Can QuickTime Player open MKV files?

No. QuickTime Player has no MKV support, which is why it shows an error. Convert MKV to MOV here and the file opens in QuickTime Player, Quick Look and other Apple apps.

Why can't VLC play MOV?

VLC plays most MOV files, including the H.264 and HEVC ones this converter writes. When it fails, the cause is usually an unusual codec inside or a damaged file, not the MOV container.

What's the difference between MKV and MOV?

Both are containers for the same kinds of video. MOV is Apple's QuickTime format and works across Apple apps. MKV is an open format that holds more track types, such as image subtitles, but macOS can't play it without extra software.

How can I convert an MKV file to a video format?

Pick the MKV in the tool above and it writes a MOV, the QuickTime format Apple's own apps are built around. If you need MP4 for Windows or Android instead, our MKV to MP4 page works the same way.

Does converting MKV to MOV lose quality?

Not with Fast Copy when the video is compatible: 8-bit H.264 and HEVC streams are copied unchanged. 10-bit or 4:4:4 H.264 and other codecs such as VP9 are re-encoded automatically, and if a copy fails the converter retries with a re-encode. Re-encode always alters the picture slightly; High (CRF 18) keeps it closest to the source.

How long does an MKV to MOV conversion take?

Usually seconds with Fast Copy. Our 10-second 720p H.264 MKV with AC3 audio and SRT subtitles became an MP4 in under a second, with the AC3 turned into AAC; a MOV rewrap is the same kind of job. Re-encoding 1080p runs at about real time, so a 90-minute film can take about 90 minutes.

Will my subtitles and audio tracks show up in QuickTime?

Yes for audio: every track is kept, in its original order. SRT, ASS and WebVTT subtitles become a text track you switch on in the player, though ASS colors and fonts are lost. Blu-ray and DVD image subtitles are dropped.

Can Final Cut Pro edit the converted MOV?

Yes. Final Cut Pro imports MOV files with H.264 or HEVC video. They aren't ProRes, so for heavy editing you can have Final Cut create optimized media.

Is it safe to convert MKV to MOV in the browser?

Yes. The video is processed on your own computer and is never sent to us, to Cloudflare (our web host) or to jsDelivr (which delivers the converter program).

MKV to MOV

Convert MKV to MOV for QuickTime Player, Final Cut Pro and iMovie, in seconds. Free, no sign-up, no watermark, nothing uploaded.

Free & unlimited
No sign-up
Files never uploaded
No watermark
Up to 2 GB per file

How to convert MKV to MOV on a Mac

Open this page in a desktop browser. There is nothing to install and no account to create.

1
Choose the .mkv
Drag it from Finder onto the page or click to browse. Before anything runs, you see its size, duration and resolution.
2
Leave Fast Copy on, or switch to Re-encode
Fast Copy moves compatible video into a QuickTime container as it is. Re-encode writes H.264 at High, Medium or Small file quality and can shrink the picture to 1080p, 720p or 480p.
3
Save the .mov
The download keeps the original name with .mov at the end. You also see the size before and after, plus, after Fast Copy, a note if the video had to be re-encoded and how many audio tracks were converted.

Why this MKV to MOV converter suits Apple apps

Apple software cares about what sits inside a MOV, not only about the file extension.

Same video, new QuickTime wrapper

Compatible H.264 (8-bit) and HEVC video is copied into the MOV without being encoded again, so the picture matches the MKV frame for frame. That is why Fast Copy needs only seconds.

Audio that Apple apps can play

MKV files often carry AC3, E-AC3, DTS, Opus, Vorbis or FLAC. Fast Copy turns only those tracks into AAC at 192 kbps, which QuickTime Player, iMovie and Final Cut Pro all read, while AAC and MP3 tracks and compatible video are still copied.

HEVC labeled hvc1

QuickTime and other Apple players only open HEVC inside a MOV when the stream carries the hvc1 tag. The converter writes that tag on every HEVC file.

10-bit H.264 handled for you

Some MKV encodes use 10-bit or 4:4:4 H.264, which Apple players don't decode. Those files are re-encoded to standard 8-bit H.264 automatically, even in Fast Copy.

No upload bar to watch

The file is read from your disk inside the browser tab, and the MOV comes back through your browser's normal download. A big film costs no upload time.

