WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, documents and more to individuals or groups. While WhatsApp supports many common video formats like MP4, users may sometimes need to convert videos into a compatible format before sending them through the app.
Here are some quick answers about finding the best video converter for WhatsApp:
Why do you need a video converter for WhatsApp?
The main reasons you may need a video converter for WhatsApp include:
- Sending large or incompatible video files – WhatsApp has a file size limit of 100MB and supports certain formats like MP4, MKV, AVI. If your video is too large or in the wrong format, it won’t send.
- Compressing videos before sending – Converting to a more compressed format like MP4 can reduce file size for quicker sending.
- Fixing aspect ratio issues – Sometimes vertical videos may appear cropped or stretched on WhatsApp. Converting them can fix aspect ratio problems.
- Convert old home video formats – You may want to convert old personal video files like MTS, MOD, M2TS to share memories with WhatsApp connections.
What are the key features to look for?
The most important features to look for in a good WhatsApp video converter include:
- Format compatibility – It should allow converting to formats like MP4, MKV, MOV that work on WhatsApp.
- Compression options – Options to compress videos to reduce file size before sending through WhatsApp.
- Batch conversion – Ability to queue up and convert multiple videos at once.
- Fast conversion speed – It shouldn’t take too long to convert videos to use on WhatsApp.
- Aspect ratio adjustments – Options to fix aspect ratio issues like cropping or stretching in videos.
- No quality loss – The converter shouldn’t decrease video quality even at high compression.
- Other editing tools – Useful options like trimming, effects, filters to edit videos before sending.
What are some top WhatsApp video converter options?
Some of the best and most popular video converters compatible for WhatsApp include:
| Converter | Platform | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Wondershare UniConverter | Windows, Mac | Supports over 1000 formats. Compress videos up to 90% size. Batch convert. Fix aspect ratios. Download online videos. |
| Movavi Video Converter | Windows, Mac | Fast conversion speed. Compress videos before sending. Crops videos to vertical. Wide format support. |
| HandBrake | Windows, Mac, Linux | Free open source software. Compresses video well. Simple interface. Good for batch conversion. |
| VidPaw | Online | No software download needed. Supports 1000+ sites. Bulk convert option available. Good compression. |
| Clipchamp | Online | Intuitive web editor. Fix aspect ratios. Add filters, effects. No download required. |
What video formats does WhatsApp support?
Here are the main video formats supported by WhatsApp:
- MP4 – The most commonly used format. Works on iOS, Android, and WhatsApp Web.
- 3GPP – An older format but useful for older phones. Compatible with all platforms.
- MOV – Works on iOS and WhatsApp Web. Not supported on Android.
- MKV – Supported on Android, not on iOS or WhatsApp Web.
- AVI – Only supported on WhatsApp for Windows. Not iOS or Android.
For maximum compatibility across devices, your best bet is to convert videos to MP4 format before sending on WhatsApp.
How do I convert videos for WhatsApp on my iPhone?
Here are the steps to convert videos to send on WhatsApp using an iPhone:
- Install a video converter app like Video Converter from the App Store.
- In the app, tap on “Import” and select the video you want to convert.
- Choose MP4 or MOV as the output format.
- Set output resolution to 640×480 or lower if needed.
- Use the compression slider to reduce file size.
- Tap on “Convert” to start the video conversion.
- When finished, you can open the converted video in Photos and send it via WhatsApp.
Using a converter app is the easiest way to optimize videos before sending from an iPhone. You can also use desktop software like Wondershare Uniconverter and transfer the converted video back to your iPhone.
How do I convert videos for WhatsApp on my Android phone?
To convert videos for WhatsApp on Android phones, you can follow these steps:
- Download and install a video converter app like Video Converter Android on Google Play Store.
- Launch the app and tap on the folder icon to select a video to convert.
- Choose MP4 as the output format for best WhatsApp compatibility.
- Adjust the resolution if needed to a lower size like 480p.
