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Compress a video for WhatsApp

Shrink a video under WhatsApp's 16 MB (or 64 MB) limit without losing the whole picture.

How it works

WhatsApp caps videos sent as media at 16 MB on many older app versions, and at 64 MB on recent versions of WhatsApp for Android and iOS (sent as a document the limit is 2 GB, but recipients then have to download and open the file). The app also re-compresses anything you send as media, so a video that is already small and already H.264 arrives looking much better than a large one WhatsApp squashes itself.

This tool defaults to 16 MB, the number that works on every version; raise it to 64 MB if both you and the recipient are on a current app. It encodes H.264 with AAC audio in an MP4, the exact combination WhatsApp expects, and downscales to 720p when the bitrate would otherwise be too low for a watchable result.

What 16 MB buys at each clip length

The compressor divides the target by the clip's length, keeps 4% for the MP4 container and 96 kbps for the sound (64 kbps when space is very tight), and gives the rest to the picture. In Auto mode it then picks the resolution that bitrate can carry:

Clip lengthVideo bitrateAudioResolution (Auto)
15 s8,096 kbps96 kbpsSource resolution kept
30 s4,000 kbps96 kbpsSource resolution kept
1 min1,952 kbps96 kbps720p (1280 px wide)
1 min 30 s1,269 kbps96 kbps720p (1280 px wide)
3 min587 kbps96 kbps480p (854 px wide)
5 min314 kbps96 kbps480p (854 px wide)

And at 64 MB, for current WhatsApp versions

Anything above roughly 2 Mbps looks clean at 720p on a phone. When a clip only fits at 480p, trimming it to the part people need to see gives a better result than any setting.

Clip lengthVideo bitrateAudioResolution (Auto)
1 min8,096 kbps96 kbpsSource resolution kept
3 min2,635 kbps96 kbpsSource resolution kept
5 min1,542 kbps96 kbps720p (1280 px wide)
10 min723 kbps96 kbps720p (1280 px wide)
  • Video trimmer: cut the clip first; half the length doubles the bitrate

How to use it

  1. Drop the video (MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV, AVI or 3GP) or click to browse. The player reads its length.
  2. The target is preset to 16 MB; change it only if you know the limit is different.
  3. Optionally cap the resolution or pick "Fastest". Leave audio on unless you only need the picture.
  4. Click Compress and keep the tab open until the progress bar completes.
  5. Download the MP4 and share it. The result card shows the exact size and bitrate.

Frequently asked questions

Is the WhatsApp limit 16 MB or 64 MB?

It depends on the app version and platform. 16 MB was the long-standing cap and still applies on some devices; current Android and iOS versions allow 64 MB for media. 16 MB is the safe default. Sending as a document allows up to 2 GB with no re-compression.

Why does WhatsApp still reduce the quality after I compress?

WhatsApp always re-encodes media videos. Starting from a clean 720p H.264 file gives it much less to destroy than a 4K original, so the received copy looks better.

Can I keep 1080p under 16 MB?

For clips under about 40 seconds, yes; set the resolution cap to 1080p. Longer clips would need such a low bitrate that 720p looks better, which is why Auto downscales.

How long does it take?

Encoding runs on one CPU core in your browser. A one-minute 1080p phone clip takes roughly one to three minutes on a laptop and longer on a phone. Choose "Fastest" or cap the resolution at 720p to speed it up.

Is my video uploaded?

No. FFmpeg runs as WebAssembly inside your browser. The 32 MB engine is downloaded once and cached; your video never leaves the device.

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