WhatsApp Video Size Limit: What It Is and How to Send Longer Videos
Updated November 5, 2026
WhatsApp's help pages list a default limit of 100 MB and 720p for videos on faster connections, and 64 MB and 480p on slower ones. Sent as a document, a file can be up to 2 GB. You'll still find “16 MB” in older advice, including on some older WhatsApp pages, but the newer pages list the higher figures.
Three ways to send a long video
Pick based on what the other person needs to do with it.
- 1Compress it to about 64 MB. It then plays directly in the chat.
- 2Send it as a document. It keeps its original quality, up to 2 GB, but the other person has to download it first.
- 3Cut it down. Often only part of the video matters, and a shorter clip looks far better at the same file size.
Why compressing helps so much
Video size is roughly the bitrate multiplied by the length. Phone cameras record at high bitrates so that the original looks great, and much of that detail is lost on a phone screen. Lowering the bitrate is the main way to save space, and 720p is plenty for a chat.
Why videos look worse after sending
WhatsApp compresses videos itself when it sends them as media. If you compress first, you choose the trade-off instead of leaving it to the app, which helps most with long videos.