convert the video from portrait to landscape, and fix crooked footage, etc.
Tip: Use the Rotate/Flip feature in the Toolbox.
The toolbox sits at the base offers the "Rotate" and "Mirror & Flip" options as you may have noticed, through which, you can also trim your video during the process of rotation and flipping.
> Double click "Toolbox" at the bottom of the Video window to open the Rotate screen.
> Drag the slider bar or set the video start/end time to trim off unwanted parts. On the right side of the screen, click "Rotate Left" or "Rotate Right" to alter the orientation of the clip. Hit "Done" to close the screen and save the changes.
Step 4. (Optional) Edit Video
VideoProc Converter AI brings along a basket of editing features to fulfill both the basic and advanced editing requires. Go to the Edit Video page or enter the Toolbox to find out what you could leverage in your work if necessary.
Step 5. Export
As you finish polishing, return to the interface and click Run to export the video.
How to Rotate a Video on Mac
- Best for: video rotations on Mac
- Supported video formats: MOV, MP4, M4V, AVI, 3GP, 3GPP, and MPEG-1/2
Many Mac users assume they need to open iMovie to rotate a video, but that involves creating a project, importing media, and then exporting. That's a five-minute process for a five-second fix.
QuickTime Player is the fastest possible way to rotate a single file on a Mac. It is already on every Mac, and has a hidden editing suite that allows you to rotate and save a file almost instantly.
Step 1. Open your video file with QuickTime Player.
Step 2. Click Edit in the top menu bar.
Step 3. Select Rotate Left, Rotate Right, or Flip Horizontal.
Step 4. Close the window. A prompt will appear asking if you want to save changes.
Step 5. Click Save and choose a location for your new file.
How to Rotate a Video on iPhone
- Best for: quick video ratations for social media
- Supported video formats: MOV, MP4, HEVC, and M4V
You do not need to download third-party apps filled with ads. Both iOS and Android have video rotation feature built natively into their gallery apps.
The Photos app allows you to easily rotate a video on iPhone and iPad without installing another app. Please note that your system version needs to be iOS 13 or later.
Step 1. Go to the Photos app on your iPhone.
Step 2. Tap a photo or video to open it, then tap Edit.
Step 3. Tap the Crop icon, which looks like a square with two arrows around it.
Step 4. Click the Rotate icon until the video is placed the way you wish it to be.
Step 5. Hit Done to save your video in its new orientation.
How to Rotate a Video on Android
- Best for: quick video ratations on Android devices
- Supported video formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, MKV, and 3GP
Google Photos features a robust video editor that works identically on your Android devices. For most users, this is the goldilocks solution. It's already installed on almost every Android device and saves changes as a Copy so you don't lose the original.
Step 1. Open Google Photos.
Step 2. Select the video you want to rotate from your library.
Step 3. Tap Edit > Crop > Rotate.
Step 4. Drag the rotation angle bar or click the button to rotate in 90-degree increments.
Step 5. Tap Save copy to save the changes.
How to Rotate a Video Online
- Best for: online no-install edits
- Supported video formats: MP4, MOV, and WebM
If you are seeking for a quick in-and-out solution to rotate a video, online video rotators worth a shot. InVideo offers you the opportunity to simplify video editing through numerous features. Rotating video is one such feature where you can rotate particular scenes, images or an entire clip using InVideo's online video editing tool.
Step 1. Sign in to InVideo and select the "blank canvas" option from the select menu below. Then go to the "Make a Video" option.
Step 2. Once your canvas is open, you will find a menu on the left-hand side. Click on "Upload Media" from this menu. Upload your video from the system.
Step 3. Once your video has been uploaded in InVideo, drag it to the blank canvas.
Step 4. Select your uploaded media on the canvas. You will find the blue grid dots to crop and resize it. On the top of it, you'll find another white dot for rotation. Press this dot and rotate your video or scene to any angle you desire.
How to Rotate a Video in VLC
- Best for: quick temporary video rotation for viewing
- Supported video formats: AVI, FLAC, FLV, MKV, MP4, ASF, QuickTime File Format, TS, WAV, WebM, etc.
Another robust option for rotating videos is VLC. Almost everyone has VLC for watching movies, but few realize it can also render a new file. It comes with a hidden but multifunctional video editing toolkit in which you can of course rotate a video into different directions as you like. But I'll say VLC is primarily for temporary viewing or rotating. Saving that change permanently is a little more complicated than other methods above.
Step 1. Open VLC, and click "Media" in the upper tap. Choose "Open File" in the drop-down menu to import your video.
Step 2. Go to "Tools" > "Effects and Filters" > "Video Effects" > "Geometry".
Step 3. Enable "Rotate", then drag the knob to rotate the video at different angles. You are also allowed to rotate the video by certain degrees via enabling the "Transform" feature above Rotate.
Step 4. Close and save the video to your computer.
How to Rotate a Video in Premiere Pro
- Best for: users already in the Adobe ecosystem for the professional standard
- Supported video formats: MP4 (H.264/H.265), MOV (QuickTime), AVI, WMV, MPEG, MXF (Panasonic P2, Sony XAVC), and raw formats like Apple ProRes, ProRes RAW, and Canon Cinema RAW Light
If you are already in the Adobe ecosystem, rotating a video is a basic Effect Control as a part of a larger, high-end production rather than a standalone task. It's designed for complex, multi-track editing. While using it just to rotate a single clip is like using a rocket ship to go to the grocery store, it offers the most precision, allowing you to rotate by specific fractions of a degree to fix a crooked horizon.
Step 1. Create a project in Premiere Pro, and import the video. Then drag the video to the timeline.
Step 2. To rotate the video, select the video on the timeline. Go to the "Effect Controls" tab, and find "Rotation", then drag your mouse on the tilting parameter to change the direction of the video. if there is any annoying black borders showing after rotation, you can scale the video to fill the full screen.
Step 3. If you want to change the video direction upside down, you can search "flip" in the "Effects" tab, and choose to flip vertically or horizontally.
Step 4. Save the changes and export the video.
Frequently Asked Questions about Video Rotation
Why do I need to rotate a video?
Sometimes you may record a video on your smartphone or camera and find that it is sideways or upside down when you play it on your computer or TV. This is because the orientation of the device may not match the orientation of the video player. To fix this problem, you need to rotate the video to match the desired orientation.
How do I rotate a video in PowerPoint?
You can use PowerPoint to rotate a video that you have inserted into a slide. You need to select the video, go to the Format tab, click the Rotate button, and choose a rotation option.
How do I rotate a video in iMovie?
You can use iMovie to rotate a video on Mac or iOS. You need to import the video into iMovie, select it in the timeline, click the cropping icon, click the rotate icon, and click Done.
How do I rotate a video in Instagram?
You cannot rotate a video in Instagram directly, but you can use a third-party app like InShot or Rotate & Flip Video to do so before uploading. You need to open the video in the app, tap the rotate icon, save the video, and share it to Instagram.
Conclusion
Amid all the options given above, VideoProc Converter AI seems to prevail over with its great ability to easily rotate videos 90 degrees or upside down with the minimum steps, no complex and bothersome settings required. On top of these superior features, it could ensure the image quality throughout the whole process with its high quality algorithm built in. With such a splendid tool in hand, why not give it a try?
