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iPhone video too large to email? Shrink it under 25 MB

iPhones record 4K or 1080p at a high bitrate, so one minute is often 100 to 400 MB. Mail apps then offer to share through iCloud or Mail Drop, which gives the person a link instead of an attachment.

  • Nothing is uploaded. Your browser does the compression, so the file stays on your device.
  • Lands under the real limit. We aim a little below it, so the upload goes through first time.
  • Fast. A 30 second 1080p clip fits into 10 MB in about two seconds on a desktop.
Where are you sending it?

Custom size 25.00 MB. We aim for 24.25 MB, a small safety margin so the file never lands just over.

Sent to our servers: 0 bytes. It all happens in this tab.

When you need 25.00 MB

If you want a real attachment, compress it first. The compressor works out the resolution that looks clean for the size and length.

What to expect

A one minute 4K clip becomes a clean 720p file under 25 MB. Cutting the clip to the part that matters helps more than any setting.

How much video fits in 25 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 lengthResolution we pickHow it looks
10 seconds1080pSharp
30 seconds1080pSharp
1 minute720pSharp
2 minutes540pGood on a phone
5 minutes360pWatchable, small
10 minutes270pWatchable, small

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 24.25 MB, which is 750 KB under 25.00 MB, so the file is not turned away over a few bytes.

Questions people ask

Does it keep the sound?

Yes, at a speech-friendly rate.

Will a .mov file work?

Yes. The tool reads MOV and gives you an MP4 where your browser can write one.

Related

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.