Compress video for Telegram.
2GB free, 4GB Premium.

Share videos instantly on Telegram with optimized file sizes. Upload faster, use less data, keep perfect quality. Free, no account, no watermark.

Discord 10MB
Telegram 2GB
WhatsApp 16MB
Email 25MB
📹

Drop your video here

or click to browse files — up to 500MB free

Target: 2GB for Telegram (free)

MP4 MOV AVI MKV WEBM WMV
video.mp4 Compressing...
124 MB
7.8 MB
93.7% smaller
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Three steps. Telegram optimized.

01

Upload your video

Drag & drop or select any video file. We support MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, WMV and 20+ other formats.

02

Optimize for Telegram

Our encoder analyzes your video and compresses it for optimal quality-to-filesize ratio on Telegram's platform and mobile networks.

03

Share to Telegram instantly

Download your optimized video and upload to Telegram chats, groups, channels, or share as a link. It'll play perfectly on any device.

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Telegram Video Limits and Compression Guide

Telegram is one of the most generous platforms when it comes to video file size limits, allowing up to 2GB for free users and 4GB for Premium subscribers. However, despite these high limits, there are excellent reasons to compress your videos before sending them on Telegram. Smaller files upload faster, use less mobile data, stream more smoothly, and make better use of Telegram's bandwidth for all users sharing the chat or channel. Whether you're sharing a full-length documentary, gaming streams, concert recordings, or family videos, SquishVideo helps you optimize them for Telegram.

Telegram's Video Upload Limits

Free Telegram accounts can upload and send videos up to 2GB in size, which is significantly more than most other messaging platforms. If you subscribe to Telegram Premium (around $10/year), this limit increases to 4GB. These limits apply to video files sent in personal chats, group chats, and channels. The generosity of these limits means you can share nearly any personal video without needing compression, but in practice, compressing is still beneficial for performance and data usage.

Why Compress for Telegram Even with 2GB Limits?

At first glance, Telegram's 2GB limit seems to eliminate the need for compression. However, several practical reasons make compression valuable: First, upload speed is directly proportional to file size. A 2GB video over a typical mobile connection (5-50 Mbps) could take 5-30 minutes to upload. The same video compressed to 500MB uploads in 1-6 minutes. Second, data usage is critical for users on limited plans. Users on 5GB/month plans think carefully about uploading large uncompressed videos. Third, Telegram's servers serve videos to users worldwide, so smaller files strain infrastructure less and stream more smoothly, especially in regions with limited bandwidth. Fourth, compressed videos are archived more efficiently, saving server storage costs that Telegram might pass to users. Finally, even with 2GB limits, you might want to balance file size against quality—SquishVideo lets you choose this tradeoff.

Mobile Optimization for Telegram

Most Telegram users access the app on mobile devices, not computers. Mobile devices have limited processing power, smaller screens, and limited data plans. When you compress a video for mobile, it plays smoothly without buffering, uses less battery for decoding, and loads faster on slower connections. SquishVideo's Telegram optimization takes all of this into account, choosing bitrates and resolutions that perform beautifully on mobile while keeping file sizes reasonable. Videos compressed for mobile often look nearly identical to the original on a 6-inch phone screen, even if they look softer on a 27-inch monitor.

Telegram as a Video Distribution Platform

Many creators use Telegram channels (which can have unlimited subscribers) to distribute video content. Whether you're running a cooking channel, educational content, short-form entertainment, or news aggregation, channel subscribers appreciate smaller file sizes because they download faster and use less data. Channels with 10,000+ subscribers benefit hugely from compression—if each user spends 30 seconds less downloading each video, that's 83 user-hours of bandwidth saved. SquishVideo helps you be a responsible channel creator.

Compression Settings for Telegram Videos

For best results on Telegram, we recommend 1080p resolution at 4-6 Mbps bitrate for high-quality videos. This creates files that are roughly 20-50% the size of the uncompressed original while remaining visually pristine on phones. For gaming content or chat videos, 720p at 2-3 Mbps is sufficient and much smaller. For very long videos (1+ hours), we recommend 720p or even 480p depending on your quality tolerance. All of these choices are automatic in SquishVideo—just select Telegram and we handle the optimization.

Video Formats Supported for Telegram

SquishVideo accepts MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, WMV and over 20 other video formats. Whether you're using OBS for screen recording, a phone camera, a GoPro, or editing software like Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or iMovie, we can handle it. We always output MP4 H.264 video, which is the most compatible format across all Telegram clients (iOS, Android, Web) and devices (phones, tablets, computers).

