Gmail says your photos or video are too large? Here’s how to send them

Trying to email holiday photos or a family video, but Gmail says the files are too large? Start with a smaller selection. If you need to send the whole video or album, a Google Drive link may be more practical.

This guide is for Gmail in a computer browser. It follows Google’s current help pages; we have not tested your files or account. Keep the original photos and videos while you work.

1. Check the whole batch, not just one photo

For a personal Gmail account, Google lists a 25 MB attachment limit. The total matters when adding several files. Work and school accounts can have different limits set by their administrator. Google explains these limits in its Gmail attachment guide.

Try selecting just one or two photos you intended to send. Wait for them to finish uploading before sending the message. If that works, you have a useful comparison: the larger batch needs a different approach, rather than a complete browser reset.

If you need only a few pictures, send a smaller selection and explain that more will follow. Label separate messages clearly so the recipient can tell which photos belong together. Check Sent before retrying a message that appears stuck, to avoid sending the same batch repeatedly.

2. Choose an attachment or a link

What you need	Practical choice
A couple of photos the recipient should keep	A small attachment batch may be easiest.
A large video or many full-size pictures	Consider a Drive link and review who can open it.
The recipient cannot use a sharing link	Ask which delivery method works for them before uploading private material elsewhere.

A link takes the recipient to the stored file; it is different from placing a separate copy directly in the email. Gmail can replace an over-limit attachment with a Drive link automatically, so inspect the message before sending.

Do not delete originals to make the message smaller. If you choose to resize or shorten something in your photo or video app, create a separate copy and check that it still contains the detail you want. Avoid unfamiliar online “compression” sites for private family images.

3. Check who can open the Drive file

If the file is already in Google Drive, open a Gmail message and use Insert files using Drive at the bottom. Select the intended file, choose the Drive link option and insert it. Google’s Drive attachment instructions describe this route.

Privacy check: review sharing before sending. “Anyone with the link” can make access easier, but a forwarded link can reach people you did not intend. For private family material, prefer access limited to the intended recipients when suitable. Use viewing access if they only need to watch or read.

If someone sees “Request access,” first confirm that you shared with the exact address they use and that they are opening it with the appropriate account. Do not switch a private file to broad link access just to dismiss the message. For work or school files, sharing restrictions may require help from the owner or administrator.

After sending, ask the recipient to confirm that the right file opens. Seeing a link in Sent confirms the message contains it; it does not prove the recipient has access.

4. If even a small photo will not attach

Read the exact error before changing anything. Check whether Gmail reports that your Google storage is full; our Gmail storage guide explains how to review usage before deleting important mail.

If upload fails without a size warning, preserve the draft and try adding the same harmless small file in another supported browser. If it works there, continue in that browser or ask for help with the original one. If it fails in both, record the message and whether ordinary websites load. Avoid turning off security protection or changing network settings as a first response.

For a missing local photo, check its folder before attaching a similarly named copy; our missing-download guide can help with files saved from Chrome.

Before you finish: verify the recipient address, intended files and sharing choice. Keep your originals and follow our backup basics guide for a separate recovery copy. An emailed photo is useful to the recipient, but should not be your only backup.