Important Update
As is widely known, sending large files via Email can be a complicated process when using a desktop email client or another service.
Regular email services, such as Google and Outlook, will offer you various alternatives if your file turns out to be too big to send. This is especially true when users want to send large video files or high-quality images to someone.
Unfortunately, common email services as the ones mentioned above have limitations to attachments. For example, Google only allows a maximum of 25MB, while Outlook gives their users 10MB.
Most other popular email sites will also range between 10-15MB. Let’s talk about what your options are when trying to find the best way to send large files.
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This will be very brief since a problem you may encounter is a server rejecting your attachment due to too much data.
Emails may travel over multiple emails transferring agents once they are sent, meaning you must bypass various checkpoints. Also, since email attachments are also encoded, typically with a MIME code, it will add to the size of the email in general.
This size increase is approximately 33% so keep in mind when trying to send a large file. Sending files securely is not impossible, even if you use Email as your choice. You may choose to encrypt attachments or make them read-only for extra protection.
If you already have an account registered in Dropbox, Google, OneDrive, Outlook, Microsoft or even iCloud, you can choose to easily store the file. Once that is done you can simply choose to share the file and an email will be sent to the person with a link where they can download the file on their computer.
Gmail and Outlook.com have integrated cloud service which can be accessed while finishing the email. Both sites will walk you through how to upload the file you seek to send. You may have to temporarily upload the file to one of the drives if it exceeds the attachment limit.
If you want to go about it differently, you can choose to break up your file into smaller parts and send them one by one. You can split archives and files with many types of software and applications.
The receiver will be the one that gets the short end of the stick since they will need to download each smaller attachment and then use a file extraction program. Giving a heads up to the receiver in question may be all that is needed to fix the issue. If they say they are unaware of how to do it, then it is best if you use another method that is easier on you both.
Sometimes, splitting a file up is not the best-case scenario either. For example, if you plan on sending large video files, it would be better to preserve the video whole instead of short clips.
Instead of splitting a large file up, you can try compressing it into a smaller size. This involves finding a tool that will allow you to do that. Compressed files are sent in a Zipped folder, which can later be extracted fully once downloaded.
Luckily, almost all major operating systems and devices offer built-in features that allow users to compress and extract without downloading extra software. A popular one is called WinZip and 7-Zip, but check your computer’s software first to see if similar software already exists.
Your option is searching for a big file sending service application or site. There are many to be found online that are easy to use, and in most cases, free up to a certain amount of GB.
Usually you will have to upload the file on the website or application, which will give you a link afterward that you can send via email to someone. Once they click on the link, it will take them to the page where the file may be downloaded.
Videos tend to surpass by a wide margin the legal limitations set on most, if not all, email services. Therefore, you will need to do any of the above methods mentioned in order to properly send a video file via email.
The simplest method may also include downloading the video onto a USB device and perhaps physically mailing the USB to the person you wish to send the video too.
Packaging should be inexpensive as long as you plan on keeping it in the same country of origin. This may be an emergency method for videos that are extremely heavy.
Another way is looking for a large file transfer service that offers a free trial or a one-time or monthly plan that is inexpensive in order for you to be able to send video files effortlessly.
