All destinations
Compression guide

How to compress video for WeChat / 微信

WeChat's per-message file limit is 25 MB on desktop. Phone-to-phone via File Transfer Assistant raises it to 100 MB. Favorites (收藏) upload accepts 200 MB. If you hit the limit, WeChat aggressively re-encodes to extremely low quality — pre-compress to keep the quality you want.

Size limit

25 MB

Target output: 24 MB (with safety margin)

Desktop chat (PC/Mac): 25 MB

Mobile File Transfer Assistant: 100 MB

Favorites upload: 200 MB

Recommended settings

CodecH.264
CRF (quality)28
Audio bitrate96 Kbps AAC
QuickVid modeTiny

ffmpeg one-liner

For terminal-comfortable users, here's the exact command:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -crf 28 -preset medium -vf scale=-2:720 -c:a aac -b:a 96k output.mp4

Install ffmpeg via Homebrew: brew install ffmpeg

Tips

  • •Pre-compress to 24 MB to avoid WeChat's automatic re-encode (which is much worse than your own)
  • •If both sender and receiver are on phones, use File Transfer Assistant for the 100 MB limit
  • •WeChat strips most metadata including EXIF — useful for privacy but means location/timestamp won't transfer
  • •Group chat file limit is the same as 1-to-1: 25 MB on desktop

Skip the terminal

QuickVid Compress wraps these settings into a one-click "Tiny" mode. Drop your video, pick the mode, save the result. About 30 seconds end-to-end.

Try QuickVid

Related reading

Frequently asked questions

What is the video size limit for WeChat / 微信?

WeChat / 微信's default video size limit is 25 MB. Desktop chat (PC/Mac): 25 MB; Mobile File Transfer Assistant: 100 MB; Favorites upload: 200 MB. To fit comfortably below the limit, target 24 MB when compressing.

What's the best codec for WeChat / 微信?

H.264 at CRF 28 produces the best balance of size and quality for WeChat / 微信. 96 Kbps AAC audio is the right pairing — universal compatibility and small footprint.

How do I compress a video for WeChat / 微信 on Mac?

Drop the file into a Mac compressor like QuickVid Compress (use the "Tiny" mode) or run the ffmpeg one-liner: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -crf 28 -preset medium -vf scale=-2:720 -c:a aac -b:a 96k output.mp4. Both produce output that fits WeChat / 微信's 25 MB limit with no visible quality loss.

Why does WeChat / 微信 reject my video?

Most rejections are file-size related: WeChat / 微信 caps at 25 MB. Other reasons include unsupported codec (use H.264 for maximum compatibility, not HEVC), missing the +faststart flag (which keeps streaming usable on slow connections), or audio in a non-AAC container.

Can I send larger videos via WeChat / 微信?

WeChat / 微信 offers higher limits on paid tiers — Favorites upload accepts 200 MB. Alternatively, host the video elsewhere (YouTube unlisted, Google Drive, Dropbox) and share a link. For sensitive content where you don't want third-party hosting, compress aggressively to fit the free tier.