Quick answer: WhatsApp compresses videos sent as media and has long limited them to about 16 MB; documents can be up to 2 GB. This tool makes a 16 MB, 720p MP4 by default, in your browser, that you can share straight to WhatsApp.
Big videos fail to send, take ages on mobile data or get squeezed by the app. Make a 720p MP4 at a size you choose, check it on the page, then share it straight to WhatsApp.
Compress video for WhatsApp at a glance
| Price | Free, no sign-up, no watermark, no daily limit |
|---|---|
| Accepts | MP4 · MOV · WebM · MKV |
| Largest file | 2 GB per file |
| Where it runs | In your browser: files are never uploaded |
| Works on | Chrome and Edge, Safari 17+, Firefox 130+ on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux |
| Send the result | Download it, or send it free with a link or by email (up to 20 GB) |
How to compress video for WhatsApp
- Choose the video from your gallery or files.
- Keep 16 MB and 720p for quick sending, or choose a bigger size.
- Press Compress for WhatsApp.
- Download it, then attach it in WhatsApp from your gallery or files.
Why 16 MB and 720p
16 MB has long been WhatsApp's limit for videos sent as media, and it is still the size that sends quickly on mobile data and plays on every phone. WhatsApp also re-compresses videos it sends as media; starting from a clean 720p file means you choose the trade-off rather than the app. A 16 MB, 720p H.264 video holds about one to two minutes at good quality.
Newer versions of WhatsApp accept bigger videos, so 64 MB and 100 MB are offered too for longer clips.
Sending a long video instead
- As a document: WhatsApp can send files up to 2 GB as documents, uncompressed, but the other person has to download it before they can watch.
- As a link: upload it once (free up to 20 GB) and paste the link into the chat. Anyone in the group can download the original, and it does not fill your phone's WhatsApp storage.
For status updates, keep clips short: WhatsApp cuts long status videos. Trim video gets you the part you want without re-encoding.
Made on your phone, not on a server
Compression runs in your phone's browser (Safari 17 or newer on iPhone, Chrome on Android), so a private video is never uploaded to us. Keep the page open while it works; a one-minute clip usually takes well under a minute on a recent phone.
How this compares
| This tool | Online converters (e.g. Clideo, FreeConvert or CloudConvert) | Desktop apps (e.g. HandBrake) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your file is uploaded | No | Yes, to their servers | No |
| Install or account | None | Account for some features | Install needed |
| Watermark or daily limits | None | Common on free plans | Depends on the app |
Plans of other services change; check their sites. More video tools.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WhatsApp video size limit?
Videos sent as media have long been limited to about 16 MB, and WhatsApp compresses them further. Files sent as documents can be up to 2 GB. This tool makes a 16 MB, 720p MP4 by default.
Why does WhatsApp make my videos blurry?
It compresses videos sent as media to save data. Sending a clean 720p file that is already small keeps more of the quality you choose; for the full original, send it as a document or a link.
Can I do this on my iPhone?
Yes. Open this page in Safari (iOS 17 or newer), choose the video from Photos and save the result back to Files or Photos.
Is my video uploaded?
No. It is compressed on your device. Nothing is uploaded unless you choose to send it with a link.
Need to send a big file?
Send files up to 20 GB with a download link or by email. Free, no account needed, original quality.
Send large files free