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MMS File Size and Accepted Media Types

Khibtiya Afreen
Updated

Overview

MMS messaging functionality is currently supported only in the USA and Canada. While the system supports images up to 3.5 MB, the recommended maximum file size to ensure reliable delivery, particularly via AT&T and T-Mobile, is 600kb for "accepted" file types. 

Carriers categorize file types into Supported MIME types (like JPEG and PNG, which are generally resized) and numerous Accepted MIME types (which include audio, video, text, and application files like PDF, and are not reformatted for delivery). WhatsApp supports several additional MIME types, including Microsoft Office formats.

Geographic Support

MMS messaging is supported exclusively within the USA and Canada. This service is available when utilizing 10DLC, Toll-Free, and short-code sending telephone numbers. If an attempt is made to send an MMS to any country outside of this supported region, the file attachment will be dropped from the message.

MMS File Size Constraints

While Sense technically supports images up to 3.5 MB, the actual deliverability depends on the individual carrier support, which differs among providers. To mitigate deliverability issues, especially on AT&T and T-Mobile, files using "accepted" file types should be limited to 600kb.

Supported and Accepted MIME Types

The carriers categorize media content into types that are generally resized and those that are accepted but not reformatted.

1. Supported MIME Types (Generally Resized)

The following content types are fully supported by the carriers for media and will generally be resized when delivered to end users:

  • image/jpeg
  • image/jpg
  • image/gif
  • image/png

2. Accepted MIME Types (Not Reformatted)

The following file types are accepted by the carriers, but they will not be reformatted for delivery to end-users. This category includes various media, text, and application formats:

  • Audio: Types include audio/basic, audio/L24, audio/mp4, audio/mpeg, audio/ogg, audio/vnd.rn-realaudio, audio/vnd.wave, audio/3gpp, audio/3gpp2, audio/ac3, audio/webm, audio/amr-nb, and audio/amr.
  • Video: Supported video types include video/mpeg, video/mp4, video/quicktime, video/webm, video/3gpp, video/3gpp2, video/3gpp-tt, video/H261, video/H263, video/H263-1998, video/H263-2000, and video/H264.
  • Image: In addition to the supported types, image/bmp and image/tiff are also accepted.
  • Text: Accepted text formats are text/vcard, text/x-vcard, text/csv, text/rtf, text/richtext, text/calendar, and text/directory.
  • Application: Application types include application/pdf, application/vcard, and application/vnd.apple.pkpass.

Additional MIME Types by WhatsApp

WhatsApp accepts several additional MIME types that are not listed under the general carrier acceptance guidelines:

  • Various Microsoft Office formats: application/msword, application/vnd.ms-excel, application/vnd.ms-powerpoint, and the newer OpenXML formats for presentation, spreadsheet, and word processing documents.
  • Audio formats: audio/aac and audio/ogg; codecs=opus.
  • Image format: image/webp. Note that the image/webp MIME type is used exclusively for WhatsApp stickers and is subject to additional requirements specific to sticker content.

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