How to bypass Gmail's attachment size limit and send large files

Publish date: 2024-07-25

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Gmail, like many email providers, allows you to add attachments to your email. They can be dragged straight from your computer into the body of an email or selected from your Google Drive.

But also like most email providers, Gmail has a limit to how big those attachments can be. It's a way to stop spammers from flooding your inbox (and Google's servers) with large, useless files.

Here's everything to know about Gmail's attachment limits — including how to get past them.

What is the attachment size limit in Gmail?

Gmail can only handle attachments up to 25MB in size.

Keep in mind any text or images you've put into the message count toward this limit too, meaning that attaching a file that's 25MB exactly will give you an error.

How to bypass the attachment size limit

Gmail's 25MB attachmen size limit is relatively easy to get around.

If you try to attach files larger than 25MB, Google will automatically start uploading the files to your Google Drive account. Once uploaded, it'll place a link to those files in the email. This lets your email's recipient access the files easily.

Large attachments are converted to Drive links. Gmail; William Antonelli/Insider

You can also upload the files to Google Drive beforehand. To do this:

1. Click the Insert files using Drive icon at the bottom toolbar of your Gmail message.

The Google Drive icon is at the bottom of the composition window. Gmail; William Antonelli/Insider

2. Select Upload at the top.

Note: If the file you want to send is already uploaded to Google Drive, select it and click Insert to attach it instead.

3. Under the Upload tab, drag-and-drop files into the window or click Select files from your device to browse through your computer.

4. If it's not selected already, click Drive link at the bottom of the window. This will convert the attachment into a Google Drive link to embed in your email.

You can upload files by dragging-and-dropping them, or by browsing through your computer's folders. Gmail; William Antonelli/Insider

5. Click Upload to finish attaching the file, then compose your message and click Send.

6. You'll have to grant access to the file link, then click Send again.

Ennica Jacob Freelance Writer Ennica Jacob is a multimedia producer and video journalist. In Summer 2019, she interned at the New York Daily News, where she penned two front page stories and covered daily breaking news from court proceedings to social events. In January 2020, she completed a semester in Paris, with an independent study project at CELSA - Université Paris-Sorbonne, a short documentary focused on the evolution of Hip-Hop, and an internship at Society Magazine. She's been freelancing with Insider since December 2020 and is currently a fellow with the Video Reference team. Read more Read less

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