Gmail allows users to attach and send files of up to 25MB in size. However, it’s impossible to email large files via the standard file attachment functionality. This means that the largest file you can email as an attachment in Gmail is 25 MB. The easiest way around this is to send the file as a link that your recipient can access to download the actual file from the cloud.
If your attachment exceeds 25 MB in Gmail, it’s uploaded to the cloud (Google Drive) and a download link is placed in the body of your email. Sending large files of up to 10GB through Gmail using Google Drive is as easy as uploading the desired file or folder to Drive and sharing the link with anybody.
If you’re looking for how to use Gmail to send videos, pictures, presentations, or folders that are larger than 25MB, this article is exactly what you need. It will show you how to go past the attachment limit. You’ll learn how to send large files via Gmail using Google Drive on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
How to Send Large Files via Gmail using Google Drive
Although Gmail limits the maximum size of single attachments, you can still send documents, images, and presentations that are larger than 25 MB. While composing your message, you can easily select a file in Gmail if it’s already uploaded to Drive. And if the file is on your device, you can also upload it to Google Drive from Gmail before sending your email.
Send Large Files through Gmail using Google Drive from a Web Browser
- Go to Gmail.
- Select the “Compose” button to open the New Message window.
- Click on the Google Drive icon from the toolbar display at the bottom of the window to open Drive’s upload client.
- If the file or folder is already uploaded to Drive, locate it under the “My Drive”, “Shared with me”, or “Recent” tab and select it.
- If the file or folder isn’t uploaded, navigate to the “Upload” tab, click on “Select files from your device”, choose the file or folder, and click on “Upload”.
- Afterwards, click on “Insert as Drive link”.
- Compose your email message and send it.
Send Large Files through Gmail using Google Drive from an Android Device
- In the Gmail app for Android, click the plus (+) icon to open the Compose screen.
- Click on the paper clip icon at the top of the screen and choose the “Insert from Drive” option.
- Click on any of the options: My Drive, Computers, Shared with me, Starred, or Recent. Then search for the file you want to send via Gmail using Google Drive.
- Afterwards, click on “Select”.
- Compose your email message and send it.
Send Large Files through Gmail using Google Drive from an iOS Device
- In the Gmail app for iOS, go to the Compose screen and click on the paper clip icon at the top of the screen.
- Scroll to the Google Drive section, search for the file or folder you want to send, and select it.
- Compose your email message and send it.
Granting File Access in Google Drive
Google Drive allows you to manage access and permissions to your files. So you can give different levels of view, edit, and/or share permissions, depending on who you’re sharing a file with.
If you’re sending files via Gmail using the web version of Google Drive, you’ll see the following options after clicking the Send button:
- Share: This option gives the recipients view, comment, or edit access.
- Turn on link sharing: Choosing this option permits the recipients to have view access only.
- Don’t share: The recipients will receive the Drive link but won’t have access until you grant permission.
If you’re sending files via Gmail using Drive for mobile, you’ll see the following options after clicking the Send button:
- Recipients only: This option grants access to the recipients of that email, who must log in to their Google account.
- Anyone with the link: This option grants access to anybody in possession of the link – even if they don’t own a Google account.
- Continue without sharing: The recipients will receive the Drive link but won’t have access until you grant permission.
Conclusion
The integration between Gmail and Google Drive allows you to securely share and store large files of up to 10GB. Moreover, you can manage permissions for all documents, modify access, and even add passwords for sensitive files or folders.
However, if you need to send large files – of up to 10TB in size or even larger – you’ll love this new file-transfer platform called FileWhopper. It’s a file-sharing service that is helping programmers, videographers, freelancers, and companies to quickly and securely send large files and folders of any size. The most interesting thing about FileWhopper is that you can send files and folders of up to 1GB, 1TB, or even 10TB without paying for a monthly storage or subscription plan. You only have to pay a one-time fee that can be as low as $4.99 for 10GB or $5.99 for 15GB depending on the size of what you intend to send. What’s more, your first transfer of up to 5GB in size is free of charge, and recipients can start downloading a file or folder while the sender is still uploading it. Users don’t have to bother about the security of their files because all transfers via FileWhopper are encrypted with a unique ID and password-protected.
The Main Features of FileWhopper
- You can transfer large files and folders of any size—there are no file size limits in FileWhopper.
- FileWhopper is a pay-as-you-go service— there is no need to buy a monthly subscription or storage plan.
- You only pay a cheap one-time fee depending on the size of the file or folder you intend to send.
- Data transfers are fast, and there’s no data loss even when downloads are interrupted due to connection issues.
- Files and folders are encrypted and highly secured with passwords that are generated by FileWhopper’s encryption algorithm.
- You can easily share download links and passwords with any recipient.
With the steps in this article, we hope you can now share large files through Gmail using Google Drive. If you’re still encountering issues, don’t hesitate to use the comment section.