How to Compress a Video to Send by Email
Gmail allows 25 MB attachments and Outlook.com and iCloud Mail 20 MB. Here is how to fit a video under the limit, and when a link is the better choice.
Email was never designed to carry video. Attach a clip straight from your phone and you will almost certainly hit an attachment limit. You have two options: compress the video to a size every inbox accepts, or upload it somewhere and send a link. This guide covers when to use each.
Attachment limits by provider
| Provider | Attachment limit | For bigger files |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB | Offers a Google Drive link automatically |
| Outlook.com | 20 MB | Offers a OneDrive link |
| iCloud Mail | 20 MB | Mail Drop sends up to 5 GB as a link |
| Company mail servers | Often 10 to 25 MB | Ask IT, or use a link |
The recipient's limit matters too. A 24 MB file leaves Gmail fine but may bounce from a company server. Staying under 20 MB is safe almost everywhere. Email encoding can also make an attachment about a third larger in transit, which is why a file just under the limit sometimes still fails. Current limits for more apps are on our upload limits page.
How much video fits in 20 MB?
20 MB is about 160 megabits. Divide by the total bitrate (video plus audio) and you get the duration. For your own numbers, use the video size calculator.
| Total bitrate | Typical quality | Duration in 20 MB |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Mbps | Fine for 720p screen recordings | About 2 minutes 40 seconds |
| 2 Mbps | Decent 720p, soft 1080p | About 80 seconds |
| 4 Mbps | Good 1080p for calm footage | About 40 seconds |
| 8 Mbps | Very good 1080p | About 20 seconds |
The workflow
- Trim the video to just what you need to send. For email, shorter is almost always better.
- Compress it in the BoltCompress compressor with High Efficiency. The tool shows an estimated size before you start.
- If the estimate is still over 20 MB, use Maximum Savings or trim more.
- Choose MP4. Every email client and phone can preview it.
- Check the final size before attaching.
When to send a link instead
If the video is longer than a minute or two, or quality is critical, stop fighting the limit. Upload it to Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, or Dropbox and paste a share link. The recipient gets full quality and the email sends instantly. Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud Mail will offer to do this for you when a file is too big. We compare the options in how to send large video files.
Summary
For email, aim for under 20 MB. Trim hard, compress to MP4, and short clips fit comfortably. For anything longer, a cloud link is faster and keeps the original quality.
Quick answers
How big can an email attachment be?
Gmail allows 25 MB per message. Outlook.com and iCloud Mail allow about 20 MB. Aim for under 20 MB so the email works for almost every recipient.
How long a video can I email?
At about 2 Mbps (decent 720p in H.265), 20 MB holds roughly 75 seconds. Simple footage like screen recordings can go longer; action footage less.
Try it on your own video
Upload a video, see the estimated size for each level, and download a smaller file. Free, no install.
Open the compressor