any device · large files

How to send a large file for free: by email, by link, or directly

Email attachments stop at about 25 MB (Gmail offers a Drive link instead). For a larger file there are two honest paths: a link through a cloud service when it goes to another person, with its caps and expiry; or a direct transfer, with no cap and no server, when it goes to your own phone or computer. Here is what each one does with the file.

On the computer: Windows · MacOn the phone: App Store · Google Play

Why the email bounces

Gmail and Outlook refuse attachments above roughly 25 MB; Gmail then offers to upload the file to Drive and send a link, which counts against your 15 GB. The limit is on the mail servers on both ends, so a smaller “compressed” copy is the only way an attachment gets through, and for a photo or video that means visible quality loss.

To another person: a link, with its limits

ServiceFree limitWhat to know
WeTransfer3 GB a month on their free plan, with an accountLink expires (3 days on the free plan); upload, then download, through their servers
Google DriveYour space, 15 GB shared with Gmail and PhotosOriginal kept; two steps every time: upload, then the other person downloads
WhatsApp as a document2 GB per fileOriginal kept only as “document”; as media it is recompressed
Telegram as a file2 GB per file (4 GB with Premium)Original kept as “file”; everything stays on Telegram’s servers

To your own phone or computer: direct, no cap

When the large file is going from your phone to your computer, or the other way, there is no reason to upload it anywhere. ZiggSend sends it directly over your Wi-Fi (or, from Android to a Mac, over a cable), with no size limit, no account and a SHA-256 check that proves the copy is identical; a dropped transfer resumes. We moved 22 GB in 184 files over a USB 2 cable with zero failures, and 806 MB over home Wi-Fi in 46 s.

Phone to phone

Between two phones on the same Wi-Fi, ZiggSend connects them by QR code and moves the original with no 2 GB cap. LocalSend does the same, free and open source. Bluetooth works only between Android phones, at a fraction of a megabyte per second.

Before you send: what makes the file big

A minute of 4K video runs to hundreds of megabytes; a folder of RAW photos, more. If the recipient only needs to watch, a link is fine. If they need to edit, archive or print, send the original: everything in the table above keeps it except email and “media” messages.

Measured, not promised. 22 GB in 184 files with 0 failures from an Android to a Mac over a USB 2 cable (about 28 MB/s); an 806 MB video over home Wi-Fi in 46 s; up to 49.7 MB/s over Wi-Fi from a Mac to an iPhone. Every file is checked against the original on arrival. How we measure.

What people ask before they trust a transfer app

“I don’t trust my private photos to a site I don’t know.”

Neither do we. ZiggSend has no site in the middle: the file goes from one device to the other over your home Wi-Fi (or, from Android to a Mac, a cable), and no file is stored anywhere else. The computer app only contacts ZiggSend to check for updates, to register a random install ID when it opens and, once you buy it, to activate the license and check its status once a day; the privacy policy lists exactly what goes out.

“Mine fails at 64% every time.”

A transfer that breaks resumes where it stopped. Every file is written as a temporary part and only gets its final name after the SHA-256 check passes — you never end up with a half file that looks whole.

“I’m out of space and need to empty the phone.”

Move everything to the computer first: only files that pass the SHA-256 check get their final name, and History shows each fingerprint. Then delete on the phone. Originals, no size limit.

Free forever, on your phone and on your computer.

No account, no ads, no limits. Want to help ZiggSend grow and keep improving? Become a Founder for $9.99, once.

Get ZiggSend

On the computer: Windows · MacOn the phone: App Store · Google Play

Questions people actually ask

What is the biggest file I can send by email?

About 25 MB as an attachment on Gmail and Outlook. Above that, Gmail switches to a Drive link; Outlook offers OneDrive. The limit is on the mail servers, not on your device.

Is there a free way to send a large file without creating an account?

To your own devices: ZiggSend, no account, no cap. To someone on the same Wi-Fi: PairDrop in the browser. To someone elsewhere: WhatsApp as a document (2 GB) or Telegram as a file (2 GB); WeTransfer’s free plan asks for an account.

Which program sends large files from a phone to a PC?

ZiggSend: the computer app plus the free phone app, on the same Wi-Fi; any size, verified on arrival. LocalSend is a free, open source alternative over the same network.

Can I send a large file from one phone to another?

Yes. ZiggSend pairs two phones by QR code on the same Wi-Fi and sends the original; WhatsApp as a document works across networks up to 2 GB, through its servers.