File size limits

iMessage file size limit: about 100 MB, and how to send bigger videos

Updated September 2026

Per-minute sizes are the approximate figures Apple lists in Settings → Camera → Record Video.

Blue bubbles, green bubbles and compression

Between Apple devices, Messages sends over iMessage with the roughly 100 MB cap. To an Android phone, or when iMessage isn't available, it may fall back to SMS/MMS, where carriers usually allow only a few megabytes and videos are squeezed hard. Either way, what arrives is often a lower-quality copy of what you shot.

What about Mail Drop?

Apple's Mail Drop can send attachments up to 5 GB, but only from the Mail app, not Messages, and the recipient gets a download link that expires after 30 days. It's handy if you're already writing an email; it doesn't help in a chat.

Send a link from Messages instead

Open Send Shed in Safari, choose the video from your library, and paste the link into Messages. It's free, needs no account, handles files up to 3 GB, and the recipient downloads the original video at full quality, on iPhone or Android.

Quick answers

What is iMessage's file size limit?

iMessage attachments are limited to about 100 MB each. Messages sent as SMS/MMS (green bubbles) have a much smaller limit set by your carrier, usually a few megabytes.

How long a video can I send on iMessage?

About 100 MB, which is roughly a minute and a half of 1080p iPhone video or around 35 seconds of 4K at 30 fps. Messages also compresses videos by default.

How do I send a long video from my iPhone?

Upload it to a file-sharing service such as Send Shed Quick Share from Safari and send the link in Messages. The recipient gets the original file, at full quality.