How to compress a video
Works the same on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac: everything happens in your browser, so there's nothing to install and nothing uploaded.
- Open the compressorGo to the SqueezeVideos compressor (or a preset like Discord).
- Choose the videoDrop the file in, or tap "choose a file" and pick it from your gallery or Files app.
- Pick a sizeA preset (Discord 19 MB, Email 18 MB), any number of MB, or a percentage of the original. Trim and mute if you can.
- Squeeze and downloadSee the real before and after size, preview it, then download the MP4.
Which change shrinks a video the most?
| Change | Typical effect on size |
|---|---|
| Cut length in half | Halves it (at the same quality) |
| 1080p → 720p | Needs roughly half the bitrate for similar sharpness (2.25× fewer pixels) |
| 60 fps → 30 fps | Fewer frames to describe; saves a large share of the bitrate on motion |
| Remove audio | About 1 MB per minute at 128 kbps |
| H.264 → H.265/AV1 | Similar quality at noticeably lower bitrate, if the viewer can play it |
Device notes
iPhone and iPad
Use Safari or Chrome. Recent iOS versions support WebCodecs; older ones fall back to FFmpeg, which is slower. iPhone clips are often HEVC MOV files; the output is an H.264 MP4 that plays everywhere. Keep the screen on while it works: iOS pauses background tabs.
Android
Chrome supports WebCodecs and usually hardware encoding. Mid-range phones handle a few minutes of 1080p comfortably; for long 4K clips, trim first.
Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux
Any current Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox works. Computers have more memory, so multi-gigabyte files are fine here.
Want to know why these steps work? Read how video compression works or plan a size with the bitrate calculator.
Questions people ask
How do I make a video file smaller?
Shorten it, lower the resolution, lower the frame rate, remove the sound, or re-encode it at a lower bitrate or with a more efficient codec. A target-size tool does the bitrate maths for you.
How do I compress a video on iPhone?
In Safari, open SqueezeVideos, tap "choose a file", pick the clip from Photos, set a target and tap Squeeze it. iPhone Safari supports WebCodecs on recent iOS versions; the FFmpeg fallback is slower. You can also record smaller clips in Settings > Camera > Record Video (e.g. 1080p at 30 fps).
How do I compress a video on Android?
Open this page in Chrome, choose the video from your gallery and pick a target. Chrome on Android supports WebCodecs, often with hardware encoding. Long 4K clips may run out of memory; trim first.
How do I compress a video on Windows or Mac without software?
Use the browser: open SqueezeVideos in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox and drop the file in. Nothing to install, and the file stays on your computer.
What is the best size to compress a video to?
The size the destination accepts, with a small margin: 19 MB for Discord free, 23 MB for Gmail, 18 MB for Outlook. See the upload limits page for more.