Ultimate Guide to Sending Long Videos on iMessage Without Quality Loss

How long a video can be sent on iMessage depends on Apple file size limits, which are designed for quick and seamless sharing between devices. iMessage makes it easy to send short clips and photos, but longer or high-quality videos often face restrictions or automatic compression that reduces clarity. If your video exceeds the limit, iMessage may fail to send it or convert it into an iCloud link instead. This guide explains everything you need to know about sending large videos through iMessage, including its practical size limit, what happens when your video is too long, and the best way to compress or trim your files using AVAide Video Converter to keep quality intact.

Part 1. Can You Send Large Files on iMessage

Indeed, it is possible to send large files over iMessage, but there are some constraints. iMessage is designed for quick communication between Apple devices, so it is not primarily a file transfer application. For larger files, iMessage makes automatic adjustments to fit them into a smaller size.

If you are sending large files, especially videos, you can try a few different options:

1. AirDrop: The quickest file transfer option between Apple devices with no size restrictions.
2. iCloud Drive: After uploading the file to iCloud, you can share the download link via iMessage.
3. Mail Drop (via Mail app): You can use Mail Drop to send files via iCloud links that are up to 5 GB as attachments.
4. Third-party Cloud Services: You can use Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc., for sharing large videos as well.

Part 2. What is the iMessage Video Limit

Apple has not made any documentation about the exact file size limits for videos on iMessage, but based on user feedback, the iMessage Community, and general user experience, the limit for iMessage videos is approximately 100 MB.

If your video is beyond the limit, a few things can occur.

• The video will be compressed, and the quality will be lowered.
• The video will fail to send completely.
• If the video is stored in iCloud Photos, iMessage might send it as an iCloud link instead.

To help you visualize, here is a quick overview of the practical video limits of iMessage :

If your video exceeds the predetermined limits, iMessage alters the ways it gets shared, such as compressing the video. However, compression is not effective as it can lower the resolution and clarity to a great degree.

Tips to Send Longer or High-Quality Videos on iMessage

To help avoid sending blurred and pixelated videos, try these techniques:

1. Use a video editor and try to resize the file while retaining the original quality to help decrease the size of the video in question, or compress a video on iPhone for easier sharing.
2. Upload your video to iCloud, then share the link in iMessage. This method keeps the video in your original resolution.
3. Trim the video to reduce time. Cutting a few seconds can even help the file size.
4. Record in a lower resolution (like 720p instead of 4K) if you know you will send it via iMessage later.

Part 3. Easily Compress or Trim Videos for iMessage Sharing

Sending huge files through iMessages can be a challenge because Apple limits the size to 100 MB. If your video is above this, it either will not send at all, or it will be compressed, which the receiver will not appreciate. The most effective way to send a video is to resize it using AVAide Video Converter.

Designed to be a complete multimedia solution, AVAide Video Converter allows for the easy conversion, editing, and compression of videos. With more than 300 formats to choose from and optimized Apple device presets, seamless playback on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices is a guarantee. The ability to prepare your videos for iMessage is made simple with its intuitive interface and advanced AI tools, while keeping the clarity of the videos intact.

To compress or trim your video for iMessage, use Google AVAide Video Converter:

Step 1Download and Install AVAide Video Converter

Go to the AVAide main site and download the AVAide Video Converter that corresponds to your operating system, Windows or Mac. Then, follow the prompts to open and install the software.

Step 2Select the Toolbox Interface

After launching the software, you will go to the Toolbox Interface and select this option. It will have all the special tools you can use for your video.

Step 3Select Video Compressor

Select the Video Compressor option, and it will open a different window where you will click the + sign and load the video you wish to compress.

Step 4Set Your Compression Preferences

Once a video is loaded, you will slide the compression slider to choose your preferred file size. You can also choose the output format, recommended to use MP4 for iMessage, and adjust the resolution. You can also select a folder where your output will be saved.

Step 5Complete the Compression

Once you are sure that everything is set, you will click the Compress button and it will do the rest.

Step 6Send the Video via iMessage

After the video is compressed or trimmed, go to your output folder and share the optimized video via iMessage. The file will now meet the size limit, be in an iPhone-supported video format, and maintain great visual quality.

By Ben Carter on Nov 10, 2025