Phone videos are big: a few minutes of HD or 4K can be hundreds of MB. Email and WhatsApp have size limits, so the video either fails to send or gets squashed. Compressing it yourself first gives you a smaller file that still looks good.
Know the limit you're aiming for
- Gmail (personal account): attachments up to 25 MB in total. Anything larger is added as a Google Drive link instead.
- WhatsApp, sent as a video: WhatsApp says the default video size limit is 100 MB at 720p on a faster connection and 64 MB at 480p on a slower one. WhatsApp also compresses videos when you send them.
- WhatsApp, sent as a document: files up to 2 GB, sent without WhatsApp's compression, but the other person has to download it to watch.
- Office or college email: the limit is set by the organisation, so ask if unsure. 10 MB is a safe size for most.
Step-by-step: compress to a target size
- Open the Video Compressor in Chrome or Safari.
- Choose your video (up to 1 GB). It stays on your device; nothing is uploaded.
- Type a target size in MB, leaving a little room: 23 for Gmail, or for example 60 for WhatsApp. Or pick Low, Medium or High quality.
- Optionally choose a smaller resolution such as 720p or 480p. For phone viewing, 720p looks good and saves a lot of space.
- Press Compress video, check the new size and download the MP4.
When the file is still too big
- Cut it shorter: trim the start and end with the Video Trimmer. Halving the length roughly halves the size at the same quality.
- Lower the resolution: a 4K clip sent at 720p is a fraction of the size.
- Remove sound if it isn't needed, with Mute Video.
- Very long video: share a Google Drive link instead of attaching the file.
Video won't play on the other phone?
Some phones and PCs can't open MOV, MKV or WebM files. Convert to the widely supported MP4 format with Video to MP4.
Quick guide: what to set
- Email a short clip: target 20–23 MB, 720p
- WhatsApp in good quality: target 50–60 MB, 720p
- Upload form with a small limit (for example 10 MB): trim first, then target 9 MB at 480p
Limits set by WhatsApp, Gmail and other services can change. Check their help pages if a file still won't send. ToolSandook is not connected to WhatsApp or Google.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reduce video size for WhatsApp?
Open ToolSandook's Video Compressor, choose the video, type a target size such as 60 MB, pick 720p, compress and download the MP4. WhatsApp's default video limit is 100 MB at 720p on faster connections and 64 MB at 480p on slower ones.
What is the maximum video size for Gmail?
Personal Gmail accounts can attach up to 25 MB. Larger files are automatically added as a Google Drive link.
How do I send a video on WhatsApp without losing quality?
Send it as a Document. WhatsApp allows documents up to 2 GB and does not compress them, but the receiver must download the file to watch it.
Is my video uploaded when I compress it here?
No. The Video Compressor works in your browser, so the video stays on your device.