FileQuickConvert

Compress Video for WhatsApp

WhatsApp typically caps video at around 16MB before it compresses it badly or refuses to send. This tool shrinks your video to fit that limit yourself, on your own terms, before you send it — so you control the quality tradeoff, not WhatsApp.

1

Choose a video

Select file
Click to choose, or drag a video here
MP4, MOV, MKV, or WebM
2

Set your target size

3

Compress and download

This runs FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, entirely in your browser — a ~30MB engine loads once on first use. On phones or older laptops this can take a minute or two for longer videos; there's no way around that without sending your video to a server, which this tool deliberately doesn't do. The output size is a close estimate, not exact — very short or very high-motion clips may land slightly over target.

How to compress a video for WhatsApp

  1. Choose a video (MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM) — click the box or drag the file in.
  2. Set your target size in MB. The default is 16, which suits WhatsApp's usual video limit.
  3. Click Compress video, wait for it to finish, then download the MP4 and send it.

Frequently asked questions

Why does WhatsApp compress my video so badly?

WhatsApp squeezes videos to fit its own size limit, and it does that automatically with little regard for quality. Compressing the video yourself first lets you choose the size and keep more detail.

Is my video uploaded to a server?

No. The compression runs inside your browser using FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly. Your video stays on your device.

Why does the first run take longer?

A compression engine of about 30MB downloads once on first use and is then reused. Long videos can take a minute or two on a phone or older laptop, because your own device does the work.

Will the result be exactly 16MB?

It is a close estimate, not an exact figure. Very short or high-motion clips can land slightly over target, so set the target a little lower if you need to stay under a hard limit.

Which formats can I use?

You can add MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM files. The compressed result is an MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio), which WhatsApp and nearly every phone can play.

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