Compress Video for WhatsApp
Shrink videos to fit WhatsApp's 16 MB sharing sweet spot and the 30-second Status limit. Private, free, and runs 100% in your browser.
Target size
Bitrate-calculated to fit
Privacy-first
Videos never leave your device
Fast processing
WebCodecs + mediabunny
We calculate a target bitrate from your video's duration so the output fits under 16 MB (WhatsApp). Longer clips get less bitrate per second, so trimming first gives the best visual quality.
Target Size: Under 16 MB (WhatsApp)
We calculate a per-video bitrate from duration, then re-encode with H.264 + AAC. If the first encode overshoots, we retry at 10% lower bitrate (up to two retries).
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About Compress Video for WhatsApp
WhatsApp will technically send videos up to 2 GB (100 MB on older clients), but anything above roughly 16 MB becomes painful on mobile data — recipients see a stuck progress bar, and auto-download often fails on slow connections. WhatsApp Status is also hard-capped at 30 seconds and around 16 MB for smooth in-feed playback. This tool compresses any MP4/MOV/WebM video to that 16 MB sweet spot.
We read the video's duration and calculate a target bitrate that fills 16 MB without overshooting. That works out to roughly 2 Mbps for a 1-minute clip — enough for sharp 1080p — and scales down linearly for longer videos. Audio is re-encoded to AAC, which every WhatsApp client on every phone plays natively.
Because everything runs on-device, private messages stay truly private. No copy of your video lands on a server at any point. That matters for family clips, medical recordings, or anything you simply would not post publicly.
Compress Video for WhatsApp — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best size for a WhatsApp video?
Around 16 MB. WhatsApp itself allows much larger files on Wi-Fi, but 16 MB is the cap for Status videos and is small enough to send reliably over mobile data. Recipients on slow connections can download it without the chat freezing.
How long can a WhatsApp Status video be?
30 seconds, and no more than about 16 MB. Longer clips get auto-trimmed by the WhatsApp client. If your clip is longer than 30 seconds, trim it first with our Video Trimmer — this tool only handles size, not duration.
Will the compressed video play on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Output is standard MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio — the codec combination that plays natively on every modern iPhone and Android phone, and that WhatsApp has supported since day one. No extra conversion needed.
Does WhatsApp re-compress the video after I send it?
Yes, lightly. WhatsApp runs a second compression pass on outgoing videos for bandwidth reasons, which is why pre-compressed, smaller source files end up looking better on the receiving side than large originals — the service does less damage when it does not have to strip out much data.
What is the best size for a WhatsApp video?
Around 16 MB. WhatsApp itself allows much larger files on Wi-Fi, but 16 MB is the cap for Status videos and is small enough to send reliably over mobile data. Recipients on slow connections can download it without the chat freezing.
How long can a WhatsApp Status video be?
30 seconds, and no more than about 16 MB. Longer clips get auto-trimmed by the WhatsApp client. If your clip is longer than 30 seconds, trim it first with our Video Trimmer — this tool only handles size, not duration.
Will the compressed video play on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Output is standard MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio — the codec combination that plays natively on every modern iPhone and Android phone, and that WhatsApp has supported since day one. No extra conversion needed.
Does WhatsApp re-compress the video after I send it?
Yes, lightly. WhatsApp runs a second compression pass on outgoing videos for bandwidth reasons, which is why pre-compressed, smaller source files end up looking better on the receiving side than large originals — the service does less damage when it does not have to strip out much data.