How to Rotate a Video | 12 Methods

Platform: Windows

WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is an all-in-one multimedia toolbox with an intuitive Rotate function. You can use it to permanently rotate videos 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, or flip a video horizontally or vertically. It also enables you to trim, merge, crop, add texts or images, apply effects, attach subtitles, change video format and parameters, and do more! It supports all video formats, including AVI, MOV, MP4, MKV, and HEVC, and can process HD and 4K videos effortlessly, making it perfect for editing your GoPro videos. The whole process takes just a few simple clicks!

✅ Download the versatile tool and see how to rotate a video with losing quality on PC:

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Step 1: Start HD Video Converter Factory Pro on your Windows PC and open the 'Converter' module.

Step 2: Click 'Add Files' or perform a drag-and-drop action to add the video you want to rotate.

Step 3: Select the 'Rotate' tool in the editing toolbar to bring up the video rotator window.

Step 4: Rotate the video as needed. You can preview the result in the side-by-side preview window. Click 'Ok' when you have the wanted result.

Platform: Windows

Windows Movie Maker was a popular video editing tool bundled with Microsoft Windows XP and Vista. However, it can also work with some later Windows versions like Windows 7, 8, and even Windows 10. Although it was officially discontinued in 2017, some users still run this software on their computers. It has a simple rotate function and can rotate a video 90 degrees left or right.

✅ Check the process of rotating videos in Windows Movie Maker:

Step 1: Launch Windows Movie Maker.

Step 2: Left-click on the right blank area to browse and import your video.

Step 3: Switch to the 'Home' tab and click the rotate buttons in the 'Editing' section: 'Rotate left 90°', 'Rotate right 90°'.

Step 4: Preview the output video on the left video player and click 'Save movie' on the toolbar to select an output destination.

Platform: Windows 11

Microsoft has made Clipchamp the default editing app on modern Windows 11 PCs. Integrated with a mix of editing tools and elements, it provides you with a seamless solution to polish videos. You can use it to turn video sideways by 90 degrees or flip it horizontally or vertically. But this tool is only suitable for editing HD videos under 10 minutes, as longer videos can easily lead to a failed export.

✅ To rotate your video in Clipchamp, follow these steps:

Step 1: Start the Clipchamp app from your Windows 11 Start menu.

Step 2: After logging in, click 'Create a new video'.

Step 3: Then click 'Import media' to load your wrong orientation video.

Step 4: Drag the video onto the timeline.

Step 5: Above the view window, click the three dots icon and you see multiple options for rotating. Select one to correct the direction.

Step 6: Finally, click 'Export' on the upper-right side of the editing window to export the video as an MP4 with different resolutions.

Platform: All platforms

CapCut is a cross-platform editing app most handy for short-form video production. You can use it to rotate videos on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and also browsers. It includes all the necessary editing features and prepares a list of ready-made templates, making it a beginner-friendly choice. Some practical features include removing green screens, adding graphic text, caption, and more!

✅ Wonder how to rotate a video on Android in Capcut, follow these instructions:

Step 1: Tap CapCut to open the app.

Step 2: Tap 'New Project' button to choose the recorded video you wish to rotate.

Step 3: Tap the timeline and select 'Edit'.

Step 4: Now, you can see the 'Mirror' and 'Rotate' buttons. Tap them to get the desired result.

Step 5: After that, tap 'Export' to save the video on your phone.

Platform: Windows, Mac

HandBrake is a well-known open source video transcoder primarily used to convert video formats. But it can also serve as a video editor to rotate videos for free. It does not have an intuitive editing interface like other video editors, but it still gives you direct buttons to rotate a video 90, 180, and 270 degrees, as well as flip a video vertically and horizontally.

✅ Try the steps below to rotate a video with HandBrake:

Step 1: Open Handbrake, click 'Open Source', and import the video you want to rotate.

Step 2: Select the 'Dimensions' tab, open the 'Rotation' drop-down list and choose the value based on your needs:

• 0 = No Change
• 90 = Rotate video 90 degrees clockwise (Rotate video to the right)
• 180 = Rotate video 180 degrees clockwise (Rotate video upside down)
• 270= Rotate video 90 degrees counter-clockwise (Rotate video to the left)

If you want to flip videos, just check the 'Flip' box.

Step 3: Click on the 'Browse' button on the bottom to rename the video and select the output destination for saving the video.

Step 4: Click on the green 'Start Encode' button on the top menu bar to start the process.

