Your iPhone shoots great video, and sometimes the best photo is hiding inside a clip you already recorded. Whether it is a candid moment, a reaction, or a scenic pan, extracting a still frame is faster and often better quality than trying to time a screenshot during playback.
iPhone Video Formats Explained
iPhones record in two main formats. Older and default settings use H.264 encoded in a MOV container - this works universally in every browser. Newer iPhones with High Efficiency enabled record in HEVC (H.265), also in a MOV container. HEVC files are smaller but have limited browser support.
If your iPhone video loads without issues in FrameRipper, you are good to go. If it does not, the most likely reason is HEVC encoding. Safari handles HEVC natively, so try opening FrameRipper in Safari. Alternatively, use the Files app or iMovie on your iPhone to export as H.264 before transferring.
Getting the Video onto Your Computer
AirDrop is the fastest option for Mac users - just AirDrop the video from Photos to your Mac, then open FrameRipper in your browser. For Windows, use the iPhone cable and import through the Photos app or File Explorer.
You can also use FrameRipper directly on your iPhone in Safari or Chrome. The file stays on your device either way.
Extracting the Best Frame
For capturing a specific moment (a smile, a jump, a wave), set a high frame count - 50 to 100 frames for a short clip. This gives you dense coverage so you can pick the sharpest, best-timed frame from the preview gallery.
For iPhone 4K video at 60 fps, the extracted frames will be 3840×2160 - significantly higher resolution than a Live Photo or a manual screenshot.
- 1Open FrameRipper in your browser (Safari recommended for HEVC).
- 2Tap the upload area and select your iPhone video.
- 3Set a frame count of 50–100 for a short clip.
- 4Choose JPEG for sharing or PNG for editing.
- 5Browse the preview gallery to find your perfect frame, then download.
Try FrameRipper - free, no upload
Extract frames from any video directly in your browser. No sign-up, no file size limits.
Open FrameRipperCommon Issues and Fixes
- Video won't load → Likely HEVC. Try Safari, or re-export from iMovie as H.264.
- Frames look dark → The video might start with a fade-in. Use a higher frame count to get past the opening.
- Slow extraction on phone → 4K video is large. Extraction on a desktop or laptop will be faster.
- Slo-mo video → Slo-mo iPhone videos are 120 or 240 fps but stored as 30 fps with metadata. Extraction captures the stored frames.