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A video that will not send on WhatsApp is almost always either over the 16MB media cap or in a format WhatsApp cannot handle. Check the file size first; if it is over 16MB, split it into parts or send it as a document. If the size is fine, the cause is usually the format, a bad connection, low storage, or a stale app.
The fixes below are ordered by how often they are the cause. Most people are done after the first two.
The single most common reason. Videos sent as media are capped at 16MB, which is only a minute or two of modern phone footage. Check the size in your gallery or file manager. If it is over, you have three good options: split it into parts (keeps full quality, plays inline), send it as a document (keeps full quality, no inline preview), or compress it (smaller, some quality lost).
WhatsApp reliably handles MP4 with H.264 and AAC. Videos from screen recorders, downloads, or editing apps are often WebM, MKV or AVI, which WhatsApp may reject outright or quietly send as a document that will not play. If the file is under 16MB but still will not send, the extension is the next thing to check. Convert to MP4 and try again.
On a weak connection the progress ring sits at a fraction for minutes and eventually times out — WhatsApp rarely reports this clearly. Toggle airplane mode on and off, or switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, then retry. On mobile data, also check that WhatsApp is allowed to use it: Android and iOS both have per-app data settings that can silently block uploads.
WhatsApp needs working space to process a video before uploading it. On a phone with only a few hundred megabytes free, that processing fails and the send quietly does nothing. Free up space — WhatsApp’s own media folder is usually the biggest target — and try again.
If the video exists but does not appear in the picker, WhatsApp is missing the storage or photos permission, or the file is in a folder it does not scan. Check the app’s permissions in system settings. On iPhone, the "Selected Photos" permission is a frequent culprit — set it to full access, or add the specific video to the selection.
A video that was interrupted mid-download, or that is still being exported by an editing app, will fail to send. Try playing it in your gallery first. If it will not play there either, WhatsApp cannot fix it — re-download or re-export the file.
Older builds occasionally fail on video formats produced by newer cameras, particularly HEVC recordings from recent iPhones. Update WhatsApp from the app store, then retry.
If you are posting to Status rather than sending in a chat, there is an extra rule: a 30-second duration cap. Longer videos are trimmed to the first 30 seconds rather than rejected, which looks like a partial send. Split into 30-second parts and post them in sequence.
Splitting the video into parts resolves the size cap, keeps the original quality because nothing is re-encoded, and produces parts that play inline. It runs in your browser, so the video is never uploaded anywhere. If your source is MP4 or an iPhone MOV, this is usually the whole answer.
Most often because it is over the 16MB media cap or in a format WhatsApp does not support. Check the file size and extension first; then the connection, storage, and app permissions.
Usually a weak or blocked connection. Toggle airplane mode, switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, and check that WhatsApp is allowed to use mobile data in your phone’s settings.
The video is in a container or codec WhatsApp cannot handle — commonly WebM, MKV or AVI. Convert it to MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.
Split it into parts to keep full quality and inline playback, send it as a document to preserve the file exactly, or compress it if it must stay as one piece.
If you are posting to Status, videos are trimmed to 30 seconds. In a chat, a partial send usually means the upload was interrupted — retry on a better connection.