WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the key features of WhatsApp is the ability to send messages, photos, videos, documents, voice messages, and make voice and video calls. WhatsApp also allows users to create groups and broadcast lists to send messages to multiple contacts at once. This raises the question – can we send videos in WhatsApp broadcast messages?
What are WhatsApp broadcasts?
WhatsApp broadcasts allow users to send a single message to multiple contacts at the same time. To create a broadcast list, you select the contacts you want to include, tap the broadcast list icon, and your message will be delivered to all those recipients. Broadcast lists make it easy to get information out to a large group quickly.
When you send a broadcast, your message will be sent out as an individual message to each recipient. So if you have 100 people in your broadcast, 100 separate messages will be generated, rather than one mass message. Each recipient will see only your message, not the other recipients.
Can you send videos in WhatsApp broadcasts?
Yes, it is possible to send video files in a WhatsApp broadcast message. The process is the same as sending a video to an individual chat – simply attach the video before sending your broadcast message.
There are a few limitations to be aware of with videos in WhatsApp broadcasts:
– File size limit – Videos are limited to 16MB in size in WhatsApp.
– Format support – WhatsApp supports MP4, 3GP, and MKV video formats. Other formats like AVI or MOV may not work.
– Quality – WhatsApp will compress videos before sending, so some quality loss is to be expected.
– Downloading required – Recipients will need to download the video before viewing, which may impact delivery speed.
As long as your video meets these requirements, you can attach and send it to your broadcast list like any other file.
Step-by-Step Guide
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to sending a video in a WhatsApp broadcast message:
1. Create your broadcast list
First, create your broadcast list by selecting all the recipients you want to include:
– Open the WhatsApp app and go into the Calls tab
– Tap the New Broadcast option
– Select the contacts you want to add to the broadcast list
– Tap Done when finished selecting all recipients
2. Attach your video
Once your broadcast list is created, it’s time to attach the video:
– Go into your chat with the broadcast list
– Tap the Attach button (paperclip icon)
– Select Video to browse your files and attach your desired video
– Make sure the video file size is under 16MB and in a supported format
3. Compose your message
Write out the message you want to accompany the video:
– Type your text as normal in the message field
– You can add additional files or media as well
– Try to include some context on what the video is and why you’re sending it
4. Send the broadcast
Finally, review your message and hit send to deliver the video to all recipients:
– Tap the send button (arrow icon)
– Confirm you want to send the message as a broadcast
– The video will now be sent out to all the contacts in your broadcast list
And that’s it! With just a few taps you can share a video with all your broadcast list recipients.
Broadcast Size Limit
One question that often comes up with WhatsApp broadcasts is how many people you can include in a single broadcast list. Here are the broadcast limits to keep in mind:
Regular WhatsApp broadcast
– For regular WhatsApp users, you can include up to 256 people in a single broadcast list.
– If you try to add more than 256 recipients, you’ll get an error message that the limit has been exceeded.
WhatsApp Business
– WhatsApp Business accounts can create larger broadcast lists of up to 1024 people.
– This expanded capacity makes WhatsApp Business ideal for larger scale messaging.
So in summary:
| WhatsApp type | Max broadcast size |
| Regular WhatsApp | 256 recipients |
| WhatsApp Business | 1024 recipients |
Tips for large broadcasts
If you need to message groups larger than the broadcast limit, some options include:
– Break your list into multiple smaller broadcasts
– Use an external broadcast service that connects to WhatsApp
– Switch to WhatsApp Business if available
– Use WhatsApp groups which support up to 256 participants
Video File Formats
As mentioned above, WhatsApp has specific video format requirements if you want to send them in broadcasts:
| Format | Supported on WhatsApp? |
| MP4 | Yes |
| 3GP | Yes |
| MKV | Yes |
| AVI | No |
| MOV | No |
| WMV | No |
| FLV | No |
The most compatible format to use is MP4. If your video is stored in an unsupported format, you’ll need to convert it before sending to your WhatsApp broadcast list. There are many free online video converters available that can transform videos into MP4.
