WhatsApp's two different limits
WhatsApp applies two things that people mix up. A video sent as a media message gets transcoded by WhatsApp itself, which caps it at 16 MB and often wrecks the quality in the process. A video sent as a document skips that transcoding and keeps the original file — but it still has to be under the limit, and 100 MB on newer builds.
If you care about how the video looks, compress it yourself first and send it as a document. You control the encoder instead of handing it to WhatsApp's automatic one.
Why 16 MB is tight for phone video
Modern phones record at 20-60 Mbps. A one-minute 1080p clip is commonly 100-200 MB, so fitting into 16 MB means an aggressive cut. This tool caps resolution at 720p and then calculates a bitrate that lands under the cap, which usually keeps short clips legible.
For longer videos the honest answer is that 16 MB will not hold them at watchable quality. Split the clip, or send a shorter version and share the full file another way.
Frequently asked
Is the limit 16 MB or 100 MB?
It depends on how you send it. Media messages are capped around 16 MB. Documents are capped at 100 MB on current builds. This tool defaults to 16 MB because that is the stricter, more common case; switch to manual and set 100 MB if you are sending as a document.
Does WhatsApp re-compress what I send?
Yes for media messages — it transcodes again. Sending as a document avoids that second pass, which is why the document route preserves more quality even at the same size.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
Not by this tool. The compression runs in your browser using WebAssembly. Only after you download the result and attach it in WhatsApp does the file leave your device — to WhatsApp, as it always would.