Compress a video for WhatsApp
Your files are processed on your device. We never upload them.
Video is read and written with Mediabunny, under the Mozilla Public License. Browsers without their own AAC encoder use FFmpeg's, under the GNU LGPL.
How to compress a video for WhatsApp
- 01A ▸Choose your videos, or drop them on the page.
- 02A ▸The size is already set to 16 MB, the long-standing WhatsApp video limit.
- 03A ▸Select Compress, then download each video and share it in WhatsApp.
About WhatsApp
The limit
WhatsApp has long limited videos sent as media to 16 MB; videos sent as documents can be up to 2 GB but arrive as files, not playable videos. Published guides disagree about whether newer app versions send larger media videos (the two below say 16 MB and 2 GB), and WhatsApp's own help page couldn't be read when we checked, so this page aims for 16 MB, which fits under every reported limit.
- Dropbox: sending large videos on WhatsApp (says media videos now go to 2 GB) (checked 2026-11-13)
- Fast.io: WhatsApp file size limits (says media is capped at 16 MB) (checked 2026-11-13)
How the tool gets there
The tool divides 16 MB by the video's length to get the bits a second it can spend, keeps 6% back because encoders overshoot, and gives the sound 64 to 128 kbps. If the picture would look blocky at the rest, it's made smaller (1080p, 720p, 540p, and so on). A result still over 16 MB gets one more, lower try.
What fits in 16 MB
For a 1080p phone video at 30 frames a second, worked out with the same arithmetic the tool uses:
| Length | Bitrate (picture and sound) | From 30 fps video | From 60 fps video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:15 | 7,941 kbps | 1080p at 30 fps | 1080p at 60 fps |
| 0:30 | 3,971 kbps | 1080p at 30 fps | 1080p at 30 fps |
| 1:00 | 1,985 kbps | 720p at 30 fps | 720p at 30 fps |
| 2:00 | 993 kbps | 540p at 30 fps | 540p at 30 fps |
| 5:00 | 397 kbps | 360p at 30 fps | 360p at 30 fps |
| 10:00 | 199 kbps | 240p at 30 fps | 240p at 30 fps |
Measured
Our one-minute 1080p sample at 30 frames a second (H.264 at 8 Mbps with AAC sound, 61.1 MB; a synthetic test pattern, which is easier to encode than real footage), compressed in Chrome on a laptop. Phone timings are still to be measured.
| One minute of 1080p, 61.1 MB | 15.0 MB at 1280 × 720, in 5.4 seconds |
|---|---|
| Fits 16 MB | Yes, at the first try |
| Time on phones | still to be measured |
If it doesn't fit
- Trim the video to the part worth sharing first.
- Send it as a document instead (up to 2 GB); it arrives as a file rather than a video in the chat.
- Crop a wide video to 9:16 or square first; fewer pixels keep it sharper at 16 MB.
Other options
- Trim video: shorter clips stay sharper at 16 MB.
- Crop video: vertical or square video for Status and chats.
- Compress video for email: for sending the same video by email.
Questions
Are my videos uploaded?
No. Your files are processed on your device. We never upload them.
What is WhatsApp's video limit?
Sources disagree, and WhatsApp's own help pages change. 16 MB is the long-standing limit for videos sent as media, and still the figure many guides give; some recent reports describe larger limits at lower quality. Videos sent as a document can be up to 2 GB but don't play in the chat. 16 MB works under every version.
Why not let WhatsApp compress it?
WhatsApp squeezes videos hard to send them, often to a low resolution. Compressing to 16 MB first lets you keep a sharper picture for shorter clips, and send a longer clip without it being cut.
Will it play in the chat?
Yes. It's an MP4 with H.264 and AAC, which WhatsApp plays on every phone.
Can I send a longer video?
Trim it, or send it as a document (up to 2 GB), which arrives as a file to download rather than a video in the chat.