Need a hand? Email [email protected] and we'll get back to you. The answers below cover the most common questions.
How do I compress a video?
Open Squish, tap one or more videos (each tile shows its size), then tap Compress. On the next screen, pick a quality (Small, Balanced, High) or where the video is going (WhatsApp, Email, Discord, or a custom size) and watch the new size update, then tap Compress again. The smaller file is saved back to your library, with its location kept.
Which languages does Squish speak?
English, Spanish, German, French, Brazilian Portuguese (since 1.5), Italian, Japanese, Turkish and Indonesian (since 1.6). Squish follows your phone's language; on iPhone you can also pick a language just for Squish in Settings > Apps > Squish > Language.
Do I need to create an account?
No. There's no sign-up and no login. You can start compressing the moment you open the app.
Can I compress more than one video at a time?
Yes. Select as many as you like and Squish queues them with overall and per-file progress. Up to 3 videos at a time are free; Squish Pro squishes batches of any size. Over the limit, one tap keeps the first three and runs them free. If one video can't be squished, the rest carry on, and the result offers Try again for any that didn't work. Since 1.9.1 the progress ring moves steadily through the whole batch: each video's share is sized by how long it takes to squish, and the ring keeps moving while Squish reads and saves each one.
Squish says there isn't enough free space. What now?
Squish needs room for the smaller copy before it can save it, and your photo library keeps a copy of its own while the squished file stays available to share, so count on twice the squished size. Since 1.9.6 it checks your free space before it starts (and since 1.9.8 it allows for the library's copy too) and tells you straight away if your phone is nearly full, instead of working through the whole video first; if the phone fills up part-way, it stops the batch and says so. Free up some space (deleting a few originals you've already squished works well; see Free up above), then tap Try again: your selection and settings are kept. If a video you'd chosen was deleted from your library in the meantime, the result says "Video not found" and leaves it out.
My phone records HDR. Does Squish handle those videos?
Yes. HDR videos (HLG or HDR10, the default on many newer phones) are squished to a standard-range video that plays correctly anywhere you share it, the same on iPhone and Android. Since 1.9.7 on Android, Squish asks the phone to tone-map the video itself, which fixed phones where these videos failed the moment you tapped Squish; if a phone can't tone-map, Squish falls back to keeping the HDR as it was before.
Part of my video is damaged. Can Squish still squish it?
On iPhone, since 1.9.9, yes. A video with a damaged stretch (a screen recording that was cut short, a download that never finished, a clip a messaging app mangled) used to fail with no explanation, because iOS stops reading at the first frame it can't decode. Squish now carries on from the next good frame: the squished video keeps its full length, the picture holds still for the damaged moment, and the sound stays in sync. If more than a few seconds are damaged (the larger of 3 seconds and 2% of the video), Squish leaves that video out and says so. Android can't do this yet.
What happens if I leave Squish during a batch?
It's best to keep Squish open until it's done: it keeps your screen awake while it works. If you switch apps or your phone locks, the video it was working on is tried again when you come back. If Squish was closed before it finished, the home screen says how many videos weren't squished, and Finish squishes the rest. (Since version 1.8.)
Will Squish add a watermark or limit me?
No. No watermark, no size cap, no daily limit, and no ads. That's the free tier, and it stays that way.
Can I send a video straight to Squish from another app?
Yes. Use the share sheet and choose Compress with Squish (or "Open in / Copy to Squish" from Files). Squish opens with the size estimate ready.
Where are History and Settings?
At the top right of the home screen: the clock icon opens History and the gear opens Settings. (Before version 1.4 they were tabs along the bottom.)
Why do Squish's short messages look different on iPhone and Android?
Since 1.9 they use each platform's own style: a small capsule at the top on iPhone that you can swipe away, a snackbar at the bottom on Android. Each says what happened, offers one next step, and respects your settings for larger text, VoiceOver or TalkBack, and Reduce Motion.
What is the live size estimate?
As you pick a quality or a size limit, Squish shows the new size and how much smaller it'll be (for example "24 MB · 68% smaller") before you compress. The app then encodes at exactly that setting, so what you see is what you get.
Why does Squish open on the option I used last time?
