How big of a video can you text on iPhone?

As iPhone owners already know, iMessage overcomes many of the limitations of standard MMS. iOS users can send high quality photos and videos to other iOS devices with Apple's free service. These iMessages do not count as a carrier text message, however they use data plan MB.

So is there a limit to the video length that can be sent via iMessage?

Depending on the file size, iMessage videos are limited to around 3.5 minutes in length. Exceeding the size limit results in the iMessage being marked "Not Delivered" in the Messages app.

iPhone can record videos up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. Moreover, videos you shoot in default 1080p can run into hundreds of megabytes! If you wish to share these big videos with someone, there’s no way to do so via iMessage (with a cap of 100MB) or email (with a cap of 20MB). So, here are the best options for you to send a large video from your iPhone to another iPhone, Android, or PC.

• How to Send a Long Video from iPhone via AirDrop
• How to Send a Large Video from iPhone via iCloud
• How to Send Longer Videos from iPhone to Android and PC
  • Use Cloud-Storage Apps
  • Use File-Sharing Apps
  • Transfer Video Files from iPhone to Computer with Cable

How to Send Long Videos from iPhone via AirDrop

You can use AirDrop to share large videos from your iPhone with nearby iOS or macOS devices. Here is how.

1. On the other device, make sure AirDrop is on and set to receive incoming files. For this, switch on its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
   On iPhone: Open the Settings app → General → AirDrop → select Everyone.
   
   On Mac: Open Finder → AirDrop → for ‘Allow me to be discovered by:’ choose Everyone.
   
   
   Note: You can also toggle AirDrop visibility from iPhone’s Control Center. The same can be done via the new Control Center on Mac running macOS Big Sur.
2. Now, open the Photos app on your iPhone (or the app where your downloaded video file is). Locate the video file.
3. Tap on the Share icon and then tap on AirDrop.
4. Tap on the receiver’s iPhone or Mac name. Give it a few seconds if you do not see it.
5. If the second device is not yours, you will see a popup on it. Tap on Accept.
6. Wait for the transfer to complete successfully.
   

Note: There is no file size limit for AirDrop!

How to Send a Large Video from iPhone via iCloud

Before You Begin: You may have to visit iCloud.com on an iPad, Mac, or PC. Next, click on Mail → settings icon at the bottom left → Preferences → Composing → enable Use Mail Drop when sending large attachments.

1. Open the iPhone Photos app and tap on a video.
2. Tap on the Share icon and choose Mail from the Share Sheet.
   
3. Enter the receiver’s email address. Type in the desired Subject and email.
4. Tap on the blue arrow button.
5. Tap on Use Mail Drop.
6. The recipient will get an email that will contain the video file download link.
   

Important Notes Related to Apple Mail Drop:

• You can send any file up to 5 GB in size via Mail Drop.
• This does not count against your iCloud storage limit.
• The shared file will be deleted after 30 days. So ask the receiver to use the download link within this period.
• Mail Drop storage limit is 1 TB. If this limit is reached, you can not send more files unless the existing uploaded attachments are automatically deleted after 30 days.
• Once the file is sent via Mail Drop, you can not remove it or withdraw access, etc. Though after 30 days, it will be deleted automatically.
• For more on Mail Drop, see the official Apple Support page.
• If the video size is less than 20 MB, it will be sent as a regular attachment – no need to use Mail Drop.

How to Send Longer Videos from iPhone to Android and PC

When it comes to sending video files from an iPhone to Android, you have to rely on Mail Drop, cloud-storage apps (like Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive, Box), third-party file sharing apps (like ShareIt, Xender, Zapya), or use a computer as an intermediator.

Use Cloud-Storage Apps

1. Download one such app of your choice on your iPhone. I am using Google Drive.
2. Open Google Drive and sign in using your Google account.
3. Tap on the plus icon → Upload → Photos and Videos. Give Drive the Photos app access.
4. Choose the desired video file and tap on UPLOAD. Let it finish uploading.
   
5. To have the video on your other devices: Open the Google Drive app on your Android phone or visit it using a browser on a Mac or PC. Sign in using the same Google account. You will have the video file there.
6. To send the video to somebody else: Tap on the More icon (three dots) next to the video file in the iPhone Google Drive app. Next, tap on Share. Now enter the person’s Gmail address. Or, tap under ‘Who has access.‘
   
   From the next screen, tap on Change and choose an option. (Viewer lets you share the link, and the recipient can download the file). Finally, copy the link and send it to your friends and family via any medium like email, messages, WhatsApp, etc.
   

Use File-Sharing Apps

Apps like ShareIt, Xender, Zapya allow easy transfer of videos from iPhone to other iPhone, Android, or Computer. You need to download the app on both mobile devices and follow the on-screen instructions. If needed, we have talked about how to transfer songs from Android to iPhone via ShareIt. The process of sending video files is similar.

Transfer Video Files from iPhone to Computer with Cable

On Mac:

1. Connect your iPhone to Mac using an appropriate lightning cable.
2. Open the inbuilt Image Capture app on Mac.
3. Unlock your iPhone, and if you see ‘Trust,’ tap on it.
4. Give it a few seconds for all the photos and videos to show in the Image Capture app.
5. Select the video file and click on Import.
   

Note: To copy files to and from your Android phone and Mac, use the Android File Transfer.

On Windows PC:

1. Connect your iPhone to the PC using the lightning cable.
2. Open the inbuilt Windows Photos app.
3. Inside it, click on Import → From a connected device.
4. Select the media files and import them. You can see the official Apple Support page and the Microsoft Support page for more.
   

Ready to Share Large Video Files from iPhone to Another device?

These are some practical ways to send large video files from iPhone to other devices. I hope now it is easy for you to transfer video clips from your iOS or iPadOS device.

Finally, you can also use messaging services like iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Hike, Viber, etc., to send large video files. Many of these will compress the video and downgrade the quality, but these are hassle-free mediums for quick sharing.

How do I text a large video from my iPhone?

How big of a video can you text?

Can I send a 3 minute video on iMessage?

Is there a time limit on videos via text for iPhone?