Compress Video for WhatsApp – Send Large Videos Under 16 MB
Compress video for WhatsApp so it goes through as a normal video message instead of being refused or cut short. WhatsApp caps photo and video messages at 16 MB; ProMedia fits your clip just under that at a sharp 720p by default, in your browser, without uploading it anywhere. The result is an H.264 MP4 that plays straight away in the chat.
- Runs on your device
- WebCodecs · GPU
- FFmpeg
- Works offline
Updated
Drop your videos here
How to compress a video for WhatsApp
Step 1: Drop your video on the box above, or tap it and pick one from your gallery.
Step 2: The 16 MB target is set for you. Keep Max resolution at 720p, or pick 1080p for a short clip.
Step 3: Press Compress and wait for the result card.
Step 4: Share the MP4 to WhatsApp, or save it and attach it from the chat.
Good to know
Settings explained
- Max resolution
- Automatic steps the resolution down only when the bitrate would get too low — a smaller sharp picture beats a big blocky one.
- Video codec
- H.264 plays everywhere. HEVC and AV1 give smaller files at the same quality but need newer devices.
- H.264 (AVC): Plays everywhere
- H.265 (HEVC): About 35% smaller, newer devices
- VP9: Web / WebM
- AV1: Smallest files, slowest to encode
- Audio
- 64 kbps: Voice
- 96 kbps
- 128 kbps: Standard
- 192 kbps: High
- Remove audio
- Frame rate
- Dropping 60 fps footage to 30 fps saves a lot of bits for the same sharpness.
Formats
Batch-friendly: add many files and they are processed one after another — if one fails, the rest still finish.
How it runs
- Hardware video engine
- Video is decoded and encoded by your device’s media hardware through WebCodecs — usually several times faster than real time.
- FFmpeg (when needed)
- Older formats and a few filters use FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly. It downloads once (about 31 MB) the first time it is needed and is cached for offline use.
| Platform | Plan / type | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Discord | Free | 20 MB |
| Discord | Nitro Basic | 50 MB |
| Discord | Nitro | 500 MB |
| Photo / video message | 16 MB | |
| Sent as a document | 2 GB | |
| Gmail | Attachment | 25 MB |
| Yahoo Mail | Attachment | 25 MB |
| Outlook.com | Attachment | 20 MB |
| iCloud Mail | Attachment | 20 MB |
| Telegram | Free | 2 GB |
| Telegram | Premium | 4 GB |
| X / Twitter | Video | 512 MB |
Checked 11 October 2026. Platforms change their limits — check the official help pages if a number looks different.
What 16 MB buys at each clip length
The 16 MB limit is shared by every second of the clip, so length decides how sharp it can be. This table shows the video bitrate the compressor plans for common lengths at the default 720p, and what that looks like on a phone screen.
| Clip length | Video bitrate | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 3.9 Mbps | Enough for 1080p: set Max resolution to 1080p |
| 1 minute | 1.9 Mbps | Clean 720p |
| 90 seconds | 1.2 Mbps | Clean 720p |
| 2 minutes | 0.9 Mbps | Clean 720p |
| 3 minutes | 0.6 Mbps | Softer 720p; 480p looks cleaner |
| 5 minutes | 0.3 Mbps | Blocky; trim or split the video |
What size video can you send on WhatsApp?
Videos sent as media, from the gallery button or the camera, are limited to 16 MB. Anything sent as a document can be up to 2 GB, but the other person has to download it before they can watch, and it does not show as a playable video bubble.
So the WhatsApp video size limit you usually hit is the 16 MB one. This page compresses to exactly that, with a small safety margin.
Does WhatsApp compress video quality?
Yes. WhatsApp re-compresses videos you send from the gallery to save data, and a clip over the limit has to be trimmed before it will send. Compressing first puts you in control of the trade-off: you choose the resolution, frame rate and audio, and the file already fits, so nothing has to be cut. WhatsApp may still apply its own compression on top, so start from the original rather than an earlier WhatsApp copy.
How to send a long video on WhatsApp without trimming
If a clip is too long to look good at 16 MB, you have three options that keep every second:
- Split it into parts with split video, then compress each part. Each one arrives as its own playable video.
- Send it as a document for files up to 2 GB. Quality is untouched, but the recipient downloads it before watching.
- Lower the resolution to 480p under Max resolution. A long talk or tutorial still reads fine on a phone at that size.
Compress a video for WhatsApp on iPhone, Android or a laptop
Android
Open this page in Chrome, tap the drop zone and choose the clip from your gallery. Use the share button on the result to send it straight to a WhatsApp chat.
iPhone
In Safari, tap the drop zone and pick Photo Library. Save the MP4 to Photos or Files, then attach it in WhatsApp with the plus button.
Laptop (WhatsApp Web or Desktop)
Drag the video into Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox here, then drag the compressed MP4 into the WhatsApp Web or Desktop chat window.
Tips & troubleshooting
Making a Status clip? Keep it short and set Max resolution to 1080p; a brief clip has bitrate to spare.
Screen recording or talk? Set Audio to 64 kbps under Advanced settings; voices stay clear and the picture gets the difference.
Recorded at 60 fps? Choose 30 under Frame rate. Fewer frames per second means more detail in each one.
Only need part of it? Cut it with the video trimmer before compressing, and the rest of the clip gets more bits.
Sending the same video by email too? Compress video for email targets the larger attachment limits.
Compress Video for WhatsApp FAQ
What is the WhatsApp video size limit?
Videos sent as media are limited to 16 MB. Sending the file as a document allows up to 2 GB, but the recipient has to download it before watching, and it does not play inline like a normal video message.
How do I send a large video on WhatsApp?
Compress it under 16 MB on this page, then send it as a normal video. If it is too long to look good at that size, split it into parts first, or send the original as a document of up to 2 GB.
How do I compress a video for WhatsApp Status without losing quality?
Keep the clip short, which leaves plenty of bitrate per second, set Max resolution to 1080p and keep the original frame rate. Every compression removes some detail; a short clip at a generous bitrate hides it best.
How do I send a large video on WhatsApp from a laptop?
Compress it here in your laptop’s browser, then drag the MP4 into WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop. The video is compressed on the laptop itself and only goes to WhatsApp when you send it.
Why 720p by default?
At the 16 MB budget, 720p gives the cleanest picture on a phone for clips of a minute or more. Short clips can use 1080p; switch Max resolution to Automatic or 1080p before compressing.
Is your video uploaded anywhere?
No. Your video is processed by your own browser on your own device. There is no server that receives files, so nothing is uploaded, stored or shared. You can even switch to airplane mode once the page has loaded.