The fastest way to slow down video depends on what you already have

You can slow down a video using free software that's probably already on your computer, or a phone app that takes two minutes to download. The method changes based on whether you're using Windows, Mac, or a phone, and whether you want to keep the original speed or create a new slowed-down copy.

Most people don't need professional video editing software. Windows comes with Photos, Mac comes with QuickTime, and both Android and iPhone have built-in options or free apps that do this one task well. If you're working on a computer, you'll open the video, find the playback speed control, and adjust it down. On a phone, the process is similar but the buttons are in different places.

The key difference: some tools let you watch a video in slow motion without changing the file itself, while others create a new video file that plays slower. Watching without changing the file takes seconds. Creating a new file takes longer because the software has to process and save the entire video.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows Photos and Mac QuickTime can play any video in slow motion without creating a new file, which is the fastest option if you just need to watch it slower.
  • If you need to save a slowed-down copy, Windows Photos can export it, and free apps like DaVinci Resolve work on both Windows and Mac.
  • On iPhone, the Photos app lets you watch videos in slow motion, and on Android, Google Photos and other free apps offer the same feature.
  • Slowing down video doesn't require special skills — the controls are usually a single button or slider labeled "speed" or showing a number like 0.5x or 0.75x.

Slow down video on Windows using Photos

Open the video file in the Photos app (the built-in app on Windows 10 and 11). Right-click the video and select "Open with" then "Photos" if it doesn't open automatically. Once the video is playing, look for the three dots menu button in the top right corner of the player and tap it.

Select "Playback speed" from the menu. You'll see options like 0.25x, 0.5x, 0.75x, and 1x (normal speed). Choose the speed you want — 0.5x plays at half speed, 0.25x plays at one-quarter speed. The video will slow down immediately. This change only affects what you see right now; it doesn't change the original file.

If you want to save a slowed-down copy of the video, Photos can do this too, but it's more limited. Open the video, tap the three dots, and look for "Edit" or "Trim and save." Photos lets you trim and adjust, but for full slow-motion export, you'll need a different tool like DaVinci Resolve (free version available).

Slow down video on Mac using QuickTime

Open the video in QuickTime Player (search for it in Spotlight or find it in Applications > Utilities). Once the video is playing, go to the menu bar at the top and click "View." Look for "Playback Speed" and select the speed you want — options usually include 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, and 1.5x.

Like Windows Photos, this only changes what you see on screen. The original file stays the same. If you need to export a slowed-down version, QuickTime doesn't have a built-in export option, so you'll need to use DaVinci Resolve (free) or another video editor.

To use DaVinci Resolve on Mac: download it from the DaVinci Resolve website, open it, create a new project, import your video, drag it to the timeline, right-click the clip, select "Retime Controls," and adjust the speed slider. Then export the file through File > Export. This creates a new video file that plays at the slower speed you set.

Slow down video on iPhone

Open the video in the Photos app and tap "Edit" in the top right. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the playback speed controls. You'll see options like 0.5x, 1x, and 1.5x. Tap the speed you want, then tap "Done" to save the change to that video in your library.

The Photos app on iPhone saves the slow-motion setting to that specific video, so it will play at that speed every time you open it. If you want to send the slowed-down video to someone else or use it elsewhere, you'll need to export it. Tap the share button (arrow pointing out of a box), select "Save Video," and choose where to save it.

For more control over slow-motion effects, download a free app like iMovie (made by Apple) or CapCut. Both let you import a video, slow it down, and export a new file. CapCut is faster for this single task; iMovie gives you more editing options if you want to trim or add music later.

Slow down video on Android

Open the video in Google Photos (the default on most Android phones). Tap the three dots menu, then tap "Edit." Look for the speed or playback controls — on Google Photos, swipe up from the bottom to find the speed slider. Drag it to the left to slow down the video, then tap "Save" to apply the change.

Google Photos saves the change to your library, so the video will play slower each time you open it. To export a slowed-down copy, tap the three dots again and select "Download" or "Save to device." This saves the edited version as a new file.

If Google Photos doesn't have the speed controls you need, download CapCut (free, available on Google Play). Open CapCut, tap "New project," select your video, tap the speed icon at the bottom (it looks like a speedometer), and drag the slider to slow it down. Tap "Export" to save the new slowed-down video to your phone.

Using DaVinci Resolve for more control

DaVinci Resolve is free video editing software that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It's more powerful than the built-in tools but still straightforward for slowing down video. Download it from the DaVinci Resolve website (the free version is all you need), install it, and open it.

Create a new project, then import your video by going to File > Import Media or dragging the video into the media pool on the left. Drag the video from the media pool down to the timeline at the bottom. Right-click the video clip in the timeline and select "Retime Controls" or look for a speed icon.

A speed slider will appear. Drag it to the left to slow down the video — 0.5 means half speed, 0.25 means one-quarter speed. You can also type in an exact number if you want precise control. Once you're happy with the speed, go to File > Export and choose your format (MP4 is standard). DaVinci Resolve will process the video and save the slowed-down version to your computer.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is confusing playback speed with frame rate. Slowing down playback speed (what we've covered) just makes the video play slower — it still has the same number of frames per second. True slow-motion video, shot at a high frame rate, looks smoother when slowed down. If your video was shot at normal speed (24 or 30 frames per second), slowing it down will look choppy. This is normal and not a problem with your software.

Another mistake is assuming that slowing down a video in Photos or QuickTime saves a new file. It doesn't — it only changes how that app plays the video. If you send the original file to someone else, it will play at normal speed on their device. To share a slowed-down version, you must export it as a new file using an editor like DaVinci Resolve or CapCut.

A third mistake is trying to slow down a video that's already compressed heavily (like a very old MP4 or a video from social media). These files have fewer frames to work with, so slowing them down makes them look very choppy or pixelated. This is a limitation of the original file, not the software. If possible, use the highest-quality version of the video you have.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I slow down just part of a video?

Yes, but you need video editing software. DaVinci Resolve and CapCut both let you split a video into sections, slow down one section, and keep the rest at normal speed. In DaVinci Resolve, right-click the video in the timeline where you want to split it, select "Cut," then adjust the speed of just that section. Export when done.

Will slowing down a video make it look blurry or pixelated?

Not because of the slowing process itself. But if the original video was shot at a low frame rate (like 24 fps) or heavily compressed, it will look choppy when slowed down because there aren't enough frames to fill in the gaps. This is a limitation of the original file, not the software.

What's the difference between slowing down video and creating true slow motion?

True slow motion is shot at a high frame rate (60, 120, or 240 fps) and then played at normal speed, creating smooth slow-motion footage. Slowing down a normal video just stretches out the frames that already exist. If your video was shot at normal speed, slowing it down will look choppier than true slow motion, but it's still usable.

Can I slow down a video on social media like YouTube or TikTok?

YouTube lets you change playback speed while watching, but you can't save a slowed-down version. TikTok has a built-in slow-motion effect when you're recording, but not for videos already posted. To share a slowed-down video on social media, you must create the slowed-down file first using one of the tools above, then upload the new file.

Does slowing down a video make the file bigger?

No, the file size stays roughly the same. Slowing down video doesn't add new data — it just changes how fast the existing frames play. The exported file will be similar in size to the original, though the exact size depends on the quality settings you choose during export.