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Video too big for a text message? Shrink it to 1 MB

MMS limits are set by each carrier, and none of them is an official, published figure we can point to. One megabyte works almost everywhere. Some carriers allow more, a few allow less.

  • 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 1.00 MB. We aim for 970 KB, 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 1.00 MB

One megabyte is only a few seconds of video. Expect low resolution. For anything longer, a link to a cloud copy works better.

What to expect

Five to eight seconds at small phone size. For a photo, 1 MB is generous.

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 lengthResolution we pickHow it looks
10 seconds360pWatchable, small
30 seconds270pWatchable, small
1 minute240pWatchable, small
2 minutes240pVery soft, trim it first
5 minutes240pVery soft, trim it first
10 minutes240pVery 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

Why does my iPhone video fail on an Android friend?

Between two iPhones iMessage carries big files. To an Android phone it falls back to MMS and the carrier's small limit.

My carrier allows more. Can I set that?

Yes. Use the exact size box on the tool and type your own number.

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.