How long does it take to upload a video? Upload time by file size and speed
The progress bar says 3 hours remaining for a video that took two minutes to film. That's usually not a fault: home connections are built to download fast and upload slowly.
Upload time at common speeds
Times include about 10% for overhead and assume nothing else is using the upload. Real speeds vary through the day.
| File size | 2 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 20 Mbps | 50 Mbps | 100 Mbps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 MB | 7 min | 1.5 min | 45 s | 18 s | 9 s |
| 1 GB | 1 h 13 min | 15 min | 7 min | 3 min | 1.5 min |
| 5 GB | 6 h 7 min | 1 h 13 min | 37 min | 15 min | 7 min |
| 10 GB | 12 h 13 min | 2 h 27 min | 1 h 13 min | 29 min | 15 min |
| 50 GB | 2.5 days | 12 h 13 min | 6 h 7 min | 2 h 27 min | 1 h 13 min |
For your own numbers, the unit converter has a download-time calculator and a “how big a file can you send in…” box; use your upload speed in both.
How big is a phone video?
| Recording setting | Roughly per minute |
|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | 60 to 130 MB |
| 4K at 30 fps | 170 to 350 MB |
| 4K at 60 fps | 300 to 450 MB |
| Slow motion or high-quality video modes | Much more; check the camera settings screen |
So ten minutes of 4K at 60 fps can be 3 to 4.5 GB, which at 10 Mbps upload is close to an hour. Phones that save video in the newer HEVC format make files roughly half the size of the older, more compatible setting.
Why upload is so much slower than download
Most home broadband (especially copper and cable) shares the line unevenly: most capacity goes to downloading, because that's what most people do most of the time. A plan sold as “100 Mbps” can have 10 to 20 Mbps upload. Full fibre plans often offer matching (symmetrical) upload. Mobile data upload is also usually lower than download, and drops sharply on weak signal.
Make big uploads finish faster
- Use a cable or move close to the router; Wi-Fi through walls often loses more than half.
- Pause other uploaders: phone photo backup, cloud drive sync, security cameras. They all share the same small upload.
- Keep the device awake and plugged in, and keep the app open; many phones pause background uploads.
- Upload overnight when nobody needs the connection for video calls, and so the internet doesn't lag for others (see why the internet lags when someone is uploading).
- Trim or compress before uploading if the full quality isn't needed.
Related
Send it nearby with AirDrop or Quick Share · How big a minute of video is · How much cloud storage do I need? · Mbps vs MB/s explained · Upload speed for video calls · Phone storage full but nothing on it · Phone hotspot slow
Questions
How long does it take to upload 1 GB?
About 15 minutes at 10 Mbps upload, 7 minutes at 20 Mbps and 1.5 minutes at 100 Mbps, including around 10% overhead.
Why is my upload speed so slow compared with download?
Most home broadband gives most of the line to downloading, so upload is often a tenth of download. Full fibre plans often have matching upload speeds.
How do I calculate upload time?
Convert the file size to megabits (1 GB is about 8,000 megabits), divide by your upload speed in Mbps to get seconds, and add about 10% for overhead.
Why does my video upload keep stopping?
Phones pause uploads when the app is in the background, the screen locks or battery saver is on. Keep the app open, plug the phone in and stay on steady Wi-Fi.
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