SOLVED! Increase Video Recording Time Android Limit

It’s not uncommon to see Android users who like recording asking about how to increase video recording time Android limit. While Android draws a line when it comes to recording, third-party apps like Open Camera, FilmicPro and ProMovie Recorder could help you bypass the limit. Continue reading to be able to record to your heart’s content.

What is Android video recording time limit?

Some people might not know it, but video recording in some Android phones has a limit. You can’t record until forever because a lot of factors will not let you do that. Although it’s not specified that all phones have a time limit, when you do 4k or UHD recording that’s when you encounter the 10-minute or 8-minute time limit. Why?

As you know, Ultra HD (3840 × 2160) videos demand a great deal of your battery life and storage. Such high-resolution video recording can cause your phone to overheat, hence, the limit. However, if you need to stretch your limit, you must reduce the resolution.

Wait, there’s more! Some Android users find that there’s a storage limit to certain phones — 4GB space. We’ll such allocation is kind of huge, but still not enough if you do frequent video recordings. Worst case, some phones will automatically split your long video recordings into several chucks.

Factors that May Limit Video Recording Time

Whether your Android phone has a time limit or allocated storage limit, the size and the duration of the video recording that you can make also depends on the following:

Video Types

As you might have observed, there are different types of videos — mkv, avi, 3gp, ego, mp4, mpeg, etc. You can easily see what video format you are recording as it equates to the file’s extension. You might have observed a .mp4 or .avi after the file name of your video recordings.

The smallest video format that still gives you high-quality output is the FLV format. AVI is also better compared to MP4. So, you might want to check on the video type that serves you best. After all, you can always find format converter apps if you need a different format.

Frames per Second

Videos are made of combined images or shall we say a series of images. So, you can always see in your camera settings or your video capturing app the fps option — 30fps, 60fps, 80fps. The higher the value of the fps the better, but that also means taking up more storage. If you want to capture slow-motion videos, the fps will be too high.

Pixels

Since videos are made of images, each image is also made of a combination of pixels. Each corresponds to its color and it’s usually represented as squares placed side by side. Most common options are 144p, 240p, 360p, 720p, etc. The numerical value corresponds to the number of squares in an image.

The higher the value is, the better and smoother resolution of your video. Yet, the higher you go, the more size it’ll take. If you go from 720p, 1800p to 2160p, then, that’s the time you’ll have a limited time to record. As mentioned, there’s a limit to 4k recording, because it 2160p. That’s a lot, although it guarantees a wonderful video recording.

How to Know the Maximum Video You can record?

Since you are always limited to storage, you can calculate the maximum recordings you can have for the fps you, the type of video, as well as resolution of the video you want to make. Just make a short video with the settings you want — video type, fps, and pixels. Let’s say one minute.

Now, check your phone’s storage or your SD card. If you still have 4GB in your storage and for the 1-minute recording you get 25MB, simply divide. You’ll get 160 minutes or 2 hours and 40 minutes of recording — a rough estimate. But, it gives you the idea that you can record as much if you have 4GB of remaining storage.

However, if your phone will convert longer videos into chunks and you don’t that, there are a few workarounds to solve the problem. But, then, again, you should always remember that the longer you record, the hotter your phone gets. It’ll be a toll on your battery and to your phone, eventually.

Ways to Ditch/Increase Android Recording Time Limit

First, you must know what kind of video recording you need to have. If you need a video recording to be uploaded on YouTube you might want to record in 720p or 1800p and above in MP4 format. This video format has better quality than FLV and isn’t that heavy compared to AVI.

However, if you are only capturing video for the sake of record-keeping, then, you can have it in a smaller resolution. You can reduce the fps and the resolution to increase the length of your video recordings. In the example above, if you 1-minute recording only requires 5MB, then, your 4GB storage can accommodate 800 minutes of video recording.

Third-Party Apps

You can use video compressors or find apps that’ll record without interruptions until your phone storage maxed out or your phone explode (pun intended). Many people recommend Open Camera. You can easily find great apps that allow uninterrupted video recordings like Cinema FV-5, Filmic Pro, ProMovie Recorder, etc.

If you already have video recordings, you can also download video compressor apps. While there are also apps that allow you to convert to smaller video format, these compressor apps retain the format you like. Simply key in video compressors in your Google Play and pick the best for you.

Android 11

There are some sources online that gives us a hint that Android 11, which is coming this year, to eliminate the video recording limit. But, since we haven’t had any update about the newest update, let’s stick to the above-mentioned methods.

The Final Say

It’s always frustrating to be interrupted in the middle of our video shoot. You should always know that the first limiter to your video recording is your data storage. However, if you are one of the few who really gets a time limit or space limit to video recording, you can easily ditch the limit using the recommended methods above.

Another thing you should know is that, video recording makes your phone stressed, will heat up, and eventually drain your battery. The Ultra-HD or 4k recording, for example, takes up too much space, therefore, the time limit. Some people say that Android 11 brings these limits to an end, so long as you have limited storage, you’ll always have Android video recording time limit.