Sizes, limits, and settings that actually matter.

WhatsApp's chat limit is roughly 16 MB, and it re-encodes whatever you send. Pick the right target bitrate, export once, and your video survives the trip.

Ten megabytes is not much video. Do the bitrate math first, then choose a resolution and frame rate that fit instead of shrinking the file and hoping.

Instagram re-encodes every Reel. Export a clean 1080x1920 master at the right bitrate, keep captions out of the interface, and the second encode has less to ruin.

Smaller files do not require ugly video. Change the right setting, in the right order, and most of the size comes off without a visible cost.

Dimensions decide file size more than the quality slider. Resize first, then compress. A 4000 px photo shown at 1200 px is mostly wasted bytes.

Filling a vertical frame means cutting the sides. Learn the cost of the crop, when to letterbox instead, and how to keep captions out from under the interface.

A trim can either copy the original video stream or rebuild it frame by frame. Knowing which one you need saves time and protects quality.

A MOV file is a box, not a codec. Learn what is inside, why MP4 travels better, and which settings keep the picture intact without a giant file.

PNG is lossless, JPG is universal, and WebP is usually smaller. The right choice depends on what is in the image and where it is going.

HEIC is an efficient Apple format built on HEVC. It is smaller than JPG, but many apps still refuse it. Converting to JPG is a compatibility fix, not an upgrade.

The format you pick controls file size, compatibility, and whether the audio is copied or re-encoded. Here is how to choose without guessing.

A comma instead of a period can break an entire caption file. Here is what changes between SRT and VTT, and how to convert cleanly.

One 1080x1920 master covers all three platforms. Here are the numbers behind that claim, plus the safe zones that keep captions visible.

A 1080 × 1350 photo is the safe portrait post for Instagram. A 1200 × 630 image is the safe link preview. Everything else is a crop decision.