The simplest way to share a large file
Email has a size limit — usually 20 to 25 megabytes per message, depending on your provider. If your file is bigger than that, email will reject it. The fastest solution is to use a file-sharing service, which is a website or app that holds your file temporarily and sends the other person a link instead of the file itself.
Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive all work this way and are free for basic use. You upload the file once, share a link with whoever needs it, and they read it from there. The file never travels through email, so size does not matter — you can share files that are gigabytes large.
If you do not have an account with any of these services yet, Google Drive is the fastest to start with because you likely already have a Google account (the same login as Gmail). If you use Outlook or Microsoft 365, OneDrive is already built in.
Key Takeaways
- Email cannot send files larger than 20 to 25 megabytes, so file-sharing services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive are necessary for anything bigger.
- All three services work the same way: you upload the file once, generate a shareable link, and send that link instead of the file itself.
- Google Drive is fastest to start with if you have a Gmail account, since you can log in when ready without creating anything new.
- You can control who sees the file and whether they can edit it or only view it before you send the link.
Using Google Drive to share a file
Go to drive.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Click the "New" button on the left side, then select "File upload". Choose the file from your computer and wait for it to finish uploading — this may take a few minutes if the file is large.
Once the upload is done, right-click the file name and select "Share". A box will appear asking who you want to share it with. Type in the email address of the person who needs the file. Below that, you will see a dropdown that says "Viewer" — this means they can only look at the file, not change it. If they need to edit it, click that dropdown and select "Editor".
Click "Share" and Google will send them an email with a link. They can click that link and read the file, or open it directly in their browser without downloading. You can revoke access later by going back to the file, clicking "Share" again, and removing their name.
Using Dropbox or OneDrive instead
Dropbox and OneDrive work almost identically to Google Drive. With Dropbox, go to dropbox.com, sign in, and click "Upload files" to add your file. Right-click it and select "Share", then paste in the email address of who needs it. With OneDrive, go to onedrive.live.com, click "Upload", and then right-click the file to find the "Share" option.
The main difference is where the buttons are located and what the dropdown menus are called, but the steps are the same: upload, share, set permissions, send. All three services let you choose whether the other person can only view the file or can edit it. All three also let you create a link that works for anyone with the link, without needing their email address — useful if you are sharing with someone outside your organization or do not have their email.
When to use a link that works for anyone
If you do not know the email address of the person who needs the file, or if multiple people need it and you do not want to type in each address separately, create a "link anyone can access". In Google Drive, click "Share", then change the dropdown from "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link". Copy the link and send it however you want — email, text message, Slack, or anywhere else.
The downside is that anyone who has the link can access the file, even if you did not mean to share it with them. If the file contains sensitive information, stick with sharing by email address instead. You can also set an expiration date on the link — Google Drive lets you do this by clicking the gear icon in the Share box and selecting "Link expiration".
What happens if the file is still too large
File-sharing services have their own limits. Google Drive gives you 15 gigabytes free, Dropbox gives 2 gigabytes, and OneDrive gives 5 gigabytes. If your file is larger than your available space, you have two options: delete other files to make room, or pay for more storage.
Google Drive storage costs $1.99 per month for 100 gigabytes, Dropbox costs $11.99 per month for 2 terabytes, and OneDrive costs $1.99 per month for 100 gigabytes. If you only need to share one very large file once, it is usually cheaper to use a temporary service like WeTransfer, which lets you send files up to 2 gigabytes for free without creating an account — you just go to wetransfer.com, upload the file, type in the recipient's email, and it sends them a read link.
Sharing files on your phone or tablet
If the file is on your phone or tablet, the process is similar but slightly different. Open the file-sharing app (Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive), find the file, and look for a share button — usually three dots or a square with an arrow pointing out. Tap it, then select "Share" or "Get link". You can then copy the link and paste it into an email, text message, or any other app.
If you do not have the app installed, you can still use the website version on your phone's web browser. Go to drive.google.com, dropbox.com, or onedrive.live.com, sign in, and upload the file the same way you would on a computer. The buttons are in slightly different places on a phone screen, but the steps are identical.
Why your file might not upload
If the upload keeps stopping or failing, check your internet connection first — a weak or unstable connection is the most common reason. If your connection is fine, try closing other apps or browser tabs that might be using bandwidth. If the file is extremely large (several gigabytes), the upload may take a very long time; do not close the browser or turn off your computer while it is uploading.
If you see an error message about storage space, you have run out of room in your account. Delete files you no longer need, or upgrade your storage plan. If the error says the file type is not supported, the service may have blocked that particular file format for security reasons — this is rare, but if it happens, try converting the file to a different format using free online tools, or use a different service like WeTransfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the person I share with edit the file and send it back to me?
Yes, if you give them Editor permission instead of Viewer. They can make changes directly in the file, and you will see those changes in real time if you both have it open. You can also see the version history — a record of every change made and when — by right-clicking the file and selecting "Version history".
What if I want to stop sharing the file after I have already sent the link?
Go back to the file in your drive, click Share, and remove the person's name or turn off the link. They will no longer be able to access it. If you set an expiration date on the link, it will stop working automatically on that date without you having to do anything.
Is it safe to share files this way?
Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive all encrypt files while they travel to their servers and while they sit there, so the file is protected. However, once someone has the link or email access, they can read the file and do what they want with it. Do not share files containing passwords, credit card numbers, or other highly sensitive information this way.
Can I share a folder instead of a single file?
Yes. In Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, you can right-click a folder and select Share the same way you would share a file. Everyone you share it with will see all the files inside that folder. This is useful if you need to share multiple related files at once.
What if the person I am sharing with does not have a Google account?
They do not need one. When you send them a link, they can click it and read the file without signing in. If you give them Editor permission, they may be asked to sign in to make changes, but they can view the file without an account.