How do I send a file that is too big to email?

Email was never designed to move large files, and attachment limits are typically 25MB or less. Every practical solution works the same way: put the file somewhere else and send a link to it.

What you'll need

• Cloud storage account (optional)
• The recipient's email address (optional)

Step by step

1. Check the actual file size first.Most email limits are around 25MB, and attachments are encoded larger than the original file. A 24MB file may still be rejected.
2. Upload to cloud storage and share a link.Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud. It is the most reliable route and lets you revoke access later.
3. Set link permissions deliberately.View-only unless they need to edit, and restricted to specific people rather than 'anyone with the link' for anything sensitive.
4. Set an expiry date if the service supports it.Links get forwarded and live in inboxes for years. An expiry limits how long that matters.
5. For a one-off to someone outside your services, use a transfer service.They generate a download link and delete after a period. Simpler for recipients with no account.
6. Compress multiple files into one archive.It bundles them and reduces size somewhat — though photos and video are already compressed and shrink very little.
7. Reduce the file itself where quality allows.Export a smaller PDF, resize images, or compress video. Often it is a large file only because nobody reduced it.
8. For sensitive files, use a password and send it separately.Password-protect the archive and send the password by another channel — a text message, not the same email.

Tips

• Video is the usual culprit. A few minutes of phone video is easily several gigabytes, and no email will ever carry it.
• For a large collection of photos, a shared album is better than a link to a zip — recipients can browse and download selectively.
• Check whether the recipient has any restriction. Corporate email systems frequently block links to file transfer services.

Common mistakes

• Splitting a file into several emails — Recipients rarely reassemble them correctly, and it usually fails anyway. A link is simpler for everyone.
• Sharing with 'anyone with the link' by default — Links get forwarded and indexed. For anything private, restrict to named people.
• Sending a password in the same email as the file — It defeats the point entirely. Send it through a different channel.

Questions people ask