Ways to convert MKV to MOV on a Mac, compared

QuickTime Player can't open the MKV in the first place, so its own Export menu is no help. These are the real options.

	This converter	Upload-based online converters	FFmpeg in Terminal	HandBrake
Writes a .mov file	Yes	Yes	Yes	No, only MP4, MKV or WebM
Video leaves your computer	No	Yes, kept on their servers; retention depends on the service	No	No
Setup	None, runs in the browser	None	Install FFmpeg, type commands	Install the app
Video is re-encoded	Only when the codec can't be copied	Depends on the site	Not with -c copy	Always
All audio tracks kept	Yes	Depends on the service	Only with extra -map options	Only the tracks you pick
Size limit	About 2 GB per file	Depends on the service	Your free disk space	Your free disk space
Cost	Free, no account	Pricing depends on the service	Free	Free

Apple apps that open the MOV but not the MKV

On a Mac, MKV is the format most built-in apps turn away. These are the places it usually gets stuck.

QuickTime Player and Quick Look

Double-click an MKV in Finder and QuickTime Player shows an error. The MOV opens there, and also previews when you press the space bar in Finder.

Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro won't import MKV. It takes the H.264 or HEVC MOV, and it can build ProRes optimized media from it if you want smoother editing.

iMovie

iMovie on the Mac skips MKV files when you import media. The MOV arrives as a normal clip that you can trim, title and export.

Keynote slides

Drag the MOV onto a slide and it plays during the presentation. Fast Copy keeps the source resolution, so a 1080p clip stays sharp on a projector.

The Photos library

Photos doesn't accept MKV. Import the MOV to keep a clip next to your other videos and sync it to your iPhone through iCloud Photos.

When someone asks for a .mov

Editors, agencies and course platforms sometimes want QuickTime files only. Send them a real MOV, not an MKV with a renamed extension.

MKV vs MOV, and when MP4 is the better pick

MKV (Matroska) and MOV (QuickTime) are both containers: wrappers that hold video, audio and subtitle tracks. The same H.264 or HEVC video can sit in either one, so changing the wrapper alone doesn't touch quality. The real difference is support. Apple created MOV and its apps read it everywhere, while macOS has no built-in MKV player. MKV can also carry things MOV can't, such as Blu-ray PGS subtitles and attached fonts; those are left out.

MOV and MP4 are close relatives and behave the same in Apple apps. Choose MOV when a workflow or a person asks for .mov. For Android phones, TVs and websites, our MKV to MP4 converter is the safer choice.

MKV to MOV mistakes Mac users make

Mistake: Expecting a ProRes MOV for editing.
Do this instead: This converter writes H.264 or HEVC inside the MOV. If Final Cut Pro feels slow on a long timeline, let it create optimized media after import.
Mistake: Choosing Re-encode for a full-length film.
Do this instead: In our tests 1080p re-encoding ran at about real time, a 30-second clip in about 30 seconds, because the browser converter uses one CPU core. Fast Copy skips that wait when the codecs allow it.
Mistake: Pasting a Terminal command from a forum.
Do this instead: ffmpeg -i in.mkv -c copy out.mov keeps only one audio track by default. Add -map 0:v -map 0:a to keep them all, or let the converter above pick the tracks.
Mistake: Trying to re-encode an AV1 file here.
Do this instead: This converter has no AV1 decoder, so AV1 video can only be copied. If an Apple app won't play the AV1 MOV, re-encode it with a desktop tool.
Mistake: Deleting the MKV of a Blu-ray rip.
Do this instead: PGS image subtitles can't go into a MOV and are dropped. Keep the MKV if you watch with those subtitles.

Privacy, price and file limits

Your film never leaves the computer

Your file is converted on your own device and is never uploaded to our servers. The site sends you the converter program and nothing travels back, so there is no copy of your video to delete.

Free for every file

No account, no watermark and no cap on how many MKV to MOV conversions you run. It works on one file at a time; there is no batch mode.

About 2 GB per MKV

Browsers cap the memory WebAssembly can use. A 1.6 GB file converted fine in our tests, while a 2.1 GB one ran out of memory. Use FFmpeg in Terminal for larger files.

One 32 MB download first

The first conversion fetches FFmpeg 5.1.4 compiled to WebAssembly from jsDelivr. After that, your browser loads it from its cache.