How to make a video background transparent on iPhone
A video with a transparent background has no background at all — just the person, the product or the animated title, ready to drop over any other footage in a video editor. Video Grid Collage cuts out the subject automatically and exports it with a transparent background, right on your iPhone.
Step by step
Open the video
In Video Grid Collage (free on the App Store), tap + on the start screen, choose Image or Video and pick your video. If it fills only the top half of the screen, tap Grid → Layout and choose the first layout — a single frame.
Remove the background
Tap the video on the timeline, then Remove BG. Choose People only for people or Any subject for pets and objects, and tap Continue. Every frame is processed on your iPhone, so long clips take a while.
Make the background transparent
Tap Insert → Background → Transparent. A checkerboard shows the see-through areas — it's only in the preview, not in the file.
Pick a codec that keeps transparency
Tap the share icon to open the export settings. Under Video codec, choose HEVC for a small file or ProRes 4444 for the widest editor support, and leave Export HDR off.
Export and use it
Export, then save the video to your library or share it with Share video. Open the .mov in an editor that supports transparent video and place it over other footage.
Where does a transparent video work?
The file is a .mov with an alpha channel. ProRes 4444 is the standard for transparent video in desktop editors such as Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and After Effects. HEVC files are much smaller and keep their transparency in Apple apps such as Final Cut Pro and Motion, and in Safari on the web.
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and messengers don't support transparent video — they fill the see-through areas with a solid color, usually black. To post a cutout on social media, put a new background behind it in the app instead: Insert → Background with a photo, a video or a color.
Tips for transparent video
- Film against a plain, well-lit background — the cutout edges come out cleaner.
- Everything not covered by a clip, photo or text stays transparent, so titles and stickers made in the app can be exported the same way.
- ProRes 4444 files are large. If your editor opens HEVC with transparency, HEVC saves a lot of space.
- Short clips process faster — trim the video before you tap Remove BG.
Try it yourself — free
Video Grid Collage · 4.9 on the App Store · 100 layouts, up to 100 clips in one collage