Platform: Windows, Mac

Shutter Encoder is a powerful cross-platform video converter, supporting a wide variety of file types, including video, audio, and images. Using it, you can mirror a video or rotate it by 90 degrees or 180 degrees. It includes an extensive range of features and customizable settings for video conversion and editing.

✅ Here is how to rotate your video with this free rotating tool:

Step 1: Run Shutter Encoder and hit the 'Browse' button to load your target video with the wrong rotated orientation.

Step 2: In the 'Choose function' section, select an export format.

Step 3: Then on the upper-right of the program, check the 'Rotation' option and choose a rotation degree to change your video's direction.

Step 4: Once done, click 'Start function' to start processing your video.

Platform: Windows, Mac

FFmpeg allows you to rotate videos with the original quality using specific commands. You can also use it to do more editing and transcode videos. However, this command line tool requires some coding knowledge and it takes time to get familiar with the editing commands. For non-tech-savvy users or someone looking to change video orientation quickly, try other recommendations.

✅ Check how to rotate a video by 90 degrees clockwise with FFmpeg:

Step 1: Locate the video you want to rotate.

Step 2: Type 'cmd' in the address bar and press 'Enter' to open the command prompt window.

Step 3: To turn the video 90 degrees to the right with FFmpeg, enter this command, and don't forget to change the 'input' and 'output' filenames.
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "transpose=1" output.mp4

Step 4: Press 'Enter' to execute this command.

Platform: Mac, iOS

iMovie provides Apple users with a native solution to rotate videos. It has a simple interface, making it ideal for beginners to quickly transform a vertical video into horizontal and vice versa. In addition to the basic rotation function, this free editor also supports trimming, cropping, rotating, and some advanced features like green-screen effects or high-fidelity filters.

✅ Here is how to rotate a video in iMovie on Mac or iOS devices:

Step 1: Launch iMovie on your Apple device and click 'Create New'.

Step 2: Select 'Movie' and import your video.

Step 3: Then select the video and enter the editing window.

Step 4: Click the 'Cropping' button above the playback window.

Step 5: Then you'll see two rotate buttons on the right side of the cropping controls. You can choose 'Rotate the clip clockwise' or 'Rotate the clip counterclockwise'.

Step 6: Hit the 'Apply' to confirm your changes.

Step 7: Now, you can directly share the result on YouTube, Facebook, or store it locally.

Platform: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editor with various advanced features and effects, but the rotating function is simple to learn. You can use it to rotate videos by any degree. Whether you need to correct a tilted camera angle, create a unique visual effect, or simply adjust the aspect ratio, Premiere Pro's rotation tool makes it easy to achieve the desired result.

✅ See how to rotate videos in Windows using Adobe Premiere Pro:

Step 1: Open Premiere Pro and create a new project.

Step 2: Click 'Import media' to add your video.

Step 3: Then drag and drop the file onto the timeline panel to get started with the rotation.

Step 4: Go to 'Effects' > 'Effects Controls' > 'Motion' > 'Rotation'.

Step 5: Enter the degree of rotation you want or slide the arrows.

Step 6: Then edit it with other effects if wanted. When you get the desired result, go to 'File' > 'Export' > 'Media' to export the rotated video file.

Platform: Android, iOS

Google Photos is a photo and video storage and sharing service developed by Google. If you have videos stored in Google Photos, you can rotate them directly in the Google Photos app on your phone. The biggest advantage of using this app is that it doesn't take up local folder space, hence no pressure if you're running out of storage space on your phone.

✅ See how to rotate a video in the Google Photos app:

Step 1: Open Google Photos and tap the video you want to rotate.

Step 2: Tap the 'Edit' icon (with levers) at the bottom of your screen.

Step 3: Tap 'Rotate' to change the video orientation as you wish.

Step 4: Once done, tap the 'Save' button to save it.

Platform: Web browsers

Video Candy is a popular web-based platform that integrates 15 video editing tools, including a simple video rotator. It features a straightforward workflow so everyone can use it to fast make a 90-degree clockwise or counterclockwise rotation. No need to sign up. You can use it rotate a video up to 2GB online for free, making it a decent online video rotators for large files.

Step 1: Open the video you want to rotate in VLC.

Step 2: Click 'Tools' > 'Effects and Filters'.

Step 3: Go to 'Video Effects' and select the 'Geometry' tab. Check 'Transform' and select a rotate option from the drop-down box: 'Rotate by 90 degrees', 'Rotate by 180 degrees', 'Rotate by 270 degrees', 'Flip horizontally', 'Flip vertically', 'Transpose (rotate and flip at the same time)', and 'Anti-transpose'.