How to compress a video
Quick answer: To compress a video, add your video, pick the resolution, pick the quality and export and check the size.
- Add your video. Large phone videos (4K or 1080p) shrink the most.
- Pick the resolution. 720p is ideal for phones and social apps; 480p for the smallest files.
- Pick the quality. Small file squeezes the most; Balanced keeps more detail.
- Export and check the size. The result shows the size before and after.
How much smaller will it get?
A 1-minute 4K phone video is often 300–400 MB. At 720p with the Small file setting, it's usually 10–20 MB: more than 90% smaller, and it still looks sharp on a phone. The estimate under the settings updates as you change them.
Trim first
The easiest way to make a video smaller is to keep only the part you need. Trim it before compressing.
Frequently asked questions
What's the WhatsApp video size limit?
WhatsApp re-compresses videos over a certain size and caps file sharing at 2 GB. Exporting at 720p, Small file, gives a clean result that WhatsApp won't squash further.
Will the quality drop?
Some fine detail is lost, but at 720p Balanced most people can't tell on a phone screen.
How long does it take?
Compressing re-encodes every frame, which takes roughly as long as the video on a fast computer, longer on phones.