The basic answer: use a file-sharing service instead of email
Email was built to move text messages, not video files or design projects. Most email providers cap attachments at 20 to 25 megabytes — Gmail tops out at 25 MB, Outlook at 20 MB. If your file is larger, your email straightforward bounces back undelivered, and the recipient never sees it.
The solution is to use a file-sharing service — a website or app that stores your file on the internet and sends the recipient a link instead of the file itself. You upload once, they read from the link. The file never travels through email at all.
This works for files of any size, from 100 MB to several gigabytes, depending on which service you choose. It also means the recipient can read the file multiple times if they need to, and you can revoke access later if you change your mind.
Key Takeaways
- Email attachments have size limits — usually 20 to 25 megabytes — and larger files will bounce back undelivered.
- File-sharing services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive let you upload a file once and share a link instead of sending the file through email.
- Free tiers of these services typically allow 2 to 15 gigabytes of storage, enough for most people's needs.
- You can set permissions on shared files — some services let you choose whether the recipient can read, view only, or edit the file.
- Compressing a file before sending can sometimes get it under the email limit, but file-sharing is faster and more reliable for anything over 10 MB.
Which file-sharing service to use
The three most common options are Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive (Microsoft's service). All three are free to start, all work on phones and computers, and all let you share files with a straightforward link.
Google Drive gives you 15 GB free and works best if you already use Gmail or Google Workspace. Dropbox gives you 2 GB free but is simpler to use if you just want to drag files into a folder. OneDrive gives you 5 GB free and integrates with Microsoft Office if you use Word or Excel.
If you do not have an account with any of these, Google Drive is the easiest starting point — you can create a free Google account in two minutes using just an email address and password.
For very large files (over 2 GB), consider WeTransfer or Tresorit. WeTransfer is free for files up to 2 GB and requires no account — you just upload, enter the recipient's email, and they get a read link. Tresorit is paid but encrypts files end-to-end, meaning even Tresorit cannot see what you are sending.
How to share a file on Google Drive
Go to drive.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Click the "New" button on the left, then "File upload" or "Folder upload" depending on what you are sending. Select the file from your computer and wait for it to finish uploading — this can take a few minutes for large files, depending on your internet speed.
Once the file is uploaded, right-click it and select "Share". A box will open asking who you want to share with. Type the recipient's email address, then click the dropdown that says "Viewer" if you want them to only look at the file, or "Editor" if you want them to make changes. Click "Share" and Google will send them an email with a link.
If you want to share with someone whose email you do not have, click "Change to anyone with the link" instead. This creates a link you can paste into a message, text, or chat. Anyone with that link can access the file — you can revoke access anytime by going back to the file and clicking "Share" again, then "Remove".
How to share a file on Dropbox
Go to dropbox.com and create a free account or sign in. Click "Files" on the left, then the "+" button to upload a file. Select the file from your computer and wait for it to upload.
Once it is uploaded, hover over the file and click the three dots menu, then "Share". Dropbox will ask whether you want to send a link or invite someone to a shared folder. For a single file, choose "Create a link". You can then copy that link and send it however you want — email, text, chat, or anywhere else.
By default, anyone with the link can view and read the file. If you want to change that, click "Link settings" and choose "Viewer only" to prevent downloads, or "Password protected" to require a password before someone can access it.
What happens when the file is too large even for file-sharing
Most free file-sharing services handle files up to 2 or 15 gigabytes. If your file is larger than that — for example, a raw video file from a professional camera, or a complete backup of your computer — you have a few options.
The first is to compress the file. On Windows, right-click the file and select "Send to" then "Compressed (zipped) folder". On Mac, right-click and select "Compress". This creates a smaller version of the file that takes up less space. Compression works well for documents, photos, and spreadsheets, but does not help much with video or audio files, which are already compressed.
The second is to split the file into smaller pieces using a tool like 7-Zip (free, Windows) or The Unarchiver (free, Mac). You can set it to create pieces of, say, 1 GB each, then share each piece separately. The recipient downloads all the pieces and uses the same tool to reassemble them.
The third option is to use a paid file-sharing service. Tresorit offers 200 GB for about $10 per month. pCloud offers 500 GB for about $4 per month. These are more expensive than consumer cloud storage, but designed specifically for sharing large files securely.
Security and privacy when sharing files
When you share a file through Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, the company hosting the service can see that the file exists and who you shared it with. They cannot see inside password-protected files, but they can see the filename and the sharing metadata. If privacy is a concern — for example, if you are sharing medical records or financial documents — consider whether you trust that company with that information.
If you want the file-sharing service to be unable to see the contents of your file, use Tresorit, which encrypts files before they leave your computer. The downside is that Tresorit is paid and has a smaller user base, so the recipient may need to create an account to read.
For any file-sharing service, use a strong password if the option is available. A strong password is at least 12 characters long and includes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols — for example, "BlueSky$2024!Tent". Avoid passwords based on your name, birthday, or common words.
If you are sharing sensitive information, also consider setting an expiration date on the link. Google Drive and Dropbox both allow this — you can set a link to expire after a certain number of days, after which the recipient can no longer access the file even if they have the link.
Why compression does not always work
Compressing a file makes it smaller by removing redundant data. This works well for documents, spreadsheets, and photos — you might compress a folder of Word documents from 50 MB down to 15 MB. But video and audio files are already compressed when you record them, so zipping them saves very little space.
If you have a video file that is 500 MB and you compress it, it might become 480 MB — barely any difference. In that case, compression is not worth the time. File-sharing is faster and more reliable.
The only time compression is worth trying is if your file is just barely over the email limit — say, 30 MB — and you want to avoid creating an account with a file-sharing service. Otherwise, skip it and use a sharing link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the recipient edit the file I share, or just read it?
It depends on the service and the permissions you set. Google Drive lets you choose "Viewer" (view only), "Commenter" (view and comment), or "Editor" (view, comment, and edit). Dropbox lets you choose "Viewer only" or allow downloads. WeTransfer does not allow editing at all — the recipient can only read. Check the service's sharing settings before you send.
What if I need to take back access after I share a file?
All major file-sharing services let you revoke access. In Google Drive, open the file, click "Share", and click the "X" next to the person's name. In Dropbox, click the link settings and choose "Disable link". Once you revoke access, the recipient can no longer read or view the file, even if they already have the link.
Is it safe to share files with a link that anyone can access?
A link that "anyone with the link" can access is safe from strangers, because the link itself is long and random — someone would have to guess it or intercept it. But if someone gets the link, they can share it further. If you want to restrict access to one person, use the service's option to share by email address instead, or add a password to the link.
How long does it take to upload a large file?
Upload speed depends on your internet connection. A 100 MB file might take 30 seconds on a fast home connection, or several minutes on a slower one. Most services show a progress bar so you can see how long it will take. If the upload fails partway through, most services will resume from where they stopped rather than starting over.
Can I share a folder instead of a single file?
Yes. Google Drive and Dropbox both let you share entire folders. Right-click the folder, select "Share", and choose who can access it. The recipient will see all files in the folder and can read them individually or as a zip file. This is useful if you are sending multiple related files.