Twitter Video Quality: 720p, 1080p and 4K Explained
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Twitter video quality depends on two things: the file the author uploaded, and the versions X made from it. X does not show the uploaded file to viewers. It compresses the video and stores several smaller versions.
That is why the same post can look sharp on one screen and soft on another. This article covers the upload limits, X's recommended settings, the stored versions, and the reasons a video looks blurry.
What You Can Upload to X
The limits depend on the account. X's Help Center page on videos gives these numbers:
- Without Premium: up to 140 seconds and up to 512MB.
- With Premium: videos shorter than 4 hours in 1080p, with a file of up to 16GB.
- With Premium, 2 to 4 hours long: 720p, with a file of up to 16GB.
X's own pages do not fully agree. Its page about Premium describes uploads of up to about 3 hours and 8GB in 1080p. Treat the exact Premium limit as something X changes over time.
What X Recommends for Uploads
X publishes recommended settings for video in its developer documentation. They describe the kind of file X handles best.
| Setting | X's recommendation |
|---|---|
| Video codec | H264 High Profile |
| Audio codec | AAC LC, mono or stereo |
| Frame rate | 30 or 60 FPS, and no more than 60 |
| Resolution | 1280 × 720, 720 × 1280 or 720 × 720 |
| Aspect ratio | Between 1:3 and 3:1 |
What X Stores: Several Versions of Each Video
After an upload, X encodes the video again and keeps more than one version. Each version has its own resolution and file size.
In our tests on public posts, most videos had four MP4 versions: 270p, 360p, 720p and 1080p. Some videos that were uploaded in 4K also had a 2160p version. All of them used the H.264 codec.
A version never has more detail than the upload. A video posted in 720p has no 1080p version, and no tool can create one.
Why a Twitter Video Looks Blurry
The first reason is compression. The video enhancement company Aiarty describes how X encodes every upload again at a lower bitrate, which removes fine detail.
The second reason, also from Aiarty, is the version the player picks. On a slow connection, X shows one of the smaller versions so the video keeps playing without pauses.
Your settings play a part as well. X's Help Center lists three autoplay options: on cellular or Wi-Fi, only on Wi-Fi, and never.
How to See Which Qualities a Post Has
X's player does not list the stored versions. An X video downloader does: paste the link of the post and it shows one button for each version, with the resolution and an estimated file size.
The size is an estimate, calculated from the bitrate and the length of the video. X does not publish file sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I upload a 4K video to X?
X's published limits mention 1080p and 720p. In our tests, some posts did have a 2160p version, so 4K uploads exist, but X does not document who can make them.
How much bigger is a 1080p file than a 720p file?
It varies by video. In one of our tests, the 1080p version was about five times the size of the 720p version of the same video.
How do I save the video in the quality I want?
The guide on how to save Twitter videos shows the steps for iPhone and Android.
Do GIFs on X have quality options?
No. X stores a GIF as one file. The article on Twitter GIF download explains the format.