When you need 25.00 MB
Screen content is mostly still, so it compresses far better than camera footage. Text stays readable at 720p, so a recording keeps its detail where it matters.
What to expect
Five minutes of a quiet screen at 720p fits in 25 MB. Scrolling and video playback inside the recording need more room.
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 length | Resolution we pick | How it looks |
|---|---|---|
| 10 seconds | 1080p | Sharp |
| 30 seconds | 1080p | Sharp |
| 1 minute | 720p | Sharp |
| 2 minutes | 540p | Good on a phone |
| 5 minutes | 360p | Watchable, small |
| 10 minutes | 270p | Watchable, 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
Why not just trim?
Do both. Trim the dead time first, then shrink what is left.
Will small text still be readable?
At 720p mostly yes. If it is not, choose a bigger size in the exact size box.
Related
- Compress a video to under 25 MBVideo size
- Shrink a screen recording before posting it in SlackDestination guide
- Gmail attachment too large? Get the file under 25 MBVideo size
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.