You have carefully composed an email, attached that important file, and hit send, only to be greeted by the frustrating message: “file too large for email.” Whether it is a video from your phone, a presentation deck, or a collection of high-resolution photos, hitting the email file size limit is something almost everyone encounters. The good news is that there are several easy workarounds that do not require technical expertise or expensive software.

Understanding Email File Size Limits

Before exploring solutions, it helps to understand why this limitation exists. Most email providers restrict attachment sizes to somewhere between 20MB and 25MB. Gmail caps attachments at 25MB, while Outlook and Yahoo have similar restrictions. These limits exist because email servers were not designed to handle large file transfers. Sending massive files through email can clog servers, slow down delivery for everyone, and quickly fill up storage quotas.

Modern files easily exceed these limits. A single minute of 4K video from your smartphone can be over 300MB. A folder of vacation photos might total several hundred megabytes. Even PDF documents with embedded images can grow surprisingly large. When you encounter the file too large error, here are five reliable solutions to get your files where they need to go.

Solution 1: Use Cloud Storage Links

One of the most popular solutions for sending large files is uploading them to cloud storage and sharing a download link instead of the file itself. Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive let you upload files of virtually any size and generate shareable links.

How to share via cloud storage:

• Upload your file to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive
• Right-click the file and select “Get link” or “Share”
• Adjust permissions so anyone with the link can view or download
• Copy the link and paste it into your email
• Send the email with the link instead of the attachment

This method works well because the recipient simply clicks the link to download the file. However, free accounts have storage limits, and some recipients may see prompts to create accounts or install apps, which can add friction to the process.

Solution 2: Compress Your Files

If your file is only slightly over the email attachment limit, compression might bring it under the threshold. Creating a ZIP file can reduce file sizes, especially for documents, images, and other compressible content.

How to compress files:

• On Windows: Right-click the file, select “Send to,” then “Compressed folder”
• On Mac: Right-click the file and select “Compress”
• On iPhone or Android: Use the built-in Files app or a compression app

Keep in mind that compression works best for certain file types. Documents, spreadsheets, and uncompressed images can shrink significantly. However, videos, MP3s, and JPEGs are already compressed, so zipping them often reduces size by only a small margin. If your file is well over the limit, compression alone may not be enough.

Solution 3: Split Files Into Smaller Parts

For very large files, especially videos or archives, splitting them into smaller chunks can work around email limits. You can then send multiple emails with one part attached to each. The recipient downloads all parts and reassembles the file on their end.

How to split files:

• Use file splitting software like 7-Zip (Windows) or Archive Utility (Mac)
• Choose a split size that stays under your email limit, such as 20MB per part
• Attach each part to a separate email and send them in order
• Instruct the recipient to download all parts and use the same software to rejoin them

While this method works, it is cumbersome for both sender and recipient. It requires coordination, technical knowledge on the receiving end, and multiple emails. For occasional use with tech-savvy recipients it can work, but there are simpler alternatives for most situations.

Solution 4: Use a Dedicated File Sharing App

A more streamlined approach is using an app designed specifically for sharing large files. These apps handle the upload and generate a simple download link that works for anyone, regardless of what device or operating system they use.

Apps like Stash are built for this exact use case. You upload your file directly from your phone, and the app creates a shareable link instantly. The recipient clicks the link and downloads the file in their web browser without needing to install anything or create an account. This eliminates the friction of asking recipients to sign up for cloud storage services.

Benefits of dedicated file sharing apps:

• No account required for the person receiving the file
• Works on any device with a web browser
• Files are not compressed, so quality is preserved
• Simple interface focused on one task: getting files from point A to point B

This approach is particularly useful when sharing with people who are not technically inclined or when you want to avoid the “please download our app” experience that many cloud services push on recipients.

Solution 5: Use Messaging Apps for Direct Transfers

If you need to send a large file quickly and the recipient is already on a messaging platform, apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or iMessage can sometimes work for file sharing. These platforms have their own file sharing capabilities that bypass email entirely.

File limits by messaging app:

• iMessage: Up to 100MB for videos, though they may be compressed
• WhatsApp: Up to 2GB for documents, 16MB for videos
• Telegram: Up to 2GB for any file type
• Facebook Messenger: Up to 25MB for most files

The drawback of messaging apps is that many of them compress videos and images to save bandwidth, which reduces quality. If you are sharing a video and want the recipient to see it in full quality, messaging apps may not be the best choice. They work well for documents and files where visual quality is not critical.

Choosing the Right Solution

The best method depends on your specific needs:

• For professional use: Cloud storage links or dedicated sharing apps provide a polished experience
• For preserving quality: Use a file sharing app that does not compress, or cloud storage with direct download links
• For non-technical recipients: Choose a solution that does not require them to create accounts or install software
• For quick, casual sharing: Messaging apps work fine if minor compression is acceptable

Avoiding the Problem in the Future

Once you have a reliable method for sharing large files, consider making it your default approach even for files that might fit as email attachments. Many professionals now include download links in emails rather than attachments for several reasons: links do not fill up the recipient’s inbox storage, they allow you to update the file after sending, and they work reliably regardless of file size.

Email file size limits are a relic of older technology, but they are not going away soon. Rather than fighting against these constraints, embracing modern file sharing methods makes the process smoother for everyone involved. Whether you choose cloud storage, compression, dedicated apps, or messaging platforms, you now have multiple ways to send any file, regardless of size.