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Photo too big to email? 4 ways to send it
Gmail and Outlook.com both stop attachments at 25 MB. To send more, either shrink the photos so they fit, or send a link to the full-size files through Google Drive, OneDrive or iCloud Mail Drop.
Updated October 20, 2026
Pick the right option
| Option | Size it handles | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Compress the photos | Fits inside one normal email | The person just wants to look at them |
| Gmail with Google Drive | Larger files become a Drive link | You use Gmail |
| Outlook with OneDrive | OneDrive files up to 2 GB | You use Outlook.com |
| iCloud Mail Drop | Up to 5 GB per email | You send from Apple Mail or iCloud.com |
Limits from Google, Microsoft and Apple support pages, checked October 2026. Work and school accounts can have different limits.
1. Compress the photos so they fit
This is the simplest choice for sending pictures to a relative, a landlord or an insurance company: the photos arrive as normal attachments, with no link to click. Add the whole set to our compress photos for email tool, choose Gmail or Outlook, and it shares the size budget across all of them. Your photos stay on your device while they shrink.
2. Gmail: let it switch to a Drive link
When attachments go past the limit, Gmail takes them off the message and puts a Google Drive link in their place. Before sending, Gmail may ask you to allow the recipient to open the file; accept, or they’ll see a “request access” page.
3. Outlook.com: share from OneDrive
Attach the photos, then choose to share them as a OneDrive link instead of a copy. Files that aren’t in OneDrive yet can be uploaded and shared in the same step. Shared files don’t count toward the email’s size.
4. iPhone, iPad or Mac: Mail Drop
In Apple Mail, attach the photos and send. If the email is too large, Mail offers to use Mail Drop, which uploads them to iCloud and sends a download link. It also works from iCloud.com/mail on a PC. The link lasts 30 days, and the files don’t use up your iCloud storage.
Tip: send JPGs, not HEIC
Photos straight from an iPhone are often HEIC files, which some people on Windows can’t open. Converting them with HEIC to JPG before you attach them saves a “what is this file?” reply.