How do I compress a video for WhatsApp?
Make it smaller than 64 MB, at 720p. WhatsApp's help pages give 64 MB as the most for any video sent or forwarded, and 720p as the default for chat video. Our free online video compressor has a WhatsApp setting that aims for exactly that in your browser, without uploading the video. On Android, the OctoZip app does it on the phone.
We make OctoZip and the online video compressor, so read the tool steps with that in mind. WhatsApp's limits come from its own help pages, checked on 1 November 2026 and linked where they're used. The sizes below are worked out by the compressor's own code for a typical phone video; real results vary with what's in the picture.
What size does a video need to be for WhatsApp?
Under 64 MB is safe everywhere. WhatsApp's pages give two figures for chat video, and the smaller one covers both:
| What you send | Limit on WhatsApp's page | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Video in a chat, faster connection | 100 MB and 720p by default | How to send media |
| Video in a chat, slower connection | 64 MB and 480p by default | How to send media |
| Any video sent or forwarded | 64 MB "on all platforms" | Can't send longer videos |
| A video sent as a document | 2 GB | How to send media |
| Status video | 90 seconds | How to send media |
Checked on 1 November 2026. WhatsApp lists 3GP, AVI, FLV, MKV, MOV and MP4 as the video formats it takes. You may see 16 MB quoted on other sites; neither of WhatsApp's pages gives that figure today.
Why 720p: a chat video is sent at up to 720p by default anyway, so a 1080p or 4K original gets scaled down on the way. Doing it yourself, with all 64 MB spent on a 720p picture, keeps more detail than squeezing a 4K picture into the same space.
How long a video fits in 64 MB?
About 5 minutes at 720p before the picture gets soft. The sum: size in MB × 8 ÷ seconds gives the bitrate for picture and sound together. The compressor aims about 5% under, so for a 3-minute video it has 64 × 8 × 0.95 ÷ 180 = 2.7 Mbps.
| Length of a 1080p phone video | Original size | With the WhatsApp setting | How it looks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 129 MB | 720p, about 38 MB | Sharp: there's room to spare |
| 2 minutes | 258 MB | 720p, about 61 MB | Sharp |
| 3 minutes | 387 MB | 720p, about 61 MB | Good |
| 5 minutes | 645 MB | 720p, about 61 MB | Softer in fast motion |
| 10 minutes | 1.29 GB | 720p, about 61 MB | Too soft: choose 480p, or send it as a document |
Estimates from the compressor's planning code for a phone video recorded at 1080p, 30 fps and 17 Mbps with stereo sound. Android's guide to sharing video pairs 1.5 to 5 Mbps with 720p and less than that with a smaller picture: a 5-minute video gets about 1.4 Mbps for the picture, right at that line, and a 10-minute one about 0.7 Mbps. For long videos, set Resolution to 480p, which is also what WhatsApp sends on a slower connection.
How do I compress a video for WhatsApp in my browser?
Open our online compressor with the WhatsApp setting, choose the video and compress. It works in recent Chrome or Edge on Android phones and on computers, and the video never leaves your device.
Compress for WhatsApp in your browser
- Open the compressor set for WhatsApp. It shows "Set for WhatsApp: under 64 MB, at 720p".
- Tap Choose a video. The page shows its size, length and resolution, and an estimate of the new size.
- For a video over about 5 minutes, change Resolution to 480p.
- Tap Compress video and keep the tab open until it finishes.
- Play the new copy. On a phone, tap Share and pick WhatsApp; on a computer, tap Download and attach it in WhatsApp on the web or desktop.
The copy is an MP4, which WhatsApp plays everywhere. If the compressor says the video is already under the size, you can send the original as it is.
How do I compress a video for WhatsApp on Android with an app?
With OctoZip, pick a preset, compress, check the size and share. The app works without an internet connection and never uploads the video. It has no WhatsApp preset and no size in MB, so you read the result.
- Install OctoZip from Google Play, open it and tap Pick a video.
- Under Quick Compression, choose Medium file (half the resolution: a 1080p video becomes 540p) or, for a short clip, Best Quality. Tap Apply.
- Tap Start Compression. Long videos take minutes.
- Read the new size on the result screen. Over 64 MB? Run the original again with Small file (easy share).
- Tap Compare to check the picture, then Share and choose WhatsApp.
The app is free with no ads; free users see a full-screen Pro offer after every second saved video. Batch compression, files over 3 GB and 8K sources need OctoZip Pro. It runs on Android 7.0 or later.
How do I compress a video for WhatsApp on a computer?
The online compressor works the same way in Chrome or Edge on Windows, Mac and Linux. If you'd rather use what's on the computer:
- Mac: open the video in QuickTime Player, choose File › Export As › 720p and pick Greater Compatibility (H.264) for a file every phone plays. That's from Apple's QuickTime guide. It sets the resolution, not the size, so check the file is under 64 MB.
- Windows, Mac or Linux with HandBrake: the free HandBrake app has a Fast 720p30 preset in its official list. Like QuickTime, it doesn't aim at a size. See our HandBrake comparison.
Should I send it as a document instead?
When the full original matters more than a quick preview. A document can be up to 2 GB, according to WhatsApp's help page, and it arrives as a file to download rather than a video that plays in the chat. That suits a long video or one for editing; a compressed copy suits a phone screen and mobile data. The document steps are in how to send a large video on WhatsApp.
Questions people ask
Does WhatsApp compress videos itself?
It sends chat video at up to 720p by default, or 480p on a slower connection, so a bigger original is scaled down. Compressing first means you decide how. Why it can still look soft is in why WhatsApp videos look bad.
Can I send a 10-minute video on WhatsApp?
Yes, if it's under 64 MB. At that size a 10-minute video has about 0.8 Mbps, so make it 480p, or send the original as a document. WhatsApp's own page says the longest video you can send depends on your phone's camera quality rather than giving a time.
What about WhatsApp Status?
Status videos can be up to 90 seconds. The steps for that are in compressing a video for WhatsApp Status.
Is it safe to use an online compressor for WhatsApp videos?
It depends on where it does the work. Ours runs in your browser, so the video isn't uploaded; tools that run on a server need you to upload it first. See what to check before using a compressor.
What this page doesn't cover
- WhatsApp's limits change and its two pages differ; check the date above before a big send.
- We didn't test every phone and connection. The sizes are the compressor's estimates for one kind of video.
- The online compressor does one video at a time, up to about 1–2 GB, and is made for recent Chrome and Edge. The OctoZip app has no size-in-MB option and no trim.
Sources
Checked on 1 November 2026.
- WhatsApp Help Center: How to send media, contacts, or location and Can't send longer videos.
- Android Developers: Best practices for sharing video (bitrate and resolution).
- Apple Support: Export movies in QuickTime Player on Mac.
- HandBrake documentation: official presets.
- OctoZip: the online compressor's planning code, which gave the sizes above, and the app's code.