SharingCastEmail Attachment Too Large? 5 Ways to Send It Anyway
What the limits are, why files hit them, and the best ways around them.
In this guide
In this guide
Email attachment limits
Email was designed for messages, not for moving large files. Every major provider limits the size of attachments, and the limits are small compared with modern photos and videos:
| Provider | Typical attachment limit | What happens above it |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB | Offers a Google Drive link instead |
| Outlook.com | About 20 MB | Offers a OneDrive link instead |
| Yahoo Mail | 25 MB | Message cannot be sent with the attachment |
| Work email | Often 10–25 MB, set by your IT team | Bounced or blocked |
Limits change from time to time and can differ for business accounts, so check your provider’s help pages if you are close to the line. Even if your provider allows 25 MB, the person you are sending to may have a lower limit, and the email will bounce back.
Why a file can be “too large” even under the limit
Attachments are converted into text to travel inside an email, and that conversion makes them roughly a third larger. A 20 MB file can therefore take up around 27 MB once attached, which is over a 25 MB limit. Several attachments add up too: five 5 MB photos are 25 MB before conversion.
A one-minute 4K video from a phone can easily be several hundred megabytes, so for video, email is almost never an option.
5 ways to send a file that is too large for email
1. Send it directly with SharingCast
If the other person is available now, send the file straight to their device. Open sharingcast.com, choose Send, add the file, and share the code by email or message. They open SharingCast, enter the code and receive the file directly. There is no size limit, no account and nothing stored online. The only requirement is that both of you are online at the same time.
Send a large file now →2. Share a cloud storage link
Upload the file to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or iCloud Drive and email a link. This is the best choice if the receiver will download later. It uses your storage, and the file stays online until you delete it.
3. Use an upload-and-link transfer service
Services like WeTransfer let you upload a file and email a download link. Free plans have size and monthly limits and links expire after a few days. Our WeTransfer alternatives guide compares the options.
4. Compress or split the file
Zipping documents and spreadsheets can shrink them a lot, sometimes enough to fit in an email. Photos and videos are already compressed, so zipping barely helps them. Splitting a file into parts is possible but awkward for the receiver to reassemble.
5. Reduce the file itself
For PDFs, an export setting for smaller file size or reduced image quality can make a big difference. For photos, sending a resized copy works when full resolution is not needed. Always keep the original.
Quick comparison
| Option | Size limit | Receiver can download later | Copy stored online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct transfer (SharingCast) | None | No, must be online | No |
| Cloud link | Storage quota | Yes | Yes |
| Transfer service | Plan limits | Yes, until expiry | Yes, until expiry |
| Compressing | Still email limit | Yes | In both mailboxes |
Sending large files at work
Many companies block certain file-sharing sites or have rules about where files may be stored. Before sending work files, check your organisation’s policy. Where direct transfers are allowed, they can help with confidentiality, because no copy is left on a third-party server. Adding a password and sharing it separately, for example on a call, keeps the transfer limited to the intended person.
If your company network blocks peer-to-peer connections, SharingCast falls back to an encrypted relay, and if that is blocked too, your IT team can advise on an approved method.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum attachment size in Gmail?
Gmail allows attachments up to 25 MB. Larger files are sent as a Google Drive link.
Why did my email bounce even though Gmail accepted the file?
The recipient’s email server probably has a lower limit. Use a link or a direct transfer instead.
What is the best way to send a 2 GB video?
If the receiver is available now, a direct transfer is quickest. If they will download later, use a cloud link.
Is it safe to send files without email?
Yes. SharingCast transfers are encrypted and no copy is stored on our servers. See Is peer-to-peer file sharing safe?