Sending Videos as "Video Messages" vs. "Documents" on Telegram

Telegram offers two ways to share videos: as video files (which play inline in the chat with preview thumbnails) or as documents (which show as file icons users must tap to open). Video format is better for watching in-chat, while document format is better for archiving or sharing files you want people to save. SquishVideo's compression works perfectly for both. Video messages are shown with a preview, duration counter, and playback controls. Documents appear as simple file icons but maintain full quality. Choose whichever matches your use case.

Streaming Performance and Buffering

Telegram's video player buffers content as users watch. Smaller videos buffer completely before playback finishes, preventing interruptions. Large uncompressed videos may buffer during playback, especially on slow connections. By compressing your videos optimally for Telegram, you ensure smooth playback without interruptions, even for users on 3G networks or in areas with patchy coverage. This dramatically improves user experience and makes viewers more likely to watch your entire video.

Storage Implications for Telegram Users

While Telegram offers cloud backup, many users download videos to their devices for offline viewing or archiving. Smaller videos consume less local storage on phones that are already space-constrained. A typical 64GB phone might hold 200GB worth of Telegram videos if compressed intelligently, but only 100GB if uncompressed. This matters for long-term engagement—users are more likely to keep and re-watch compressed videos if they don't sacrifice 500MB of precious phone storage.

Bandwidth Considerations for Channel Creators

If you operate a Telegram channel with thousands of subscribers, your servers bear the cost of serving every video to every subscriber. While Telegram's servers actually serve the content (not yours), being considerate about file sizes is part of responsible channel management. Creators using Telegram as a platform appreciate that smaller files mean faster distribution to subscribers worldwide, better compliance with bandwidth caps if they have any, and improved sustainability of the platform itself.

Live Stream Recording Compression

If you record Telegram live streams (Telegram Live shows) and want to archive or share them in channels, compression becomes essential. Live stream recordings are typically massive (gigabytes per hour), and sharing them uncompressed is impractical. SquishVideo can compress hours of live stream footage into manageable files suitable for Telegram distribution while retaining excellent quality.

Collaborative Features and Compression

Telegram's group chats and supergroups support media sharing and discussion. Teams using Telegram for work (like remote video editors, YouTubers, or production companies) often share work-in-progress videos in Telegram for feedback. Compressed versions are faster to share and easier to download for review, speeding up the collaboration process. Final uncompressed versions can be archived elsewhere or shared via other channels.

Privacy and Telegram Video Compression

SquishVideo compresses your videos using encrypted connections and deletes all files from our servers within 1 hour. Telegram itself uses end-to-end encryption for secret chats and client-server encryption for regular chats. When you compress with SquishVideo and then upload to Telegram, you get the benefits of both services' privacy protections. Your video never sits uncompressed on our servers and never sits on Telegram's servers longer than necessary.

Comparison with Other Platforms

Telegram's limits (2GB free, 4GB Premium) are dramatically higher than Discord (10MB free, 500MB Nitro) or WhatsApp (16MB video, 2GB document). However, all platforms benefit from compression for performance reasons. Whether you're sending videos on Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, or Email, SquishVideo ensures optimal compression for that specific platform's infrastructure and user base.

Recommended Video Resolutions by Use Case

For gaming content or educational screencasts, 1080p works great because text and details need clarity. For music videos, concerts, or artistic content, 1080p or even 720p is sufficient. For short clips, memes, or casual chat, 720p is ideal. For archival or future-proofing, record and compress at 1080p—our encoder will preserve detail better. For very long videos (2+ hours), 720p is practical to keep file sizes manageable. SquishVideo's preset for Telegram balances all these considerations automatically.

Other platforms we support

SquishVideo optimizes compression for multiple platforms, each with their own limits and characteristics:

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Telegram Video Compression FAQ

What is the maximum file size for Telegram videos?
Telegram allows videos up to 2GB for free accounts and 4GB for Premium subscribers. These generous limits mean you can share longer videos than on most other platforms.
Why compress videos for Telegram if the limit is 2GB?
Compression offers several benefits: faster uploads, reduced data usage on mobile networks, smoother streaming even on slow connections, better performance for viewers worldwide, and less storage consumption on users' devices.
Will my Telegram video work on all devices after compression?
Yes! SquishVideo outputs standard MP4 H.264 video that works perfectly on Android, iPhone, web browsers, tablets, and desktop Telegram clients. All compression is transparent to users.
Can I send compressed videos to Telegram channels and groups?
Absolutely! Share compressed videos in personal chats, group chats, supergroups, channels, and even as replies. Compression works everywhere in Telegram.
How much smaller will my video be after compression?
Typically 50-90% smaller depending on original quality. A 500MB video might compress to 100-250MB. The exact compression depends on your video's original resolution, bitrate, and codec.