How to Compress a Video for Email (Gmail, Outlook)

To send a video by email, get it under the attachment limit: 25 MB in Gmail and 20 MB in Outlook for personal accounts, and often 10 MB on work Exchange accounts. Lower the resolution to 720p or 480p and the bitrate with a compressor, trim anything you don't need, and attach the smaller file. At 480p, about 3 minutes of video fits in 20 MB. Anything longer is better sent as a cloud link.

More on this topic: Video specs by platform, every guide in one place.

Below are the limits from Google's and Microsoft's own help pages, a table of what fits, and the steps.

The short answer

Gmail allows 25 MB per email and turns bigger attachments into a Google Drive link; Outlook allows 20 MB (Microsoft's default for Exchange work accounts is 10 MB). To fit, trim the video, then compress it to 720p (about 12 MB a minute) or 480p (about 6 MB a minute). For more than about 3-4 minutes, upload it to Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox and email the link.

Key takeaways

• Limits: Gmail 25 MB; Outlook.com and Outlook for internet accounts 20 MB; Exchange work accounts 10 MB by default (your admin may set another).
• The limit covers the whole email, attachments included, so leave a margin.
• Zipping a video barely helps: MP4 is already compressed. Lower the resolution and bitrate instead.
• Trim first; every second you cut is the cheapest compression there is.

Disclosure: we make QuickVeed and show how to do this in it, along with other ways. Details about other products come from their public pages, checked in October 2026 and linked at the end.

Email attachment limits for video

Microsoft's page notes that the limit applies to the attachment and the email together. Email also encodes attachments on the way, which makes them roughly a third larger in transit, and some servers count that. A safe target is about 18 MB for Gmail, 14 MB for Outlook and 7 MB for a work account with the default limit.

How many minutes of video fit in an email?

With QuickVeed's free Video Compressor, which records the new copy at a fixed bitrate, the sizes are predictable:

Real files vary a little with the content. To work it out for any bitrate, use the free video bitrate calculator: it shows the bitrate that fits a size and length. For example, 2 minutes in 14 MB leaves about 0.84 Mbps of video with 96 kbps sound, which is 480p territory.

How to compress a video for email in your browser

QuickVeed's Video Compressor is free, runs in your browser, never uploads your file and adds no watermark. It works on Windows, Mac, ChromeOS and Linux, with videos up to 500 MB and 10 minutes.

1. If the video is long, cut it first with the free video trimmer.
2. Open the Video Compressor and drop in the video.
3. Pick Smallest (480p) for email, or Smaller (720p) if it's under about 1 minute 30 seconds.
4. Untick Keep the sound if the video doesn't need audio; it saves about 0.7 MB a minute.
5. Click Compress, wait while it plays through, and check the size it reports.
6. Attach the new file to your email.

The browser plays the video once and records the new copy, so it takes about as long as the video. Keep the tab open and in front. The result is MP4 where your browser can record MP4 (Chrome, Edge and Safari can) and WebM otherwise.

How to make a video smaller on iPhone or Android

• iPhone: before you record, lower the quality in Settings > Camera > Record Video (for example 720p at 30 fps). For an existing video, trim it in Photos, or open the browser compressor above in Safari. Apple's Mail Drop can also send large files as a link from iCloud Mail.
• Android: Google Photos and many gallery apps let you save a copy at a lower resolution; options vary by phone. In Gmail, attaching a large video from Drive sends a link automatically.
• Any phone: trim the clip in the Photos app first; it's often enough on its own.

When to send a link instead

Compress when the video is short and the recipient needs the file itself. Send a link when:

• the video is over about 3-4 minutes, or must stay sharp (a portfolio, a client deliverable);
• you're sending to several people, or the file will change;
• the recipient is on a work account with a 10 MB limit.

Gmail does this for you above 25 MB by inserting a Google Drive link; Microsoft suggests OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud or Google Drive links. Check the link's sharing permission before you send it.

Tips for a smaller file with less quality loss

• Screen recordings and talking heads compress far better than shaky, detailed footage.
• Lower the frame rate to 30 fps if the original is 60; fewer frames need fewer bits.
• For a no-loss copy that's simply smaller, a desktop encoder with H.265 is better; see how to compress a video without losing quality.
• If the video is a MOV from an iPhone, the compressor still works where your browser can play it; MP4 vs MOV explains the formats.

For chat apps the numbers are different: see how to make a video small enough for Discord. To cut length rather than quality, how to trim a video covers every device.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum video size for Gmail?

25 MB per email for personal Gmail. Bigger attachments are replaced by a Google Drive link automatically.

What is the maximum attachment size in Outlook?

20 MB for Outlook.com and internet accounts; Exchange work accounts default to 10 MB, and admins can change it.

How do I compress a video to send by email?

Trim it, then save a 480p or 720p copy with a video compressor. QuickVeed's free one runs in the browser and shows the new size.

How many minutes of video can I email?

At 480p, about 3 minutes fits in 20 MB and about 4 in 25 MB. At 720p, about 1.5 to 2 minutes.

Will zipping a video make it small enough?

Rarely. MP4 and MOV are already compressed, so a ZIP saves very little.

Why was my video sent as a Drive link?

It was over Gmail's 25 MB limit, so Gmail uploaded it to Google Drive and inserted a link.

Try it with your own video

Shrink the file for free, then add captions so it plays well on a phone with the sound off. Upload the video, pick a caption style, and judge the result for yourself. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.

Sources

Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.

• Gmail Help: attachment size limit (25 MB; larger files become Drive links)
• Microsoft Support: send large files with Outlook (20 MB; 10 MB Exchange default)