To send large files (up to 10 GB in size) through Gmail via Google Drive is as easy as uploading the file to your Google Drive account and then sending it as a shared URL.

There are many other ways to email big files if you don’t use Gmail or Google Drive. Cloud  storage services and online backup services that support file sharing usually let you send really large files. There are also P2P file sharing techniques that usually have no file size cap.

Use a Large File-Sharing Service

As files have gotten larger, plenty of options for large file-sending services have popped up across the internet. These services let you upload a file, and then simply send a link for your recipient to retrieve it.

WeTransfer is one of the most popular free platforms for transferring large digital files. They can transmit any type of file; presentations, photos, videos, music, documents and whatever else, as long as it’s within the free 2GB limit. There’s no registration required and files are available for two weeks.

Even though they’re free, these services come at a cost. They’re plastered with ads, the maximum file size available to free users is limited, and the constant ‘nudge’ towards subscription is exasperating, at best.

Finally, you should always be wary of using a third-party online service like this. Although they are professional, you never know who you’re trusting with your files.

 Google Drive: Use With Gmail

With Gmail, you can send attachments limited to 25MB and receive files of up to 50MB. It makes sense to use the built-in Google Drive to send big files. Open your Gmail account and click the Compose button. Click the Google Drive icon at the bottom of the compose window.

The Insert files using Google Drive window appears. Select the files you want to attach. At the bottom of the page, decide how you want to send the file.

• Drive link works for any files stored in Drive, including files created using Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Forms.
• Attachment only works for files that weren’t built using Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

 icloud Mail Drop: Use With Apple Mail

If you want to send large files via email, you can use iCloud Mail Drop feature. When you send an email of size more than 20MB, Mail Drop automatically kicks in. Instead of sending the file through the Apple email server, it uploads the file to iCloud and posts a link or preview to your recipients. The link is temporary and will expire after 30 days.

If the recipient also has macOS 10.10 or later, the attachment gets quietly auto-downloaded in the background. And if you’re sending it to another email provider, the message contains an indication of the file’s expiration date and a Click to Download link.

With Mail Drop, you can send big files up to 5GB in size. You can send them from Apple Mail, the Mail app on iOS, and iCloud.com on Mac and PC. Mail Drop support every file types and attachments don’t count against your iCloud storage. For more details, see Apple’s Mail Drop limits page.

 SendThisFile: End-to-End Encrypted Transfers

SendThisFile is a different kind of file sharing service. It places limits on the number of transfers you do rather than on the individual file size itself. Create a free account and click the Send Files button to start uploading files. Type in the recipient email address and click Send. The free plan lets you send files up to 2GB with unlimited file transfer.

The premium plan starts with 25GB encrypted file transfer and remains valid for six days. The paid plan also includes Outlook plugin, option to use password protected download capabilities, and embed files on your website with access control features. All plans include AES–256 encryption and 128-bit TLS encryption for end-to-end-transmission.

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