Matt Rammelkamp's Blog: How to send a video with iMessage from your iPhone or iPad

How to send a video message with iMessage from your iPhone or iPad

If you've got an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 5 or higher you've got iMessage, Apple's free MMS-like service that works with any other iOS device, and Mac running OS X Mountain Lion, 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 Messages app

Launch the Messages app from the Home screen.
Tap the New Message button in the upper right hand corner

iMessage and Messages main menu on iPhone

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.

Select iMessage video to send and confirm

Tap the Send button and you're done!

Sending a video with iMessage signified by blue bubble

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 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.

choose video share button to send in 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.

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