How to Reverse a Video on iPhone Without an App

There are different ways to tell a story through video, each bringing a fresh perspective to your content. In this guide, we’ll show you how to reverse a video on an iPhone to start to tell a story at the end. We’ll also explore some creative ideas to inspire you to rewind your storyboard for better responses.

Can You Reverse a Video on an iPhone Without an App?

In fact, no. There isn’t a native feature in iOS that allows you to reverse a video directly on an iPhone just using the default Camera or Photos app. However, you can achieve this by using third-party video editing apps available on the App Store.

How to Reverse a Video Online

Technically, if you want to know how to reverse a video on an iPhone without an app, we want to introduce the free online video reverser tool from Media.io.

1. Upload the source video to Media.io:
2. Open Safari on your iPhone.
3. Go to Media.io Online Video Reverser.
4. Tap Choose Files and select the video from your Photo Library.
5. Wait for the video to upload to Media.io.
6. Define output preferences:
7. After uploading, select your preferred playback speed for the reversed video.
8. Make sure to check the Mute Video option to avoid glitched audio.
9. Choose the output format (e.g., MP4) and tap Reverse.
10. Once the process is complete, tap Download to save the reversed video to your iPhone.

But that’s not the only way to manipulate your videos — further on, we’ll share great apps, give instructions, and give content tips.

Best iOS Apps for Reversing Videos

Reversing a video with an app is a popular choice because it’s free on many services and quick to use. Plus, you have a ton of other great features to explore as well. Below are the best three for iOS.

1. CapCut

Here’s how to reverse video on an iPhone using CapCut:

1. Download CapCut from the App Store (it’s free with optional subscription features).
2. Open CapCut.
3. Select the Edit tab at the bottom of the screen.
4. Tap the blue + New Project button and choose the video you want to reverse.
5. Once the video is added to your project, tap the Edit icon (scissor icon) at the bottom.
6. Scroll through the editing options and select the Reverse effect.
7. Tap the Export icon (an underlined arrow) at the top-right corner to save the video.

If your video has a watermark after exporting, just make a small tweak to remove it:

1. Before exporting your video, select the black clip in your video timeline (this clip contains the CapCut watermark).
2. From the bottom toolbar, choose Delete to remove the watermark.
3. Now, you can export your reversed video without the watermark.

2. FilmoraGo

Start by downloading and opening FilmoraGo from the App Store. Agree to terms and permissions, tap the + icon to start a new project, and import your video.

Once imported, you’ll be taken to the video editing screen, where you can trim the video if needed:

1. Tap on the Speed tab and adjust the speed of the video to your preference.
2. Next to the speed settings, you’ll find an option to reverse the video. Tap on it to start the reversal process.
3. Tap on the Play button to preview the reversed video.
4. Tap on the Export option to save the reversed video to your iPhone.

3. ReverseVid

Unlike the previous two services, this app is specifically designed to reverse the video clips you import into it. Here’s how to reverse a video on an iPhone with ReverseVid:

1. Open ReverseVid and choose a video from your library.
2. Select the video and tap Choose.
3. Add music and annotations if you want.
4. Adjust the playback speed using the Timeline meter.
5. Tap Save to export and download the reversed video to your iPhone.

Can You Reverse a Clip With iMovie?

Yes, you can reverse a video clip using iMovie, but this feature is available on the macOS version of iMovie, not the iOS version for iPhone.

Select the clip you want to reverse in the timeline. Then, click the Speed button to reveal the speed controls. From there, check the Reverse checkbox, and it will now play in reverse according to the speed you’ve set.

How Do You Reverse a Video on iPhone Back and Forth?

A video reversed back and forth is actually called a loop video, a short clip that plays over and over again without stopping. They’re great for taking parts of long videos and making them into shorter, more engaging bits.

If you don’t actually want a reversed video but a loop, you can use the same apps but different features. For example, upload your video clip to CapCut, trim it to the desired length, and select how many times you want it to loop.

CapCut and similar services also tend to offer diverse sets of other editing features, like text, filters, effects, background music, stickers, and more.

Ideas to Easily Reverse a Video on iPhone

Feeling stuck in a creative rut? Here are a few ideas to spark your inspiration:

• Timelapse techniques — Film the gradual changes, like a candle melting or an hourglass emptying. Adjust the speed of the footage as necessary.
• Changing the direction — Add footage of vehicles, airplanes, or boats moving in your video. Reverse the footage to change their direction to play with time and movement.
• Have a drink —Film pouring or drinking a drink in your video and then show the drink being poured out in reverse.
• Capturing the water — Film a scene of water draining from a flood or spill. Start with the water at its highest level and reverse the footage to make it look like the water is flooding in. Speeding up the reversed footage adds drama.
• To build or destroy — Film people building or demolishing a wall or building in your video. Then, reverse the footage to show the structure being built or torn down quickly.

It can also be dancing in reverse, jumping, blooming flowers, artwork coming to life, flying objects like balloons, doing makeup, or playing sports.

The best part about using the reversed trick in videos is that you can be as creative as you want. There are no themes or rules to follow, so you have complete freedom to experiment and let your imagination run wild. Think outside the box and create unique content!

FAQ

Can you reverse a video on iMovie for iPhone?

No, although this feature is available in iMovie for macOS.

How do you reverse a video on Instagram?

Instagram doesn’t offer a built-in feature to directly reverse videos within the app. However, you can reverse a video using third-party video editing apps before uploading it to Instagram. If the clip was already posted, download it and follow the usual instructions for reversing videos.

How do you flip a video on an iPhone?

You can use the built-in iMovie app: import the video, tap on it in the timeline, go to Adjustments, select the Rotate icon, and choose Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical. Preview and save the flipped video, then export it.