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How to compress or convert a video for WhatsApp

By Lawal Ayo, LAS G Concept · Updated 15 October 2026

Big videos are slow to send on mobile data, and WhatsApp re-compresses them anyway, often making them blurry. If you shrink the video yourself first, you control the quality, the upload is faster and the data cost is lower. This guide shows the settings that work, using the converter and compressor in LAS Converter.

Everything happens in your browser, so the video is not uploaded to our server.

Step by step

Open the converter and log in with your free account.
To shrink by a percentage, open Compressor, drop your video and move the Compression Level slider (10% to 90%). The app shows the original size and an estimated target size so you can see the result before you start.
For more control, open Convert, drop the video and set the target format to MP4.
Set the video codec to H.264 / AVC. It plays on every phone and in WhatsApp.
Lower the resolution. Choose 720p for a good balance, or 480p when you need the smallest file.
Set the quality preset to Balanced (CRF 23), or Small File Size (CRF 28) if the file is still too big.
Convert, save the file, then send it in WhatsApp from your gallery or file manager.

What the settings really do

Codec. H.264 is the safe choice. H.265 (HEVC) and AV1 make smaller files but many older phones and chat apps cannot play them. VP9 is for the web, not for WhatsApp. "Direct Stream Copy" does not re-encode at all; it is fast but does not make the file smaller.

Resolution. A phone screen is small, so 720p looks sharp enough for most chats. Going from 1080p to 720p alone often cuts the size by more than half.

Quality preset (CRF). CRF is a quality number: lower means better quality and a bigger file. The app offers Ultra (CRF 14), High (CRF 18, the default), Balanced (CRF 23) and Small (CRF 28). For WhatsApp, Balanced is the sweet spot.

Size and length: what to expect

As a rough example, a 5-minute 1080p phone video of around 400 MB can drop to well under 100 MB at 720p with Balanced quality, depending on how much movement is in the picture. Footage with lots of motion compresses less than a talking head.

WhatsApp has its own limits for what you can send, and they change over time. At the time of writing, videos sent as normal videos are limited to a small size (historically around 16 MB), while sending a file as a document allows much larger files (up to 2 GB). If you want to keep full quality, attach the converted file as a document. Check WhatsApp's help page for the current numbers.

Tips

Trim first. Cutting off the first and last seconds of a video is the easiest way to save space; use a video editor, or try the Quick Editor tab in the app.
If you only need the sound, send audio instead. See how to convert MP4 to MP3; a voice note is usually under 5 MB.
Do not compress the same file again and again. Each pass loses detail. Keep the original and compress from it.
Website conversions accept files up to 500 MB. For bigger videos use the Windows app.

Troubleshooting

Video plays but there is no sound in WhatsApp. Convert again with H.264 and keep the audio setting on its default.

Still too big. Drop to 480p and the Small preset, or move the compressor slider towards 90%.

Browser tab crashes. Large files need memory. Use a computer, or the Windows app.

Frequently asked questions

Will the quality look bad?

At 720p with the Balanced preset most videos look fine on a phone. Use Ultra or High if quality matters more than size.

Is the video uploaded to your server?

No. Conversion and compression run in your browser.

Is this free?

Yes, the converter and compressor are available on the free plan. Batch conversion of many files needs Premium.

Can I send the file as a WhatsApp Status?

You can, but Status has its own length limit that WhatsApp may change. Trim your clip to be safe.

Try it

Use the video converter page to learn more, or go straight to the app.

Open the converter Create a free account