Resolution and quality
In addition to format, resolution also matters. WhatsApp will compress and resize videos before sending. Some guidelines:
– Landscape videos: Maximum width of 1280 pixels, maximum height of 720 pixels
– Portrait videos: Maximum width of 720 pixels, maximum height of 1280 pixels
– Bitrate: Recommended under 5MB per minute of video
Higher resolution videos will be resized to fit these dimensions. Significantly larger files will experience more compression and quality loss. For best results, check your video’s resolution and compress larger files before sending in your broadcast.
Alternatives to WhatsApp Broadcasts
While WhatsApp broadcasts are convenient, they do have limitations in terms of size and format support. Here are some alternative options if you need to distribute video content to a large audience:
WhatsApp Business API
– Enables 3rd party tools to access WhatsApp Business accounts
– Tools like ChatApier offer high scale WhatsApp messaging
– Can broadcast to over 1 million recipients
– Requires technical setup and business approval
WhatsApp Groups
– Support up to 256 participants
– Can post videos viewable by the entire group
– Allows engagement from the full group
– Need to manually add each recipient
External WhatsApp Tools
– Tools like WhatsApp Studio offer expanded broadcast capacity
– Connect your WhatsApp account to broadcast to large lists
– Capabilities beyond basic WhatsApp limits
– May have costs based on usage and recipient count
Other Communication Apps
– Apps like Telegram or Facebook Messenger also offer group messaging
– May have different audience than your WhatsApp contacts
– Features can differ from WhatsApp broadcasts
Overall, WhatsApp broadcasts remain one of the easiest ways to reach a medium-sized audience. But for truly mass video distribution, external tools or platforms may be required.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp Video Broadcasts
Despite the simplicity of sending broadcasts, sometimes issues come up. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
Problem: Video upload is slow
– This can happen if you are on a slow internet connection, as videos are a large file size to upload. Switch to a faster WiFi or cellular data connection.
Problem: Error showing “Couldn’t send broadcast”
– You may have exceeded the recipient limit. Check that you have no more than 256 recipients (1024 for Business accounts). Remove contacts until below the limit.
Problem: Video won’t play for recipients
– The recipient may not have downloaded the video yet. Advise them to tap and hold to download first before viewing.
– The video format may not be supported. Convert to MP4, 3GP or MKV format.
Problem: Video quality is low
– WhatsApp compresses videos during sending, lowering quality. For better quality, use a lower resolution original file.
– For important videos, it may be better to send via a shared cloud link rather than directly through WhatsApp.
Problem: Broadcast message is only sending to some recipients
– This can occur if some recipients block or report your number, removing them from future broadcasts. You may need to prune your list of non-responsive contacts.
Key Takeaways
To summarize the key points on sending videos in WhatsApp broadcasts:
– Videos can be attached to broadcast messages like regular chats
– File size limited to 16MB, MP4/3GP/MKV formats recommended
– Max recipients: 256 normal, 1024 WhatsApp Business
– Quality and resolution may be reduced on sending
– Alternatives like WhatsApp Business API offer higher capacity
– Troubleshoot issues with speed, formats, limits and quality
With these tips, you should be ready to effectively use videos in your WhatsApp broadcast messaging. Just remember to keep videos short, use optimized formats, and confirm your broadcast list size isn’t too large.
Conclusion
WhatsApp’s broadcast messaging feature provides a convenient way to reach your contacts en masse. Adding video files to your broadcast is a great way to share visual content with many people simultaneously.
While there are some limitations, like the 256 recipient cap, video formats, and quality compression, for most purposes WhatsApp broadcasts offer an easy video messaging solution. Alternatives like WhatsApp Business accounts, groups, or 3rd party tools can unlock higher capacity distribution if needed.
With WhatsApp’s global user base over 2 billion, tapping into even a fraction of your contacts via broadcast messaging gives tremendous reach potential. So leverage the power of video broadcasts to engage your audience across the WhatsApp ecosystem.