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Compress a video for WhatsApp

A phone video is often too big to send as is. Choose your settings below and the ffmpeg command updates on its own. WhatsApp's size limit varies by version and by how you send the file, so check it before compressing.

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The higher the number, the smaller the file and the more degraded the picture.

  
 
How to use it
 
  1. Install ffmpeg if you haven't already.
  2. Open a terminal in the folder containing your video.
  3. Copy the generated command, adjust the file names if needed, then run it.
  4. Check the size of the resulting file. If it's still too big, raise the CRF or lower the resolution.
  
Which settings should you choose?
 
For a video shot on a phone, 720p with a CRF of 26 is a good starting point: on a small screen the difference from 1080p is hard to see, and the file size drops considerably. Resolution and CRF are the two main levers. For a video with a lot of motion (sports, gameplay), prefer a CRF of 23 to 26; for a calm video, you can go up to 28 without any noticeable loss.
 
Send it as a video or as a document?
 
As a general rule, WhatsApp re-compresses videos sent as videos. Sent as a document, the video is transmitted as is: that's useful if you've already tuned the quality with ffmpeg. Size limits depend on the app version and how you send the file: check them before compressing, and if you need to hit a specific size, use the target size tool.
Shrink a video to a specific size
Frequently asked questions
 
What are -pix_fmt yuv420p and -movflags +faststart for?
The first ensures maximum compatibility with mobile players. The second puts the playback information at the start of the file, so playback can begin sooner.
Does the command upscale a small video?
No: the height is capped at that of the original video, so it is never enlarged.
Which CRF value should I choose?
Start with 26. To shrink the file further, go up in steps of 2 and compare the results.
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