In this paper, the magnetic and specific heat properties of polycrystalline MnCr2O4 were investigated, mainly by focusing on the spiral order transition around Ts. With increasing magnetic field, the magnetic anomaly around Ts in the M–T curve is gradually suppressed. However, an external magnetic field up to 5 T has no evident influence on the spiral magnetic transition as revealed by specific heat measurements. Upon cooling below Ts, AC susceptibility displays no frequency dependence, but the coercivity increases abruptly. Applying external pressure increases the coercivity at 5 K, implying the strengthening of the spiral order. It is suggested that with decreasing temperature across Ts, the spiral component develops in the direction perpendicular to the easy axis of the parent collinear ferri-magnetic phase and does not contribute to the saturation magnetization.