Why Won't My WhatsApp Video Send?
The usual reasons a video will not send on WhatsApp, and the fix for each.
1. The video is over 16 MB
This is the reason most of the time. A video sent the normal way, as media that plays in the chat, is limited to 16 MB. A typical phone fills 16 MB in roughly 15 seconds of 1080p video, and in a few seconds of 4K, so even short clips go over.
WhatsApp often trims or compresses the clip for you, but when it cannot get under the limit it refuses, or asks you to cut the video down to a few seconds. The fix is to make the file smaller before you send it. The WhatsApp video compressor re-encodes the clip at 720p or lower so it lands under 16 MB, in your browser.
2. You want the whole video, not a shorter one
If the clip is several minutes long, squeezing it under 16 MB makes it blurry. Two better options:
Split it. Send it as two or three parts that each fit. The video splitter cuts the file into parts under a size you pick, without re-encoding, so each part keeps the original quality.
Send it as a document. WhatsApp accepts documents up to 2 GB. Tap the attach icon, choose Document instead of Gallery, and pick the video. It arrives at full quality, but as a file the other person downloads rather than a video that plays in the chat.
3. The format is one WhatsApp will not play
WhatsApp plays MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. Other formats, such as MKV files and some screen recordings or camera files, can fail to attach or arrive as a file that will not play. Converting to H.264 MP4 fixes it; the MP4 under 16 MB page does that and hits the size limit in the same step.
4. The connection dropped
A large video on a weak mobile signal can stall partway and show a clock icon or a red exclamation mark. Switch to Wi-Fi and resend. A smaller file also uploads faster and fails less, which is another reason to compress first.
5. Your phone is out of space
WhatsApp copies the video while it prepares it. If your storage is nearly full, the send can fail without a clear message. Free some space and try again.
Questions
What is the WhatsApp video size limit?
16 MB for a video sent as media that plays in the chat. As a document, files up to 2 GB are accepted, but they arrive as a download.
Why does WhatsApp make my video look worse?
WhatsApp compresses media again when it sends it. Starting from a clean 720p file under 16 MB usually looks better than letting WhatsApp shrink a large 4K clip.
How do I send a long video on WhatsApp?
Split it into parts that each fit under 16 MB, or send it as a document, which allows up to 2 GB.
Does compressing a video upload it anywhere?
Not on Nearlimit. The video is processed in your browser and never leaves your device.
Related tools
WhatsApp changes its limits and features. The figures here reflect WhatsApp's published limits as of September 2026. Nearlimit is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.