Export & Mac Handoff on iPhone

Exporting a platform-ready reel from iPhone and handing a .zella file to the Mac

Quick answer: Export MP4, MOV, GIF or M4A with one-tap TikTok / Reels / Shorts / YouTube / Instagram presets, or hand the project to the Mac app as a .zella file to finish on a bigger screen. Export is free with no watermark; Pro unlocks 4K, and it’s a Universal Purchase - one payment covers Mac and iPhone.

On this page: export formats · platform presets · handoff to Mac · free vs Pro · FAQ

Export formats

When your edit is done, export to whichever file you need:

MP4 - the default for almost everything.
MOV - QuickTime, when you want it.
GIF - short looping clips for docs and messages.
M4A - audio only, when you just want the sound.

Same export lineup as the Mac’s export.

Platform presets

Skip the guesswork on dimensions - pick a platform preset and Zella sizes the export correctly:

TikTok / Reels / Shorts - vertical 9:16.
YouTube - horizontal 16:9.
Instagram - its own frame.

Pair a preset with Make Vertical and a horizontal recording becomes a post-ready vertical clip in a couple of taps.

Hand off to the Mac app

Started on the phone but want the big screen to finish? Export the project as a .zella file and open it in the Mac app. Your timeline, cuts, captions and effects come across, so you can keep working on the desktop with a mouse and keyboard. Your own fonts come too: the package carries any imported fonts its titles and captions use, and the Mac adds them to My fonts when it opens the project, so the text looks the same on the big screen. See iPhone vs Mac for when each device shines.

Free vs Pro

Export is generous on the free tier:

Free forever, no watermark - export MP4, MOV, GIF and M4A up to 1080p, with all the editing, captions, background removal and color included.
Pro unlocks 4K, transparent-background export (HEVC with alpha), 60 fps, custom bitrate, the multi-aspect queue, saved templates and the depth toolset.
Universal Purchase - the one-time $89 Pro covers Mac and iPhone together. Buy once on any device and 4K unlocks everywhere.

No subscription, and nothing you make carries a watermark.

When it finishes

The sheet tells you, unmissably: a green banner appears at the top, and the view scrolls itself to the finished card - the tick, the file size, and the share row. The moment of success is never below the fold.

iOS export FAQ

Which formats can I export? MP4, MOV, GIF and M4A.

Does the free tier watermark my exports? No - free is watermark-free up to 1080p.

How do I get a vertical video for TikTok? Use the TikTok / Reels / Shorts preset, ideally after Make Vertical for a face-aware 9:16 reframe.

How do I move a project to the Mac? Export it as a .zella file and open it in the Mac app - your edit comes with it.

Do I pay again for 4K on the phone if I bought Pro on the Mac? No. Pro is a Universal Purchase - one payment unlocks 4K on Mac and iPhone.

Pro tips & gotchas

Pick the platform preset last, once your edit is locked, so the reframe matches your final layout.
GIF for docs and chats - captions and zooms bake right in.
Hand off to finish big. A .zella file carries your whole project to the Mac, imported fonts included.
4K needs Pro, but it’s the same Universal Purchase as the Mac - buy once, unlock everywhere.