How to send a video using iMessage
If you've got an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 5 or higher, or a Mac running OS X Mountain Lion, you've got iMessage, Apple's free MMS-like service. iMessage works with other iOS devices and Macs to let you easily send videos without paying your carrier for a special messaging plan (data rates will still apply if you aren't on Wi-Fi). iMessage is built right into the same Messages app and Share Sheet that sends SMS and MMS to your non-iPhone using friends, so you don't have to do anything extra to use it. Just pick your video and send!
How to send an iMessage video using the iOS Messages app
- Launch the Messages app from the Home screen.
- Tap the New Message button in the upper right hand corner
- Choose the contact you'd like to send a video to.
- Tap the Camera button next to the message entry area.
- Select whether you'd like to take a video now or choose an existing one.
- If you chose to send an existing video, you'll be shown all the pictures and videos in your Photos app. Scroll through and find the video you'd like to send. Tap on it to select it.
- Review the video. If it's the one you want tap the blue Choose button in the lower right hand corner and it will be inserted into the message.
- Tap the Send button and you're done!
If you're using an iPhone but the person you're sending to doesn't have an Apple device or isn't using iMessage, your video will be sent as a regular MMS message. If that happens, it will appear in a green bubble instead of a blue one. This also means you'll be charged any applicable text message or multimedia message fees.
If you're sending a video from your iPad or iPod touch, you won't be able to send an iMessage to anyone not using the service.
How to send an iMessage video from using the iOS Photos app
- Launch the Photos app from your Home screen
- Find the video you'd like to send and tap on it to select it.
- Tap on the Share button in the lower left hand corner.
- Select Message.
- The video will be automatically inserted into a new message
- .Type the contact name or search for the contact you want to send to by tapping the blue + button.
- Tap the Send button and you're done!
Again, the person or people on the other end have to be using iMessage as well for the video to send. Otherwise they'll get an SMS if you're using an iPhone, or the iMessage will fail if you're using an iPod touch or iPad.
How to send a video using the Mac Messages app
With OS X Mountain Lion, you can send a video over Messages on the Mac as easily as you can with iOS.
- Find the video file you'd like to send to another iMessage contact. It can either be in iPhoto or any other folder saved on your Mac running OS X Mountain Lion.
- Launch the Messages app on your Mac. It looks like a pair of blue and white chat bubbles. By default it should be located in your dock.
- Choose the thread that you have going with that contact. If you don't already have one started, you can create a new iMessage thread with them.
- Now drag the video you'd like to share with them into the area that you would normally type your regular message.
- The video will insert by itself. Hit enter on your keyboard to send the file.
That's it, your iMessage video is on its way.
How-to, jailbreak, and DIY Editor at iMore, owner at The Pod Drop & AnoStyle, Potter pundit, and the ninja in your iOS
There are 8 comments. Add yours.
What are the limits on video length?
I believe it's 100MB.
I think it's based on the carrier. While one carrier may allow one length or MB - another carrier may compress further or not allow certain lengths to be sent. I tried to find a definitive answer and i see different ones so that makes me think it heavily depends on the carrier.
I did not see this when I was skimming over this post so I would like to ask what about longer videos?
How do you send longer videos to other people since we as iPhone users don't have the luxury of Bluetooth transfer?
Also a post on how to transfer voice memos would be highly valued from myself at least because I still haven't found a way to do so without jail breaking.
Transfer or send them to another person? I have one on how to send them. As far as transferring them, they sync to iTunes just like anything else would (music etc) and then sync them back to a different device.
Vanti, if you're asking how to send a voice memo to another person, just go into the Voice Memo app and tap on the one you want. At the bottom, you'll see 2 choices. Share will allow you to send it in an email or as a Message(as in text it).
If you're trying to get the memo from one device to another, I've been doing it in another way from Allyson's suggestion. You can just use yourself as the person you Share to. Then, when you open the email or text on your other device, save it there.
wow really? I was a long time android user and recently decided to try out this whole Apple thing.. Looks like you all apple kids need to be spoon-fed, to get the MOST basic things done on the phone.. I knew how to send a video file within 30 seconds of getting a samsung galaxy nexus. Getting disappointed more and more with the apple community.
I have an iphone 3gs , and there is no option to save a video sent by imessage. All there is ,is a mail icon, there is no camera roll. I am on IOS 6