How to use Shrinky
Shrinky compresses videos and photos so they fit in Discord, and lets you trim and edit them on the way. Everything starts with one command.
Getting started
There are two ways to add Shrinky, and you can use both:
- Add to a server: everyone in that server can use it, and its posts appear as normal messages. You need the Manage Server permission there.
- Add to my apps: Shrinky follows you, so you can use it in any server (even ones that haven't added it), group chats and DMs with friends.
Using /shrinky
Not sure what to do? Mention @Shrinky in a message and it replies with a quick how-to.
- In any chat, type
/shrinkyand press Enter. - Shrinky replies with a private link that only you can see. Tap Open Shrinky. The link works once and expires after 15 minutes if you don't use it.
- On the page, pick a video or photo (or drag it in on a computer).
- For a video, choose the part you want and any edits, then tap Post clip.
- Keep the page open until it says it's done. Shrinky posts the result in the chat where you typed
/shrinky.
Trimming
After you pick a video, a preview appears with a slider underneath. Drag the two handles to choose the start and end. You can post up to 2 minutes; longer videos start with the first 2 minutes selected.
- The label under the slider shows the length that will be posted and how good it will look (for example "0:45 · great quality"). Shorter clips look sharper, because the same 20MB is spread over less time.
- The start may move by a fraction of a second so the clip begins on a clean frame.
- If your browser can't show a preview (some iPhone videos on some browsers), trimming still works with the times shown.
Several parts Pro
Tap + Add part to pick up to 5 moments from the same video; Shrinky joins them into one clip, in time order, with straight cuts. Each part shows as a chip under the slider: tap a chip to adjust that part with the slider, or ✕ to remove it. Parts can't overlap, and the 2-minute limit is for all of them together.
Editing tools
Under the slider are the editing tools. They're applied on your device, so they need a browser that can re-encode video (most modern phones and computers can; if yours can't, the tools are greyed out with a note).
Crop
Choose Original, 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5. A frame appears on the preview; drag it to choose what stays in the picture.
Speed
Choose 1×, 1.25×, 1.5× or 2×. Voices keep their normal pitch. The 2-minute limit applies to the posted length, so at 2× you can select up to 4 minutes of video.
Text (caption)
Type a caption (up to 100 characters) and choose Top or Bottom and size S, M or L. It's bold white text with a black outline, shown for the whole clip. The preview shows exactly how it will look; long captions wrap and shrink to fit.
Making a GIF
Under Post as, choose GIF. The selection is limited to 15 seconds (posted length), the sound is removed, and the result loops forever. You can still crop, speed up and add a caption. GIFs are posted as animated WebP files, which Discord plays just like GIFs but at much better quality.
Spoiler & audio
- Mark as spoiler: the post is blurred until someone clicks it.
- Remove audio (videos): posts it silent, and the space the sound would have used goes to picture quality.
Some servers set these per channel (for example, a spoilers channel where everything is blurred). In that case the option is already ticked for you.
Photos
Pick a photo instead of a video and Shrinky compresses it to fit: JPEG, PNG, HEIC (iPhone), WebP, AVIF and DNG. Location data (GPS) and device details are removed; colours are kept.
Where your post appears
| Where you used /shrinky | What happens |
|---|---|
| A server that added Shrinky | Posted as a normal message in that channel: "@you shared a clip with Shrinky". |
| A server without Shrinky, a group chat, or a DM with a friend (needs "Add to my apps") | Posted as the reply to your /shrinky. Discord only allows this for 15 minutes after the command; if it takes longer, Shrinky sends the file to your DMs so you can forward it. The Shrinky page shows the deadline. |
| Your DM with Shrinky | Sent to you there, ready to forward anywhere. |
If a server doesn't let members use external apps publicly, the reply is only visible to you, and Shrinky also DMs you a copy to forward. Server admins can also limit Shrinky to certain channels; if you use it elsewhere, it tells you where it's allowed.
Shrinky Pro Coming soon
Paid plans will be sold through Discord once Shrinky is verified. Pro will include:
Process on: This device / Shrinky servers
Pro users choose where their clip is processed, with the Process on switch above the editing tools:
- This device (the default): your phone or computer does the work, like the free version. Usually the fastest, with no queue.
- Shrinky servers: your selection is sent as it is and Shrinky does all the work, including every edit. It saves your battery and works even in browsers that can't edit video.
