What video file is not supported by WhatsApp?

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 make voice and video calls for free. WhatsApp uses your phone’s internet connection to send messages and media, which means you can avoid SMS costs.

One of the great features of WhatsApp is the ability to send and receive videos. However, there are some limitations on the types of video files that can be sent and received on WhatsApp.

Video File Formats Supported by WhatsApp

WhatsApp supports most common video formats like MP4, MPEG4, 3GPP, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, FLV. Here is a breakdown of the major video formats supported on WhatsApp:

• MP4 – This is the most widely used and compatible video format. MP4 videos can contain various types of media inside like videos, subtitles, images and audio. MP4 is highly optimized for streaming and sharing videos.
• 3GPP – These are video files designed for use on 3G mobile networks. 3GPP files are highly compressed while still maintaining decent video quality. Popular 3GPP video codecs are H.263 and H.264.
• MOV – MOV is a common video format developed by Apple. It can contain compressed audio, video, images, subtitles and effects.
• AVI – This is an older video container format developed by Microsoft. AVI can contain different types of video and audio streams inside.
• MKV – This open standard video format can hold unlimited number of video, audio and subtitle tracks in one file. MKV has high compression ability while retaining excellent quality.
• WebM – WebM is an open video format designed for online streaming and sharing. It typically contains VP8 or VP9 encoded video and Vorbis encoded audio.
• FLV – The Flash Video format is designed for delivering video over the internet. FLV files can contain VP6, H.263 or H.264 encoded video.

As you can see, WhatsApp aims to support common video formats used on both desktop and mobile platforms. The app regularly adds support for new video file types and codecs as they gain popularity.

Video Files Not Supported on WhatsApp

While WhatsApp supports most mainstream video formats, there are some file types that are not supported and cannot be sent or received on the app. Here are some major video file formats not supported on WhatsApp:

• WMV – Windows Media Video files with WMV extension cannot be sent or received on WhatsApp.
• AVI Xvid – AVI files using Xvid codecs are also not supported on WhatsApp.
• M1V – The MPEG-1 Video format standard M1V is not supported by WhatsApp.
• M2V – MPEG-2 Video formatted files also cannot be transferred on WhatsApp.
• MTS – Video files in MTS format created by AVCHD camcorders are not usable on WhatsApp.
• M2TS – M2TS is a Blu-ray video container that is also not supported currently.
• QT – Apple’s QuickTime MOV files encoded with non-supported codecs do not work on WhatsApp.
• RM – RealMedia RM video files cannot be exchanged on WhatsApp.
• WMV HD – Higher resolution WMV-HD videos are also not yet supported.
• CAMREC – The CAMREC format used on some Samsung phones is not supported.

Apart from these formats, WhatsApp also cannot play DRM protected files like iTunes .M4V videos. Older video codecs like MJPEG, HuffYUV and FFV1 are also not supported currently. Videos larger than 16MB if non-document files also cannot be sent on WhatsApp.

Major Reasons for Video File Incompatibility

There are some technical reasons why certain video file formats will not work on WhatsApp:

• The video codec used to encode the file is not supported by WhatsApp. For example, WMV videos use proprietary Windows codecs.
• The file is encoded in an incompatible resolution or frame rate that WhatsApp cannot process.
• DRM (Digital Rights Management) protected video files have viewing restrictions that prevent them from being played on WhatsApp.
• Low compression efficiency makes the video file too large to send through WhatsApp’s service.
• The container format itself is not programmed into WhatsApp’s platform.
• Older or less commonly used video standards may not be supported by WhatsApp.

WhatsApp tries to maximize compatibility while optimizing performance for its huge user base. Adding support for additional media formats requires development work to integrate it properly into WhatsApp’s systems and apps.

How to Determine if a Video File is Supported

If you are unsure whether a video file will work on WhatsApp, here are some tips to quickly check compatibility:

• Try sending the video to someone’s WhatsApp or your own saved messages. If it fails to send, it is not supported.
• Look at the file extension – .WMV, .AVI Xvid, .M1V generally won’t work.
• Open video file properties and check the codec used – unsupported codecs like WMV 9 or MJPEG indicate incompatibility.
• Scan the file with a video metadata scanner to identify the format and codec used.
• Try converting the video to a widely supported format like MP4 or MOV using a video converter app.
• Search online for the file format or codec name to check if WhatsApp supports it.

Following these tips will help you quickly determine if a video file is supported. If the file does not work natively, you can always convert it to a supported format using free online tools before sending it on WhatsApp.

How to Convert Unsupported Videos for WhatsApp

If you have an incompatible video file, it can easily be converted to a format supported by WhatsApp using free online converter tools:

1. Upload the video file to an online converter like CloudConvert, Zamzar, Online-Convert etc.
2. Select MP4 or 3GP as the output format.
3. For settings, choose a standard resolution like 720p and audio codec like AAC.
4. Convert the video – wait for it to process and download the converted file.
5. Now the video will be in a WhatsApp compatible format to send.

You can also use free software like HandBrake or Any Video Converter on your computer to convert files to WhatsApp supported formats before sending. It is recommended to back up valuable videos before converting them to avoid quality loss.

Sending Videos on WhatsApp

Once you have a compatible video file, sending it on WhatsApp is very easy:

1. Open your WhatsApp chat with the recipient.
2. Tap on the attach button and select Video to pick your file.
3. Previews the video and edit the caption if needed.
4. Hit send to deliver the video instantly.

Videos up to 16MB can be sent directly through WhatsApp. Larger files can be shared by uploading to Google Drive or Dropbox and sharing the download link.

Playing Shared Videos on WhatsApp

To view and play videos shared by your WhatsApp contacts:

• Open the chat with the video file attachment.
• Tap on the video thumbnail to preview it.
• Hit the download icon in the preview to save it to your device.
• Go to your device’s media gallery to find and play the downloaded video.
• You can also tap and hold the video to get options like forward, info etc.

Make sure you have enough free storage space on your phone to save shared videos. If you have connectivity issues, try downloading while on WiFi for best results.

Troubleshooting Incompatible Videos

If you are unable to send or receive a video on WhatsApp, here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Check if the video file format is supported. Convert to MP4 if unsure.
• For oversized videos, compress or reduce resolution before sending.
• If blocked by DRM, remove restrictions using special software before sending.
• Update the WhatsApp app to the latest version for better compatibility.
• Clear WhatsApp cache and restart your phone to fix software glitches.
• Make sure your phone has enough storage space for the video file.
• Check your internet connection stability when transferring large videos.
• Re-encode the video with standard codecs like H.264 to fix issues.
• Contact WhatsApp support if the issue persists across devices.

Following these tips will help you successfully send, receive, and play incompatible video files on WhatsApp.

Conclusion

WhatsApp supports most common video formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, 3GPP used across different platforms and devices. However, certain proprietary or uncommon formats like WMV, MJPEG, QuickTime with non-standard codecs are not yet supported. If you have an incompatible video file, simply convert it to MP4 or another widely supported format using free online tools before sending on WhatsApp. This will ensure maximum video compatibility and allow easy sharing with individuals and groups.