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Supported Video In Email Formats By Email Clients
Supported Video In Email Formats By Email Clients

A compatibility list of video formats supported by email clients

Anthony Mansour avatar
Written by Anthony Mansour
Updated over 5 months ago

Different email clients support different video formats. Playable takes out all the hard work by optimizing video emails to individuals in real-time as the email is opened.

To achieve this Playable creates multiple versions of the final email video. Here is our latest compatibility list of supported video formats by an email client:

  • Apple Mail: MP4, H.264, HEVC

  • Apple iPhone Mail (iOS12+): MP4, H.264, HEVC

  • Apple iPhone Mail (iOS11 & earlier): PNG

  • Apple iPad Mail: MP4, H.264, HEVC

  • Google Android: WEBP

  • Gmail: GIF (video no animated GIF)

  • Outlook for Mac: MP4, H.264

  • Outlook.com: GIF (video no animated GIF)

  • Outlook.com: WEBP

  • Outlook 2007-2016 for Windows: Static Image (<2% of consumer campaigns)

  • Samsung Mail: WEBP

  • Yahoo! Mail: GIF (video no animated GIF)

  • Yahoo! Mail (Chrome): WEBP

It is worth noting that GIF is limited to 356 colors, while all other formats deliver millions of colors. GIFs will appear of lower quality as the reduced palette is not able to effectively do shading, fluid movement, and other finer points in a video.

To ensure the best quality video emails, start with the best quality source video. We recommend, at a minimum, that the source video be twice the size of how it will appear in the email and in a high-quality video format.

For example, for a 600w video, the source should be 1200w and at least an MP4.

For more information see our article: Video Quality Depends On The Email Client


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