WhatsApp limits video attachments to 16 MB for regular accounts (64 MB for WhatsApp Business). Large videos shot on modern smartphones often exceed this limit instantly — a 1-minute 4K video can be 400 MB or more. Compressing to H.264 MP4 at 720p typically reduces a 1-minute video to under 10 MB, comfortably within WhatsApp's limit, while still looking excellent on phone screens.
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Standard WhatsApp: 16 MB. WhatsApp Business: 64 MB. To stay under 16 MB, compress to H.264 MP4 at 720p — a 1-minute clip typically encodes to 5–12 MB at this setting.
Encode to H.264 at 720p using VBR mode. This reduces file size by 70–90% compared to a raw smartphone video while maintaining perceptual quality on mobile screens, where 720p is indistinguishable from 1080p.
WhatsApp supports MP4, 3GP, and AVI on Android. MP4 with H.264 is the most compatible format and produces the smallest file sizes. iOS WhatsApp also handles MOV files.
Even when your video is under 16 MB, WhatsApp applies additional compression during send if it detects a high bitrate. Starting from a well-encoded H.264 source reduces the severity of WhatsApp's re-compression, preserving more detail.
Only if the file is under 16 MB, which is extremely unlikely even at very low quality. WhatsApp is designed for short clips. For long videos, share a YouTube, Google Drive, or Dropbox link instead.
The public encoder is useful for quick previews. For larger files, up to 8K/120fps output, bulk jobs, API access, storage outputs, and webhooks, create an account and run production workflows with predictable NEU estimates.