How to Compress a Video for WhatsApp

To compress a video for WhatsApp, open the Compress Video tool, choose the video, keep the preset Small for WhatsApp, and tap Compress the video. When it finishes you download a new MP4 that is much smaller than the original and still plays upright with its sound.

Everything happens in your browser, so the video is not uploaded. This guide explains how to pick the right setting, how long it takes, and what to do when the video is too long for a small file.

What you need

• The video on your phone, in your gallery or files. MP4 and MOV from an iPhone work, and so do M4V, 3GP and WebM.
• A recent browser: Chrome, Edge or Samsung Internet on Android, or Safari on a recent iPhone. Older browsers show a clear message instead of starting.
• Some time and battery. Compressing is real work for the phone, and a long video takes longer.

Steps to compress a video for WhatsApp

1. Open the Compress Video tool, tap the box and choose your video. The page shows its length, picture size and file size.
2. Keep Small for WhatsApp chosen. It makes the picture 480p and aims for a small file. If the video is only a few seconds long, you can pick Good quality (720p) instead, because a short clip stays small anyway.
3. Look at the line under the options. It says the size of the original and the size to expect. If the expected size is still too big, choose a lower Picture size or My own size and type a smaller number of MB.
4. Leave Keep the sound ticked unless you want a silent video.
5. Tap Compress the video. A bar shows how far it is and how much time is left. Keep the tab open and the screen on. You can tap Cancel at any time.
6. When it is done, check the size in the result. Tap Download, or use the share buttons to send the file straight to WhatsApp from your phone.
7. Play the new video once before you send it.

How big is small enough?

WhatsApp does not publish one number that fits every phone. Its help pages describe different limits for videos depending on the page, the version of the app and the speed of your connection. One help page for sending media says each video can be at most 16 MB, while another describes larger default limits on faster connections. Because of this, it is safest to aim for a small file. The Small for WhatsApp preset aims for about 14 MB or less, which is under the lowest figure on those pages. Check what your own WhatsApp lets you send, and use My own size if you need a different number.

A video also arrives faster, and costs less mobile data, when the file is small.

What the presets do

• Small for WhatsApp. 480p picture, light sound, a small file. Best for chat.
• For email. 720p, aimed to leave room under common attachment limits. Our guide on making a video small enough to email has the details.
• Good quality (720p). A sharp picture and better sound without a size aim. Good for saving space on your phone.
• My own size. You type the size in MB, and the tool chooses the picture quality to fit.

Why a long video gets a rough picture

The file size depends on the length of the video and the quality of its picture. A 20 second clip can be 5 MB and look clean. A 10 minute video squeezed into the same 14 MB has only a fraction of the data for each second, so it looks blocky. The page warns you when the size you chose is too low for the length of the video.

If that happens you have three choices:

1. Choose a bigger size and send the video as a file in a way that allows it.
2. Cut the video shorter first with Trim Video.
3. Send it in parts.

Portrait videos, sound and quality

A video filmed upright with your phone stays upright. The tool keeps the turn setting stored in the file, the same way your camera app does. The sound is kept unless you turn it off. Frame rates above 30 per second are lowered to 30 to save space.

The result is an MP4 with an H.264 picture and AAC sound, which plays on almost every phone, computer and TV. If your browser cannot make H.264, the page says so and saves a WebM instead, which some apps do not open.

Common problems

It says my browser can’t process video. Update Chrome, Edge, Samsung Internet or Safari, or try another browser. Very old phones do not have the video features the tool needs.

It says the video uses HEVC. Some iPhone videos use HEVC, and some Android browsers cannot read it. Try Safari on an iPhone or Mac, a recent Chrome or Edge on a computer, or set your iPhone camera to Most Compatible before filming.

The result is not much smaller. The video may already be small. Choose a lower picture size or a smaller target.

It stopped or the page reloaded. The video may be too big for the phone’s memory. Close other tabs, or use a computer. Very long videos are better done there.

The screen turned off. Keep the screen on while it works. The page asks your phone to stay awake, but some phones ignore that.

Frequently asked questions

Is my video uploaded anywhere?

No. The video is read and compressed inside your browser, on your device. It never goes to our servers or anyone else.

Will WhatsApp make it smaller again?

WhatsApp may compress videos that you send as normal media. A file that is already small leaves less for it to change. If you send the video as a document, WhatsApp sends it as it is, within its document limit.

Can I compress a video without losing quality?

Every compression removes some detail. Good settings keep the loss hard to see. Use Good quality (720p) for the least visible change.

How long does compressing take?

It depends on your phone and the video. A short clip takes seconds, and a long video can take several minutes. The page shows the time left once it can tell.

Does it work offline?

After you have used the tool once, the page and its video engine are saved by your browser, so it can work without a connection. The video itself never needed one.