WhatsApp Status 16 MB and 30 s: trim, then check size

A third-party guide (swiftcraftapps.com), read on 2026-10-03, lists WhatsApp Status video at a maximum of 16 MB and 30 seconds, MP4 or 3GP, up to 720p. Trim to 30 seconds with Sume video trim, then check the file size yourself, because trimming shortens a clip but does not target a byte limit.

What the source says

The guide says that a video over these limits is rejected or compressed automatically, often with visible quality loss. It is a third-party page, not WhatsApp's own, so confirm the limits in WhatsApp's help center before relying on them.

Trim to 30 seconds

POST /v1/video-trim takes a video_url on media.sume.com, a start and exactly one of end or duration. A 30-second cut is start: 0, duration: 30. Default precision is exact, a frame-accurate re-encode; audio is kept unless you set audio: "drop". The docs list $0.02 per job.

Source media must already be on the Sume media host, so import first with POST /v1/media-imports. An Idempotency-Key is required.

curl -X POST https://api.sume.com/v1/video-trim \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SUME_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: wa-status-001" \
  -d '{
    "video_url": "https://media.sume.com/artifacts/artf_demo/clip.mp4",
    "start": 0,
    "duration": 30
  }'

Then check the size

Trim fixes length. File size depends on resolution, frame rate and compression. The optional output field conforms the result to a width, height and fps on the way out (exact precision only), with width and height between 256 and 2160 and fps of 24, 25, 30 or 60. A smaller canvas or lower frame rate usually reduces size. The docs do not expose a bitrate setting, so measure the output and adjust.

If the file is still above the cap, trim shorter or lower the output size and run again with a new Idempotency-Key.

• Design for 30 seconds and confirm the limit in WhatsApp's help center.
• Measure the file size after the cut.
• Lower output width, height or fps if it is too large.
• Use a new Idempotency-Key for a changed request.