- Use the “Trim” option to cut unwanted parts of the video.
- Tap on the “Convert” button and wait for the video processing to finish.
- The converted video will be saved to your device gallery.
- Open WhatsApp, select the video and send it to your contacts or groups.
Using video converter apps is the quickest way to convert videos for Android. You can also transfer videos to a desktop, convert using software like Handbrake and then transfer back.
How can I choose the right video resolution for WhatsApp?
Follow these tips for choosing the right video resolution for WhatsApp:
- Higher resolution is not always better – WhatsApp compresses videos to 720p for sending.
- Very low resolution like 240p will look pixelated and blurry.
- 480p resolution provides a good balance of quality and low file size.
- For longer videos, use a resolution between 360p to 480p.
- For short clips, you can go up to 720p resolution.
- Always pick a standard resolution like 480p, 720p. Avoid odd sizes like 460×260.
- Use the preview feature in converters to test different resolutions.
Following these tips will help choose a video resolution that looks great and sends quickly on WhatsApp without any compatibility issues.
Which video converter software offer the best compression?
The video converter software that offer the best video compression options to reduce WhatsApp file sizes include:
- Wondershare Uniconverter – Offers up to 90% compression with no quality loss. Great for reducing WhatsApp video size.
- Handbrake – Open source software with powerful compression abilities. Reduces video size considerably.
- Movavi Video Converter – Has optimized compression presets for sharing videos on WhatsApp and social media.
- Avidemux – Free software with compression filter options to customize file size reduction.
- VidPaw – Online tool that can compress WhatsApp videos up to 50% smaller with no discernible quality loss.
These converters allow customizing the compression settings to achieve the right balance of small file size and good video quality for WhatsApp.
Should I use an online or desktop video converter?
Both online and desktop video converters have their pros and cons for converting WhatsApp videos:
| Converter Type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Online converters |
|
|
| Desktop converters |
|
|
For quick one-off conversions, online converters offer a convenient option. But for regular video conversions, desktop software provides more control and better features.
How can I fix aspect ratio issues in videos for WhatsApp?
Here are some tips to fix aspect ratio issues when converting videos for WhatsApp:
- Crop horizontal videos to 9:16 vertical to avoid black bars on WhatsApp.
- Add letterbox/pillarbox padding to make vertical videos 16:9.
- Use video editing software like Wondershare Uniconverter that has preset aspect ratios.
- Manually change project settings in the converter to the needed aspect.
- Adjust the scale, position and anchor points of the video to remove black areas.
- Downscale the video resolution to fit the target aspect ratio.
- Check the results using the preview feature before processing.
Fixing aspect ratios before converting will prevent stretched or squeezed videos on WhatsApp. Refer to aspect ratio guides to choose the right one.
Should I convert videos to HEVC/H.265 for WhatsApp?
HEVC (H.265) is a newer, more advanced video codec that can compress videos roughly twice as much as H.264 without reducing quality. However, HEVC has limited compatibility with WhatsApp and other platforms right now. Here are some key points to consider:
- HEVC videos may not play properly on WhatsApp Web and Desktop.
- Older phones may not support HEVC codec and won’t play such videos.
- HEVC conversion takes much longer than H.264 encoding.
- HEVC is not yet universally supported across all apps and browsers.
Due to these compatibility issues, it’s recommended to convert WhatsApp videos to H.264 MP4 instead of HEVC for now. As HEVC gains more adoption, it may become a viable option in the future.
Conclusion
Converting videos to the right format and size before sending on WhatsApp is important for quick sharing and proper playback. The best video converter software for WhatsApp offers customizable compression options, format compatibility, batch processing and aspect ratio corrections.
Wondershare Uniconverter stands out as a particularly versatile converter option with a great balance of power, features and ease of use. Online converters like VidPaw also offer a quick solution for one-off conversions. Following the tips in this article will help choose and use the right WhatsApp video converter for your needs.