WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. However, one limitation of WhatsApp is that it doesn’t support sending or receiving MP4 video files. This can be frustrating for users who want to share longer videos with friends and family over WhatsApp.
The technical reasons behind the MP4 limitation
There are a few technical reasons why WhatsApp does not allow sending MP4 video files:
- File size limitations – WhatsApp has a file size limit of 100MB per file sent. MP4 videos tend to be much larger in size compared to other formats like 3GP which WhatsApp supports. So MP4 files frequently exceed the size limit.
- Compatibility issues – WhatsApp uses a variety of different codecs and containers to support video sending across different devices. MP4 is a complex container format that could introduce compatibility issues across devices. WhatsApp likely found limiting formats reduces playback issues.
- Bandwidth issues – With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp has to be very careful about bandwidth usage. Larger MP4 files could place excessive strain on their infrastructure. Smaller video formats help control bandwidth costs.
- Encryption challenges – WhatsApp applies end-to-end encryption for all files sent. Encrypting the more complex MP4 format likely poses technical challenges versus encrypting simpler 3GP files.
So in summary, the file size, compatibility, bandwidth and encryption challenges with supporting MP4 make it easier for WhatsApp to just prohibit that format.
Why does WhatsApp only allow certain video formats?
In addition to MP4, there are several other video formats that WhatsApp restricts users from sending including AVI, MKV, MOV, and FLV. Instead it only allows a few specific formats like 3GP, MP4 (less than 10MB), and MOV (less than 10MB).
Again this comes back to technical limitations around file size, compatibility, and encryption. By only supporting certain formats that have maximum file sizes of 10 or 30MB, WhatsApp is able to better control infrastructure costs and reduce playback issues across the wide range of devices used globally. The restricted formats are older and simpler to encrypt versus newer formats. And they require users to compress videos before sending which reduces bandwidth consumption.
Some of WhatsApp’s reasoning includes:
- Reduced compatibility issues – Older 3GP format is compatible across nearly all phones so playback issues are minimized.
- Smaller file sizes – Restricted formats force users to compress videos leading to smaller files.
- Narrower technical scope – Only supporting a few formats is easier to manage technically versus a wider range.
- Infrastructure cost savings – Smaller files sizes equal big bandwidth cost savings.
- Quick to encrypt – Simple formats like 3GP can be encrypted quickly using their existing protocols.
While restricting formats is unpopular with users, it makes managing a global platform with billions of users much simpler for WhatsApp from a technical perspective.
What are the benefits of supporting MP4 files?
While the technical limitations make it impractical for WhatsApp to support MP4 videos, there are some benefits that users miss out on due to the restrictions:
- Higher quality videos – MP4s allow videos with better resolution and sound quality versus limited quality from 3GPs.
- Advanced features – MP4s support more advanced features like archiving chapters, multiple audio tracks, subtitles, meta data etc.
- Industry standard format – MP4 is the most common format so restrictions prevent integrating with other tools.
- Mobile compatibility – Modern phones are designed to support MP4 playback so there are few compatibility issues.
If the technical challenges could be overcome, supporting MP4s would allow WhatsApp users to send and view much higher quality videos, access more advanced features, and integrate better with the rest of the video ecosystem.
Video format usage statistics
Here are some statistics showing the popularity of MP4 vs other formats:
| Format | Percentage Usage |
|---|---|
| MP4 | 75% |
| WebM | 15% |
| AVI | 5% |
| MOV | 3% |
| MKV | 2% |
As you can see, MP4 is by far the most dominant video format, accounting for 75% of all online videos. WhatsApp’s restricted formats like 3GP and MOV have minimal usage compared to MP4. This demonstrates why users want MP4 support – it aligns with the industry standards.
How users are working around the MP4 limitation
Given the benefits and ubiquity of MP4, many WhatsApp users want to share MP4 videos. Here are some common workarounds they use to get around the limitations:
- Use file compression tools – Apps like Handbrake can convert MP4 videos to formats like 3GP while compressing them to under the file size limits.
- Upload videos to Google Drive or Dropbox – Users store MP4 videos in cloud storage, then share cloud links through WhatsApp rather than files directly.
- Use third-party tools – Websites like VideoConverter.js allow converting videos to WhatsApp friendly formats right in the browser.
- Screen recording – Users play back the MP4 video on their phone screen and screen record the playback to create a supported format to send.
- Upload to YouTube – Uploading MP4 videos to YouTube as “unlisted” allows sharing the YouTube link to effectively share the MP4 over WhatsApp.
While not ideal workflows, these workarounds allow users to unofficially send MP4 content through WhatsApp. However this leads to quality loss, extra steps, and a fragmented experience.
Will WhatsApp ever add MP4 support?
While WhatsApp currently has no plans to officially support MP4, there are a few scenarios where they may enable it in the future:
- Increased file size limits – If WhatsApp raises the 100MB file size limit, MP4s may naturally become an accepted format.
- Compression improvements – If video compression technology improves to allow small MP4 sizes, the format may become viable.
- Conversion to MP4 on receipt – The app may convert received videos to MP4 to allow wider playback support.
- Tiered quality formats – WhatsApp could allow MP4 sending in some situations like over WiFi but fall back to 3GP on cellular data.
- Regional support – MP4 sending could be limited to regions with fast internet speeds and mpdern device penetration.
Realistically, WhatsApp is unlikely to make any changes here unless there are major improvements to bandwidth costs, encryption technology, and global device compatibility. But with video consumption growing exponentially, users will likely continue pressuring WhatsApp to remove restrictions on formats like MP4.
Conclusion
In summary, WhatsApp does not allow sending MP4 videos due to file size limits, compatibility issues, bandwidth costs and encryption challenges. The app only supports certain legacy formats like 3GP and small MOVs to minimize technical issues. However MP4 has major benefits like higher quality, advanced features and mobile device support. While users have found workarounds, the lack of official MP4 support gives a fragmented experience. WhatsApp is unlikely to add MP4 capabilities unless there are breakthroughs in video compression, encryption, and global device compatibility – but user pressure will likely continue to mount.