Shrinky remembers your choice: whichever you pick is used every time after, until you switch it again. Next to the switch you'll see a rough time for each, e.g. "This device ~40 s · Shrinky servers ~1 min 10 s". They're based on how fast your device has encoded and uploaded before (learned from your earlier clips, so the first clip on a new device just says "estimate after your first clip here"), how busy Shrinky is, and how fast its servers have been lately.
Shrink this / Make GIF
Right-click (or long-press on a phone) any message with a video, then Apps → Shrink this or Make GIF. Shrinky replies to that message with the result. "Shrink this" works on photos too. If the video is too long, you get a private Pick a part button that opens the editor with the video already loaded.
Longer clips, split automatically
Pro can post up to 6 minutes. Anything over 2:00 is posted as 2 or 3 clips of equal length, in order ("part 1/3", "part 2/3", "part 3/3"), each with the same quality as a normal 2-minute clip and no frames lost between them. "Shrink this" does the same for long videos.
And more
- Several parts of a video joined into one clip (see Trimming)
- A ✦ PRO mark on your posts, and no footer line
- Your jobs skip the queue; 50 files a day; uploads up to 1GB
The Server plan gives everyone in a server Pro inside that server, plus server-only extras (see the admin guide).
Limits
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Posted length | Up to 2:00 (GIFs 0:15) | Up to 6:00, posted as up to 3 clips (GIFs 0:15) |
| Posted size | Up to 20MB | Same (up to 50MB in boosted Server-plan servers) |
| Upload size | 100MB | 1GB |
| Clips per hour | 10 | 20 |
| Clips per day on Shrinky's servers | 30 | 50 |
| Clips per day done on your device | No daily limit | No daily limit |
Limits are per person, across every server. "On Shrinky's servers" means photos, GIFs, Shrink this / Make GIF, Pro's "Shrinky servers" option, and clips your browser couldn't compress itself. When lots of people are using Shrinky at once, it may ask you to try again in a minute. Pro users get through busier times.
Privacy
Your files are deleted as soon as they're posted, and location and device details are removed before posting. Shrinky keeps a short record of each job for 30 days (who, where, when and file sizes, never the file) to deal with abuse. Before posting, software on Shrinky's own server checks each file for nudity; no outside service sees it. Read the full privacy policy and terms.
Troubleshooting
"This link is invalid, expired, or already used"
Links work once and expire 15 minutes after /shrinky if you haven't used them. Run /shrinky again.
"Shrinky is busy right now"
Too many clips are waiting. Try again in a minute or two.
"This browser can't open HEVC (H.265) videos for editing"
iPhones and many newer phones record HEVC video, which Firefox can't open. Trim, spoiler and mute still work and Shrinky's server compresses the clip, but to crop, speed up or add a caption, use Chrome or Edge (or, with Pro, choose Shrinky servers).
The editing tools are greyed out
Your browser can't re-encode video. Trim, spoiler and mute still work, and Shrinky's server compresses the clip. Try a recent Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox, or (with Pro) choose Shrinky servers.
It says "Adjusting to fit 20MB (pass 2)"
Some devices' video encoders overshoot the size, so Shrinky stops early and tries again with a correction. It learns your device's behaviour, so later clips usually need one pass.
Can I use Discord while it works?
Yes, once it says Uploaded: from then on Shrinky's server finishes the job and posts it, and tells you in Discord if anything goes wrong. Before that, keep Shrinky open (phones pause web pages in the background). Under the Post button it shows roughly how long that takes. If you leave during the upload, come back and it continues where it stopped.
"Your phone paused the compression…" / Tap to resume
Phones pause video work when you switch apps or the screen locks. If that stopped your clip, tap Tap to resume: it starts compressing again with the same selection and edits. To avoid it, keep Shrinky open with the screen on until it says it's done.
"Not posted: … looks like nudity"
Shrinky checks every file before posting it, and posts nudity only in channels marked age-restricted (never in DMs). Use an age-restricted channel, or if the check got it wrong, email support@horizonerti.pro. If it says the safety check isn't working, try again in a few minutes.
"I need View Channel, Send Messages and Attach Files permissions"
Shrinky can't post in that channel. Ask a server admin to give the Shrinky role those permissions there, or use another channel.
Still stuck?
Email support@horizonerti.pro with what happened and roughly when.