Compress a video for WhatsApp
WhatsApp compresses videos sent as media and caps them at 16 MB. Shrink the clip here first so it sends quickly and looks the way you intended.
Drop your videos here
or click to choose files. Drop several to process them all with the same settings.
When you send a video as media, WhatsApp re-encodes it on your phone: resolution and bitrate drop and the result often looks noticeably worse than the original. Files over 16 MB are rejected outright. Sending a file as a document instead delivers it byte for byte, up to 2 GB, but it does not play inline.
The WhatsApp preset targets just under 16 MB with MP4 H.264 output, the format WhatsApp handles best. Because you control the compression, the picture is usually better than what WhatsApp would have produced on its own.
How to compress a video for WhatsApp
- Drop the video. MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV, read straight from your device. Nothing is uploaded.
- Keep the WhatsApp target. The target size is preset to 16 MB. Change it if your plan allows more.
- Compress and download. The tool re-encodes on your hardware, checks the final size and refines it if needed.
Why use myownvid for this
Nothing is uploaded
The file is read straight from your disk and processed by your browser. There is no server, so there is nothing to leak, store or delete.
Faster than any upload
Your device’s hardware encoder does the work. No queue, no upload bar, no waiting for a download afterwards.
No watermark, no account
Every tool is free with no sign-up, no export cap, no resolution limit and no logo stamped on your video.
Presets that match real limits
Discord, WhatsApp, email, Reels: pick the destination and the settings are already right.
Questions people ask
What is the WhatsApp video size limit?
16 MB for videos sent as media, which is roughly 90 seconds to three minutes depending on quality. Documents can be up to 2 GB.
Media or document?
Media plays inline and shows a preview, but WhatsApp compresses it. A document keeps the original quality but opens in a separate player. For most chats, compress here and send as media.
Does WhatsApp compress it again?
Often, yes. Starting from a clean, already small MP4 gives WhatsApp less to do and the result looks closer to what you sent.
What resolution should I use?
WhatsApp media tops out around 720p on most phones, so the auto resolution cap works well. Choose 480p if the clip is long.