Get a phone video ready to post on Instagram.
A video recorded on a phone is often a large file before it is posted. Timamu shrinks supported H.264 MP4, MOV and HEVC video in your browser and saves a separate MP4 copy, so the original clip stays untouched.
Timamu makes a phone video smaller in your browser before it goes to Instagram. Choose the video, run the compression and download the separate copy; the original stays untouched. Free video covers 3 successful jobs in any rolling 24 hours, shared by compress and convert, for files up to 100 MB.
Free is 3 successful jobs per rolling 24 hours, shared by compress and convert, with no duration cap, at 100 MB, one video at a time, and a fixed smaller size preset. Free conversion saves at 1080p and uses that shared allowance. Premium keeps full resolution. An exact target size is Premium-only.
This guide covers one job: preparing a clip from a phone for Instagram. It follows the clip from the camera roll to the finished copy.
Why a phone video is prepared before posting
Phone cameras record at high quality by default, and even a short clip can be a large file. Large files take longer to upload on a slow connection, and a smaller copy makes that wait shorter.
Timamu changes the file size. It does not crop a clip to a vertical shape, trim its length or add captions, and it does not decide what Instagram accepts. Instagram sets its own rules for video length, shape and resolution and updates them over time, so the current guidance in the Instagram app or Help Center applies.
Worked example: a clip recorded on an iPhone
A creator records a short clip on an iPhone. It is saved as MOV with HEVC video, and a lighter copy is needed for posting.
- Open Timamu Web in the browser on the device that holds the clip.
- Choose the compress video tool and select the clip. One video is processed at a time.
- Start the job. Free uses a fixed smaller size preset, so there is nothing to configure.
- Wait for the result. The prepared copy is a portable MP4.
- Play the MP4 from the first second to the last before using it.
- Post the MP4 from the device in the Instagram app.
What to check before posting
- Play the whole clip. Motion should look smooth and the picture should stay sharp enough for the screen it will be seen on.
- Listen for the sound and confirm it still matches the picture.
- Read any text that appears on screen and confirm it stays legible.
- Compare the shape of the picture with the original. Timamu keeps it, so trim or crop in the editing app when Instagram needs a different shape.
- Keep the original clip until the post is live.
What to expect
The result is a smaller video, not a guaranteed size. How much smaller depends on the clip, because footage with a lot of motion and detail has less room to shrink than a calm shot. Timamu keeps the original untouched and reports the outcome, and when a clip cannot be made smaller the original is kept.
Free and Premium for this job
Free video is 3 successful jobs per rolling 24 hours, shared by compress and convert, with no duration cap, at 100 MB, one video at a time, with a fixed smaller size preset. Larger files, full resolution and an exact target size are part of Premium. Several clips can be joined first with the merge tool: Free covers 3 clips at 1080p, 100 MB total and 5 minutes total, and merges do not count toward the daily compress limit.
Supported jobs are processed on your device, in your browser, and source media is not uploaded to a Timamu processing server. Timamu needs internet to load.
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Questions
What size does Instagram accept?
Instagram sets and changes its own limits for video length, shape and file size, and Timamu does not state them. The Instagram Help Center has the current rules. Timamu makes the file smaller and does not check a clip against Instagram's rules.
Does Timamu change the video shape for Reels or Stories?
No. Timamu keeps the shape of the picture. Trimming or cropping to a vertical shape is done in the editing app or in Instagram before posting.
Which video formats work?
Timamu Web compresses supported H.264 MP4, MOV and HEVC video. The prepared copy is a portable MP4, and the original stays untouched.
How many videos can be prepared on the Free plan?
Free is 3 successful jobs per rolling 24 hours, shared by compress and convert, with no duration cap, at 100 MB, one video at a time.
Is the video uploaded to Timamu?
No. Supported jobs are processed on your device, in your browser, and the source video is not uploaded to a Timamu processing server. Timamu needs internet to load.
Tell Timamu what the file needs to do.
Make it smaller, fit a size limit, convert it to a usable format or prepare it for where it needs to go — directly in your browser for supported Web jobs.