Compress Video for WhatsApp
Get a video under 16 MB as an MP4 that WhatsApp sends straight into the chat, plays on every phone, and arrives closer to the original than a clip the app had to shrink by itself.
Compress Video
or drop MP4, MOV, MKV … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Never output more than this height. Capping a 4K phone video at 1080p saves a lot of space before any other compression.
Halving 60 fps to 30 fps saves space with little visible change except in fast motion.
H.264 plays everywhere. H.265 and AV1 reach the same quality at a smaller size but some older phones, TVs and apps cannot play them.
96 kbps is fine for speech, 128 kbps for music. The audio share matters most for small targets.
MP4 is the safest choice for messengers and email. WebM is usually smaller for websites.
How to use this tool
- 1
Choose the clip
Upload up to 20 videos of up to 95 MB each, from your gallery, a camera or a download. iPhone MOV and MKV files both work.
- 2
Keep 16 MB and 720p
Target size is 16 MB, Maximum resolution 720p and Video codec H.264, a combination WhatsApp handles without fuss.
- 3
Compress and share
Press Compress to MP4, save the file to your phone and attach it in WhatsApp as a photo or video.
WhatsApp video size limit: 16 MB, 2 GB and status
The 16 MB figure dates from WhatsApp's early years and is still the safe target for a video that should play inline in a chat. Depending on the app version, a larger clip is either refused or opened in the editor to be trimmed. In 2022 WhatsApp raised the document limit to 2 GB, which is how you send a long recording without trimming, at the cost of a download step for the receiver.
| Organisation | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sent as media | 16 MB is the long-standing cap; WhatsApp re-encodes the video | WhatsApp Help Center |
| Sent as a document | Up to 2 GB since 2022; delivered as the original file | — |
| Status update | 30 seconds per clip for years; recent versions allow up to a minute | — |
| HD option | Added in 2023; keeps more resolution, still re-encoded | — |
How to send a video on WhatsApp without losing quality
iPhone
- 01Compress here and save the MP4 to Photos or Files.
- 02In the chat, tap +, then Photos & Video Library, and pick the clip.
- 03Tap HD at the top before sending, if your version shows it.
Android
- 01Compress here and download the MP4.
- 02In the chat, tap the paperclip, then Gallery, and pick the clip.
- 03For the untouched original, tap the paperclip, then Document.
Desktop and Web
- 01Open WhatsApp for Windows or Mac, or WhatsApp Web.
- 02Click the attach button, then Photos & videos.
- 03Choose Document instead to send the file exactly as it is.
WhatsApp re-compression and the HD toggle
MythSending as a document is always better
FactA document keeps every pixel but does not play inline. For a quick share, a 16 MB MP4 sent as media is easier on the receiver.
MythThe HD toggle sends the original file
FactHD keeps more resolution, but the video is still re-encoded. Only the document route delivers the file untouched.
MythA smaller file always looks worse on WhatsApp
FactA 720p H.264 clip under 16 MB leaves WhatsApp little to change, so it often looks better than a 4K original the app had to shrink.
WhatsApp compresses media to keep chats fast on mobile data, and its encoder runs quickly on the sender's phone. Doing that step yourself, with two-pass encoding and a sensible resolution, puts you in charge of what gets thrown away. iPhones add one more reason: since iOS 11 the camera records HEVC in a .mov file by default, and older Android phones on the receiving end can stutter on it, while H.264 MP4 plays everywhere. A plain format change without resizing is what MOV to MP4 does. For Discord or email, where the number to beat is lower, use compress video to 10 MB.
WhatsApp video compression questions
How long a video fits in WhatsApp's 16 MB?
16 MB is about 128 megabits. One minute leaves roughly 2 Mbps, enough for clean 720p; two minutes about 1 Mbps, still fine at 720p for calm scenes. Beyond about three minutes, drop to 480p or send the clip as a document.
Why does my video look blurry after sending it on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp re-encoded it to save data, and standard quality cuts resolution and bitrate further than HD. Send with the HD option, or compress to 720p here first so the app has less to change.
Can I change WhatsApp's default video quality?
Recent versions have a Media upload quality setting under Settings, then Storage and data, with Standard and HD choices. HD uses more mobile data and keeps more detail.
Is a 16 MB video fine for a WhatsApp status?
For status, length matters more than size. Status clips were capped at 30 seconds for years, and newer versions allow up to a minute, so cut the clip with trim video first and compress afterward if it is still large.
Should I use H.265 to fit more quality into 16 MB?
It does fit more detail, but some older Android phones and some browsers running WhatsApp Web cannot play HEVC smoothly. H.264 plays for every recipient, so keep it unless you know everyone has a recent phone.
- Compress Video to 10 MBCompress a video to 10 MB for Discord's free upload limit or email. Two-pass encoding hits the size; bitrate math shows what 30, 60 or 120 seconds can hold.
- MOV to MP4 ConverterConvert iPhone and QuickTime MOV videos to MP4 online. H.264 + AAC by default so the file plays on Windows, Android and every browser. 95 MB per file.
- HEVC to H.264 ConverterRe-encode HEVC (H.265) video as H.264 for smooth editing, direct play in Plex and older TVs. MP4, MKV or MOV output, original audio kept untouched.
- 1080p to 720p ConverterDownscale 1080p video to 720p MP4 to cut file size for email, slow uploads and older devices. Width follows the aspect ratio; never upscales. No account.
- Compress Video to 100 MBConvert a video to H.264 MP4 that is guaranteed to end at or under 100 MB, for GitHub, Google Forms and boosted Discord servers. Uploads up to 95 MB.
- 4K to 1080p ConverterDownscale 4K video from an iPhone, GoPro or drone to 1080p H.264 MP4: a quarter of the pixels, smooth playback on older devices and smaller files.