Video Compressor

Compress video to 3 MB

The size is already set to 3 MB. Add your video and get an MP4 that comes in just under it.

Getting a video under 3 MB

3 MB is about the biggest video a text message can carry: Verizon allows 3.5 MB for video sent as MMS. Upload forms, chat bots and community sites use it as a cap too.

It fits a few seconds at full HD, or close to a minute at 360p. For a text to someone on another carrier, our text message page aims for 0.9 MB, which every carrier takes.

We aim a little under 3 MB so the file is sure to fit, since most sites reject anything even slightly over. Sizes are in decimal megabytes (1 MB is 1,000,000 bytes), so the result also fits a limit that counts megabytes the binary way. Your video is encoded once at the bitrate that lands on 3 MB; when it’s compressed in your browser, the result is measured and done again if it came out too big.

How long a video fits in 3 MB

The longest video that keeps each resolution, for a typical 30 fps video with sound. At 60 fps, expect about half as long.

ResolutionLongest video
1080p
720p
480p
360p

Longer than 0:55? Even 360p would look too rough, so the page asks for a bigger size. Trim the video first or choose a bigger size.

Where you’ll run into 3 MB

  • Texts to Verizon numbers

    Verizon carries video by MMS up to 3.5 MB, so a 3 MB clip reaches a Verizon phone. Our text message page has a Verizon setting of 3.3 MB for a safer margin. Texting someone on AT&T or T-Mobile? Their smaller limit counts too.

  • Group texts

    When anyone in a group can’t use iMessage or RCS, the thread goes as MMS and every member’s carrier limit applies. A 3 MB video then reaches only people on Verizon, while 0.9 MB from the text message page reaches everyone.

  • Small upload boxes

    Many contact forms and community sites stop at a few megabytes a file. Read the note under the upload button: if it gives a number other than 3 MB, type that into the Target size box instead. The page aims just under whatever number you enter.

How to compress a video to 3 MB

  1. 01

    Add your video

    Drop it on the page, or pick it from your files, photo library or camera roll.

  2. 02

    Check the size

    3 MB is already filled in. Change it if you need another size, or pick a preset instead.

  3. 03

    Download the MP4

    It comes out just under 3 MB. Compare it with the original, then save it.

Questions

Can’t find your answer? Write to feedback@videocompressor.xyz.

Will the video be exactly 3 MB?

Just under it. We aim a few percent below 3 MB so it’s certain to fit, since sites and apps reject a file that is even slightly over.

What if my video is already under 3 MB?

Then it already fits, and the page tells you so. You can send it as it is, or still make it smaller with a preset.

Will my video look worse at 3 MB?

That depends on its length. A short video keeps its full resolution; a longer one is scaled down, to 720p or lower, so the picture stays clean instead of blocky. The table above shows where each step starts. The sound keeps its quality unless the size is very small for the length.

What if my video is too long for 3 MB?

Past 0:55 there aren’t enough bits for a watchable picture, even at 360p, and the page asks for a bigger size. Trim the video with our video cutter first, or choose a bigger size.

Will a 3 MB video send as a text?

On Verizon, yes. AT&T and T-Mobile stop at 1 MB for MMS, and the receiving carrier’s limit counts too, so for texts across carriers use the text message page.

Is 3 MB enough for a one-minute video?

Only just, at 360p. Trim a few seconds off, or choose 5 MB to keep a sharper picture for a full minute.

Should I text a link instead of a 3 MB video?

When the whole video matters at full quality, yes: put it in a cloud drive and text the link. Compress it to 3 MB when you want it to play right in the conversation.

Should I choose H.264 or H.265 for 3 MB?

H.265 keeps more detail in the same 3 MB, so a longer video can keep a higher resolution. Choose it when the people you send it to have newer devices; H.264 plays everywhere.

Is my video uploaded to compress it?

Not when your browser can handle it: then it’s compressed on your device. Otherwise it goes to our server over an encrypted connection and is deleted 2 hours after compressing.

More ways to compress video

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