Compress Video for WhatsApp
Get an MP4 under 16 MB so WhatsApp sends it as a playable video, not a document the other person has to download first.
Target: 16.00 MB
What this page is for
WhatsApp only sends a video inline, with a thumbnail and playback in the chat, when it is small enough. Over that, you are pushed to send it as a document, which arrives as an attachment the other person has to open separately.
This page makes an H.264 MP4 under the media limit so the video stays in the chat where people will actually watch it.
The rule: 16 MB for video sent as media
Videos sent through the normal photo and video picker are capped at 16 MB. Files sent as a document can be up to 2 GB, but they are not played inline.
WhatsApp re-compresses anything sent as media, so there is nothing to gain above 720p. This page caps the output at 720p and spends the bits on a steadier picture instead.
Worked example
2 minute Android clip, 1080p, 180 MB. For 16 MB the budget is about 990 kbps in total.
Audio takes 96 kbps and video about 900 kbps, which lands on 540p.
Result: an MP4 near 14.9 MB that sends as a playable video.
How to use it
- Leave the cap on 16 MB, or pick 12 MB on a slow connection.
- Tap Choose file and select the video.
- Optional: keep only the first part of a long video with the seconds box.
- Tap Compress for WhatsApp and wait for the bar.
- Download, then share it into WhatsApp from Photos or Files.
Questions
Why MP4 and not WebM?
WhatsApp on iPhone does not play WebM inline. If your browser cannot encode H.264 MP4, the page tells you rather than handing you a file that will not play.
Can I just send it as a document instead?
Yes, documents go up to 2 GB. The trade is that the other person sees a file to download rather than a video in the chat.
Why is the output only 540p or 720p?
At 16 MB there is not enough data for sharp 1080p beyond a few seconds, and WhatsApp scales media down anyway. A lower resolution at a steady bitrate looks better on a phone.
Does it work on iPhone?
Safari 16.4 and later can encode the video. Very long or 4K clips may run out of memory in Safari; trim first or use a computer.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The encoding happens in your browser and the file stays on your device.
Related tools
Sizes and results are estimates produced by your own browser. A file that fits the cap is not a guarantee that the destination will accept it: services change their limits, and some check more than size. On iPhone and iPad, Safari limits memory and codecs, so large files can fail there that work on a computer. Keep your original file.