WhatsApp PDF File Size Limits
WhatsApp allows documents (PDFs, Word files, etc.) up to 100MB per file. In practice, PDFs over 20–30MB can be slow to send and open on mobile data — even under the technical limit.
Common types of PDFs that exceed WhatsApp's limit: large scanned document sets, photo-heavy catalogs, engineering drawings, and multi-page brochures.
How to Compress a PDF for WhatsApp on Your Phone
Open PDF.it in your mobile browser
On iPhone, open Safari. On Android, open Chrome. Go to pdf.it.com/compress-pdf. No app download needed.
Upload your PDF
Tap the upload area. On iPhone, choose Files or Photos. On Android, use your Files app. Select the PDF you want to compress.
Choose Medium or Extreme compression
For WhatsApp sharing, Medium usually works. If the file is still over 100MB after Medium, switch to Extreme for maximum reduction.
Download and share
Tap Compress PDF. When done, tap Download. The file saves to your phone. Open WhatsApp → attach file → find the compressed PDF in your Downloads folder → send.
What Compression Level to Use
| PDF Size | Recommended Level | Expected Result |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20MB | Medium | Ready to send as-is |
| 20–50MB | Medium or Extreme | 5–15MB after Extreme |
| 50–100MB | Extreme | 10–30MB after compression |
| Over 100MB | Extreme + Split PDF | Send in multiple parts |