Send large videos from your iPhone
Too big for Messages? Send it as a link instead.
Launching soon
Free when it launches: 5 GB per transfer, 10 transfers or 20 GB a month, and links that last 14 days.
To send a large video from your iPhone, use AirDrop if the other person is next to you. Otherwise, upload it to cloud storage and send the link through Messages, Mail or any app. With a link, they download the original video at full quality, whether they're on an iPhone, an Android phone or a computer.
Why iPhone videos get so big
Your iPhone records video in the format set under Settings > Camera > Formats. With High Efficiency, the format Apple calls recommended, video is saved as HEVC (H.265). Apple says it takes less space with the same visual quality. Switch to Most Compatible and it records H.264 instead, which plays on more devices but takes more room.
Resolution and frame rate matter even more. The higher you set them under Settings > Camera > Record Video, the faster a recording grows, and length multiplies all of it. A 40-minute school concert or a full wedding toast in 4K can outgrow any message or email.
AirDrop, Mail Drop and Messages: where each one stops
Apple's own advice for long videos is AirDrop, iCloud or Mail Drop. Each works in one situation:
| Built-in option | Works well when | Falls short when |
|---|---|---|
| AirDrop | The other person is nearby with an iPhone, iPad or Mac | They're somewhere else, or on Android or Windows |
| Mail Drop | You're sending from the Mail app and the video is under 5 GB | The video is bigger, or they don't get to it within 30 days |
| Messages | The video is short, or you're texting another iPhone over iMessage | You text an Android phone, and your carrier may set size limits |
AirDrop is the fastest option when you're in the same room. If the person isn't in your contacts, they'll need to turn on Settings > General > AirDrop > Everyone for 10 Minutes first. For someone across the country or on another kind of phone, a link is the one method that doesn't depend on what they have.
Send a big video from your iPhone, step by step
- In Photos, open the video, tap Share, and send it to a cloud storage app such as Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive. Tap Options at the top of the share sheet first and choose Current, so the video goes in its original format rather than being converted.
- Stay in the storage app until the upload completes. Phones can pause an app that isn't on screen.
- In the storage app, copy a share link that anyone can open.
- Paste the link into Messages, Mail, WhatsApp or any other app, and send.
SendTheStuff's own upload tool is launching soon. With it, the whole thing will happen in Safari, with no storage app and nothing left in your cloud afterwards.
What your recipient sees on Android, Windows or another iPhone
They tap the link and land on the storage service's page for the video, which may offer to open the service's app. The browser works too. Watching there can play a lower-resolution preview, so tell them to download it for the real thing.
What they download is the file you uploaded, in the same format. Apple says AirDrop, Messages and Mail may convert HEVC to a more compatible format, such as JPEG or H.264 for devices that don't support it. Sending to an older computer that struggles with HEVC? Apple suggests recording in Most Compatible. That helps your next recording, not videos you've already shot.
Keeping a big upload going on your phone
A big upload from a phone is where things usually go wrong. The screen locks, you answer a call, or you walk out of Wi-Fi range.
- Plug in and stay on Wi-Fi. A long video uses a lot of data and battery, and a charging phone on Wi-Fi is the least likely to give up halfway.
- Keep the storage app in front. If you leave it, come back and check the upload is still moving.
- Check your free space before you start. If the video is bigger than the room left in your cloud storage, clear some first rather than finding out at the end.
Getting a video from your iPhone to your own computer
Sometimes the recipient is you: a video you need on your PC for editing. Importing over USB works, but Apple notes the Photos app and Windows may convert HEVC to H.264 on the way in. Turn on Settings > Apps > Photos > Keep Originals to stop that.
Cloud storage skips the cable: upload from the phone, then download on the computer. Share from Photos with Options set to Current, and the file arrives unconverted.
When it doesn't work
- The video looked blurry after you texted it. It went as a text message that your iPhone or carrier shrank. Send a link instead, and the recipient downloads the full file. There's more on this in sending long videos by text.
- AirDrop can't find the other iPhone. Both need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, and if you're not in each other's contacts, the receiver needs Settings > General > AirDrop > Everyone for 10 Minutes.
- Mail says the video is too big. Follow the Mail Drop prompt, or see emailing a large video from your iPhone for every way around it.
- The recipient's copy won't play on their PC. It was probably converted, or it's HEVC on a computer that can't play it. Share again with Current, or record the next one in Most Compatible.
- The recipient hits a sign-in page. The link is limited to specific people. Change it to anyone with the link.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send a long video from my iPhone?
AirDrop it if the person is nearby. Otherwise upload it to cloud storage, copy a share link anyone can open, and send the link with Messages, Mail or any other app. Keep the storage app open until the upload finishes.
How do I send a large video from one iPhone to another?
If the other iPhone is nearby, use AirDrop: it's quick and keeps full quality. If it's not nearby, iMessage sends high resolution photos and videos between Apple devices. For a long video, a cloud storage link is the surer route.
How do I send a long video from an iPhone to an Android phone?
Send a link rather than the video. A video texted to an Android phone travels as RCS or MMS, and your carrier can limit or compress it. With a link, the Android user downloads the original file in their browser.
How do I send an hour-long video from my iPhone?
Check its size first, then make sure your cloud storage has that much free space. Upload it on Wi-Fi with the phone plugged in, keep the storage app open until it finishes, then share the link.
Does sending a video from an iPhone lose quality?
It depends how you send it. Texting and email can shrink or convert it. A link doesn't: the recipient downloads exactly the file you uploaded.
Why is my video blurry after I text it?
Because it was compressed to fit a text message. Apple says carriers may set size limits for picture and video messages, and iPhone compresses attachments when necessary. Send a link to the video instead, and it stays sharp.
Does the person I send it to need an account?
Not if you share the link with anyone who has it. A link limited to specific people makes them sign in to the storage service first.