Compress video for WhatsApp
WhatsApp will not send videos larger than 16 MB in a chat. This tool arrives with that limit already set: pick your video and it comes out under the cap, without being uploaded anywhere.
Your video is never uploaded: it is compressed inside your own browser.
Why compress it here
How to get a video under 16 MB
Open this page on the phone that holds the video.
Pick the video — the 16 MB target is already selected.
Check the resulting resolution in the table and press 'Compress'.
Download the result and send it on WhatsApp as a normal video.
Why 16 MB and not some other number
16 MB is the ceiling WhatsApp applies to videos sent inside a chat. If your file is bigger, the app simply will not attach it, or offers to trim it. That is why this page opens with that target already selected: the number is not our recommendation, it is their limit.
The two ways to send a big video on WhatsApp
The first is to compress it, which is what this tool does: the video stays a video, appears inside the chat and plays with one tap. The second is to send it as a document, which lifts the ceiling to 2 GB but turns your video into an attachment: no thumbnail, no direct playback, and the distinct feeling, for whoever receives it, of having to download something.
For short videos — a phone recording, a clip you downloaded — compressing wins almost every time. For a film or a long recording, the document route is the only sensible option.
WhatsApp is going to re-compress your video anyway
This is the detail almost nobody explains: WhatsApp applies its own compression to the videos you send, even small ones. It is why a crisp video arrives looking worse than it left. You cannot switch it off, but you can limit the damage: hand it a file already near the size WhatsApp wants and it has far less to squeeze, so the final result stays closer to your original than if you dump a huge file on it and let it decide.
Which format works best
The result is an MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. That is what WhatsApp handles natively on both Android and iPhone, so there are no extra conversions along the way. If your original is MOV, MKV or WebM, that is fine as input: it is read the same and comes out as MP4.
If you do not need it smaller but in another format, use the converter. And if you are after a different service's limit, see compress for email or for Discord.
Frequently asked questions
What is WhatsApp's exact limit?
16 MB per video sent in a chat. It is WhatsApp's own limit, identical on Android and iPhone, and it does not depend on your connection or your plan.
What if I want to send a bigger video?
You can send it as a document instead of as a video: that route allows up to 2 GB. The catch is that the recipient gets no preview and cannot play it inside the chat without downloading it first, so for a short clip compressing is almost always nicer.
Why does WhatsApp still lower the quality even when my video is small?
Because WhatsApp re-compresses whatever you send, to save data. Nothing outside the app can prevent that, but handing it a file already close to its target size does help: the less WhatsApp has to squeeze, the less its own re-compression shows.
Can I do it from my phone?
Yes, and that is the normal case here, because the video usually lives on the phone. It works in the Android and iPhone browsers. Keep the screen on while it runs: we request the screen lock automatically, but some browsers ignore it.
How much quality is lost getting down to 16 MB?
It depends on the length. A clip under a minute usually lands at 720p or 1080p and looks fine; a five-minute video has to spread those 16 MB across far more footage and drops further. The table gives you the exact number before you start, and if it does not convince you, you can trim the video or pick another size.