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iPhone Tip: How to Fix Videos Recorded in the Wrong Orientation

Any great video can lose impact if it's been shot in the wrong orientation. Thankfully there's an easy for that directly on your iPhone.

Sareena Dayaram
Sareena Dayaram
Sareena Dayaram Senior Editor
Sareena is a senior editor for CNET covering the mobile beat including device reviews. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with more than a decade's worth of experience producing stories for television and digital publications across Asia's financial capitals including Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mumbai. Prior to CNET, Sareena worked at CNN as a news writer and Reuters as a producer.
Expertise Huawei, Oppo, smartphones, smartwatches Credentials
  • More than a decade of journalism experience
Sareena Dayaram
2 min read
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Apple/Screenshot by CNET

Sometimes you might start shooting a video vertically on your iPhone only to realize moments later that it's recording horizontally instead. Flipping your phone midway doesn't work, since the iPhone locks the video in the orientation you started recording in.

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Apple knows this is a common occurrence and has equipped iPhones with a handy solution you can use after you're done recording. All it involves is a series of taps, and you should have your video in the correct orientation in seconds.

Apple added the ability to rotate a video's orientation with the release of iOS 13 in 2019. In fact, as long as your iPhone is running iOS 13 or newer, you can take advantage of the feature and quickly fix any videos recorded the wrong way. Here's how.

How to fix your iPhone's video orientation 

1. Open the Photos app and find the video you want to fix.
2. Tap the Edit button on the upper right of the screen to bring up a toolbar at the bottom.
3. Now tap the Crop icon on the far right side on the toolbar.
4. Next tap the Rotate tool icon (a square with a tiny arrow) on the top left of the screen. 
5. Once the video is in the orientation you want, tap the Done button.

If you enjoyed this tech tip, make sure to check out these 10 hidden iOS 16 settings that'll change how you use your iPhone, as well as the most annoying iOS 16 features and how to fix them.

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