If you always send to WhatsApp, Squish remembers that and has WhatsApp picked next time, so you can go straight to Compress. Tap any other option to change it. It only remembers that one choice, never resolution or format.
Can I hit a specific size, like for WhatsApp or email?
Yes. Under Fit under, tap WhatsApp (16 MB), Email (25 MB), Discord (10 MB) or Custom. Squish works out the right quality for each file so every one lands under the limit, and tells you when they all fit. If a long video should fit but very detailed footage could push it just over, Setup says so in amber (for example "1 video could go over 10 MB"), and the result shows how each one actually came out.
Why was a video left as it is?
Squish only saves a copy that's worth having. If squishing a video makes it less than 5% smaller (usually because it's already small), Squish keeps your original instead of saving a near-identical copy, and the result says so, for example "1 video was already as small as it gets". Converting to another format always saves the copy.
Why does a big 4K video sometimes come out at 720p or 1080p?
To fit a size limit like WhatsApp's, Squish may need a smaller picture: phone video encoders won't go below a certain quality for 4K, so the file would come out too big. Setup tells you when this happens, for example "Fits WhatsApp (720p)".
Can I lower the resolution too?
Yes. Tap More options and choose Original, 1080p, 720p, or 480p to downscale, which shrinks the file further and updates the estimate. Only options smaller than your video are offered. The same sheet has a fine-tune quality slider.
Does Squish handle surround-sound or high-resolution audio?
Yes. On iPhone, surround audio (5.1, 7.1 or spatial) is mixed down to stereo and very high sample rates are brought to 48 kHz, so the result plays everywhere. On Android the original channels are kept. Before version 1.3, some of these videos could close Squish on iPhone mid-compression; updating to the latest version fixes it.
Where are my videos processed? Is it private?
Everything happens on your device. Your videos are compressed on your phone, are never uploaded, and we cannot see them. For full detail, see our Privacy Policy.
Does Squish keep my video's date and location?
It keeps the original's location, so it still shows on the map in your photo library. It is dated when you squish it, so it sorts to the top of your library next to the original.
I squished a video. Why don't I have more space yet?
The smaller copy is saved next to your original, so the space only comes back once the original goes. Squish shows both numbers: how much smaller your videos got, and how much you have actually freed. Tap Free up on the result, in History, or on the reminder on the home screen to delete the originals; your phone asks you to confirm first. Since 1.9, deleting a squished copy in your Photos app takes it out of History too, so the count of originals waiting on the home screen stays true.
What does the Squished badge mean?
The small green mark in the corner of a tile is a copy Squish made, so you can tell it apart from the original sitting next to it. Compressed files are also saved with a Squished_ prefix.
How do I delete a compressed video or my history?
Compressed videos are saved to your library like any other video, so you can delete them there. Your in-app History (and its running total of space freed) can be cleared in the app, and removing the app deletes its local data.
How can I rate Squish?
In Settings (the gear on the home screen), tap Rate Squish. It opens the App Store or Google Play page, where a quick rating helps others find Squish. Nothing about your videos is shared.
Why did Squish ask me to rate it?
Only after a batch where every video compressed, never after one that failed, and never on the same screen as a Squish Pro offer. It asks at most three times ever, never more than once in two months, and uses your phone's own rating sheet. If you rate from Settings, it waits two months before asking. Nothing about your videos is sent with it.
What's free and what's Pro?
Compressing videos, the live size estimate, quality presets, target-size mode, resolution presets, and batches of up to 3 videos are all free, with no watermark, size cap, or ads. Squish Pro adds batches of any size, Max quality, and format conversion (MP4, MOV, and GIF).
How much is Squish Pro?
$9.99 a year with a 3-day free trial, $1.99 a month, or $14.99 once for lifetime Pro. Prices can vary by country; the app always shows yours. All three unlock the same Pro features.
How do I restore a purchase?
In Settings (the gear on the home screen), tap Restore purchases. Your unlock is tied to your Apple or Google account, so this brings it back on a new device or after reinstalling.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Subscriptions are managed by the App Store or Google Play, not inside the app:
I paid but Pro isn't active.
First try Restore purchases in Settings. If it still doesn't unlock, email [email protected] with the date of purchase and we'll sort it out.
Email [email protected] and we'll reply as soon as we can.