When you need 1.00 MB
MMS texts, forum signatures, and support tickets that cap attachments at 1 MB.
What to expect
A five second clip can stay around 480p. Past twenty seconds the picture becomes small and blurry, so trim to the moment that matters.
How much video fits in 1 MB
Worked out with the same maths the compressor uses, for a typical 1080p phone or screen clip with sound. Fast motion needs more room, still scenes and screen recordings need less.
| Clip length | Resolution we pick | How it looks |
|---|---|---|
| 10 seconds | 360p | Watchable, small |
| 30 seconds | 270p | Watchable, small |
| 1 minute | 240p | Watchable, small |
| 2 minutes | 240p | Very soft, trim it first |
| 5 minutes | 240p | Very soft, trim it first |
| 10 minutes | 240p | Very soft, trim it first |
How we hit the number
We work out how many bits each second of video can use: the target size, minus a safety margin, divided by the length, minus the audio. Then we pick the largest resolution that still looks clean at that rate and encode with your browser's built-in video encoder. If the result is still over, we automatically try once more at a lower rate.
The target we aim for is 970 KB, which is 30 KB under 1.00 MB, so the file is not turned away over a few bytes.
Questions people ask
Can a 1 minute video fit in 1 MB?
Only at a tiny size and a low frame rate. For anything longer than about 15 seconds, use a share link instead.
Related
- Compress a video to 2 MBVideo size
- Make a photo or clip small enough for a text messageDestination guide
Limits change. We link the official page wherever there is one, and the safety margin means a small change is unlikely to matter. Last updated 2026-11-09.