Best Practices for Compressing Photos and Videos Seamlessly

Compression sounds straightforward: make files smaller. But the details matter. Compress in the wrong order and you waste time. Use the wrong settings and you degrade quality unnecessarily. Skip metadata preservation and your library's organization falls apart.

This guide distills the best practices for compressing both photos and videos on iPhone into a clear, repeatable process. Follow these principles and you'll compress your entire library efficiently, safely, and with maximum space savings.

Best Practice 1: Compress Videos Before Photos

Videos consume far more storage per item than photos. A single 4K video can be 500 MB to several gigabytes. A single photo is typically 2-25 MB. Compressing videos first delivers the biggest and fastest storage impact.

The order matters because:

• Video compression frees enough space to continue using your phone comfortably while processing photos
• If you run out of processing time or patience, videos-first ensures you captured the highest-value wins
• The storage freed from video compression gives your phone breathing room for the photo compression step

Best Practice 2: Prioritize H.264 Files Over HEVC

Not all files offer equal compression potential. H.264 videos convert to HEVC with 50-60% savings. Videos already in HEVC benefit from bitrate optimization, saving 20-40%. The same effort and time spent on H.264 files produces 2-3x more space savings.

How to identify H.264 files:

• Videos recorded on iPhone 7 or earlier (pre-2017)
• Videos received via WhatsApp, Telegram, email, or SMS
• Screen recordings from older iOS versions
• Imported videos from Android devices, cameras, or web downloads
• Content from video editing apps that export in H.264

HEVCut's library scan identifies the codec of each video and sorts by compression potential, making it easy to target H.264 files first.

Best Practice 3: Use the Right Compression Profile

Different content types benefit from different compression levels. Using one setting for everything either leaves savings on the table or compresses too aggressively for sensitive content.

Best Practice 4: Always Preserve Metadata

Metadata is the invisible organizational backbone of your photo library. It includes recording dates, GPS locations, camera settings, album membership, and special data like HDR information and Cinematic Mode depth maps.

Non-negotiable metadata to preserve:

• Date and time: Without this, photos and videos lose their position in your timeline
• Location: Without this, the Places map and location-based search stop working
• Camera info: Without this, you lose lens, aperture, and ISO data
• HDR data: Without this, Dolby Vision videos become flat SDR
• Depth data: Without this, Cinematic Mode videos lose adjustable focus

How to verify: After compressing a few test files, open them in Photos and tap the info (i) button. All metadata fields should match the originals.

Best Practice 5: Compress from Originals Only

Each compression pass introduces a tiny amount of generational loss. Compressing a video, then compressing the result again compounds these losses visibly—especially in areas with fine detail, gradients, and motion.

The rule: Always compress from the highest-quality source. Never recompress a file that's already been compressed by a third-party tool.

In practice:

• Compress your original camera recordings → great results
• Compress a video that was exported from an editing app → acceptable
• Compress a video that was already compressed by another app → avoid this
• Compress a video that was compressed, shared via WhatsApp (re-compressed), and then compressed again → severe degradation

Best Practice 6: Batch Process Overnight

Compression is computationally intensive even with hardware acceleration. Batch processing your library during overnight charging is the optimal approach:

• Battery: Your phone stays at 100% throughout processing
• Heat management: Cooler ambient temperature helps sustained performance
• No interruptions: No need to use your phone during the process
• Time efficiency: Wake up to a compressed library ready for review

Practical tips for overnight batching:

• Plug into power before starting
• Disable Auto-Lock temporarily (Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock > Never) if your compression app needs the screen
• HEVCut processes in the background, so you can lock your phone normally
• Queue everything in one batch rather than running multiple smaller batches

Best Practice 7: Verify Before Deleting Originals

Compression is a one-way operation once you delete the originals. Always verify compressed results before committing.

Best Practice 8: Empty Recently Deleted Immediately

After deleting originals, the files move to Photos' Recently Deleted folder where they consume storage for up to 30 days. This is the most commonly forgotten step—people compress, delete originals, and wonder why their storage didn't change.

After every compression session: Photos > Albums > Recently Deleted > Select > Delete All.

Best Practice 9: Prevent Future Bloat

Compression fixes the current problem. Prevention stops it from recurring.

Camera settings: Verify Settings > Camera > Formats is set to High Efficiency. This ensures all new recordings use HEVC/HEIF.

Messaging apps: Videos received via WhatsApp, Telegram, and email are usually in H.264. Include these in your monthly compression routine.

Downloads and imports: Videos from social media, screen recordings, and imported content often use H.264. Compress after importing.

Monthly cadence: A 10-minute monthly session to compress new H.264 arrivals keeps your library optimized continuously.

Best Practice 10: Keep a Compression Log

For large libraries, it's helpful to track what you've compressed:

• Date of compression session
• Number of videos/photos compressed
• Space saved
• iCloud tier before and after (if applicable)

This isn't necessary for everyone, but for users managing 100+ GB libraries or tracking iCloud costs, a simple note helps you understand the impact over time and know when to do maintenance.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

FAQ

What's the single most important best practice?

Compress from originals only (Best Practice 5). Quality loss from double compression is permanent and visible. Every other issue is recoverable or minor in comparison.

Do these best practices apply to Mac too?

Yes. HEVCut on Mac follows the same principles. The Mac's larger battery and processing power make batch processing even more practical. Compressed files sync to iPhone via iCloud automatically.

How often should I compress?

Monthly is ideal for most users. You'll accumulate a handful of H.264 videos from messaging apps and downloads each month. A 10-minute session keeps everything optimized.

What if I compressed with bad settings and want to redo it?

If you still have the originals (either locally or in a backup), you can recompress from scratch. If the originals are gone, the compressed version is your only copy—this is why verification before deletion is critical.