Choose the photos
- Eight to fifteen photos is the sweet spot for a 30-second video: each one stays on screen for two to four seconds, long enough to recognise faces. The maker takes up to 20.
- Tell a small story. Oldest first and newest last works for milestone birthdays; for a friend, end on a photo of the two of you.
- Faces near the middle. The greeting sits at the top or bottom, so photos with heads right at the edge can be partly covered.
- Skip near-duplicates. Two shots of the same moment slow the video down without adding anything.
Make the video
- Open the birthday video maker and choose a style. Type their age and a style that suits it is picked for you; you can change it.
- Type their name. The greeting becomes “Happy 30th Birthday, Sam!”, and with Cake and candles the name is written on the cake.
- Add the photos. They play as a slideshow that fades from one to the next. With more than a few photos, choose 30 seconds.
- Under Sending it to, choose where it’s going. The shape and format are set for you (see below).
- Choose a sound: a built-in tune, your own music file, or a voice message you record. Then make the video and save it.
Want the greeting in another language? Tap a language under the message for a ready greeting, from Hindi and Arabic to Spanish and Korean, or type your own.
Which shape for which app
| Sending it to | Shape | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| A WhatsApp chat | Square | Plays in the chat on any phone; videos up to 64 MB |
| WhatsApp Status | Vertical 9:16 | Fills the screen; up to 90 seconds |
| Instagram Stories, Reels or TikTok | Vertical 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 |
| An Instagram or Facebook post | Portrait 4:5 | The tallest shape the feed shows |
| Square GIF | Plays inside most email apps; no sound |
A 30-second birthday video comes out at roughly 13 MB square and 25 MB vertical, well under WhatsApp’s 64 MB limit, so it sends as a normal video without being squeezed further.
Send it on WhatsApp
- On a phone, tap Share after the video is made and pick WhatsApp, or save it and attach it from the gallery.
- On a computer, save it and drag it into WhatsApp Web or the desktop app.
- To post it to Status instead, make the vertical version and share it to My status.
Sending at midnight? Make it the evening before and keep it ready; WhatsApp doesn’t schedule messages.
A video from everyone
For a group surprise, ask friends to each record a short message on their phone. Join the clips with Merge videos, then drop the joined video into the birthday maker to add confetti and the greeting over it. For a longer photo slideshow with your own timing for each photo, make it with Photos to video first and add the greeting the same way.
Family photos stay private
The video is made on your phone or computer. The photos, often of children and family, are never uploaded, stored or seen by anyone but the people you send the video to.
Free toolTry it now: Birthday video maker Confetti and their nameQuestions
How many photos can a birthday video have?
Up to 20 in the birthday maker. Eight to fifteen look best in 30 seconds. For more, make a slideshow with Photos to video first.
Can I add music?
Yes, when you save as MP4: a built-in tune such as Happy Birthday, your own music file, or a recorded voice message.
What size video should I send on WhatsApp?
Square for a chat, vertical for Status. A 30-second greeting is roughly 13 to 25 MB, well under WhatsApp’s 64 MB limit.
Will the video have a watermark?
No. FitVideo adds no watermark or logo.
Can I make it on my phone?
Yes. Open the birthday video maker in Chrome on Android or Safari on iPhone and keep the page open while the video is made.