File too large for email on Mac? How to send it
Either make the file smaller or send a link. To make it smaller, right-click it in Finder, choose FileMate, then the Compress item for its type: PDFs, photos, videos and audio all get a smaller copy next to the original. Keep attachments under about 10 MB to be safe everywhere. If the file must stay full quality, Apple Mail’s Mail Drop sends it as an iCloud link, up to 5 GB.
FileMate compresses the attachment on your Mac before you send it.
Make an attachment small enough with FileMate
- Right-click the file in Finder.
- Choose FileMate › Compress PDF, Compress Image, Compress Video or Compress Audio.
- Check the new size. For email, under 10 MB is safe almost everywhere.
- Attach the compressed copy.
Why email has size limits
Email was designed for text. Attachments are converted into text for sending, which makes them about a third larger, and every mail server along the way has to store the whole message. Most providers stop at 20 to 25 MB per message, and company servers often at 10 MB.
What gets a file under the limit
| File | Typical fix | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| PDF of scanned pages | Compress PDF, Stronger or Maximum | Scans shrink the most |
| Several phone photos | Compress Images | Much smaller, even at Safe, which keeps the dimensions |
| Short phone video | Compress Video at Maximum (720p) | Often small enough for a short clip |
| Long video | — | Too large for email at any quality: send a link |
| Voice recording (WAV) | Compress Audio | AAC is many times smaller than WAV |
Mail Drop and links
In Apple Mail, when an attachment is too large, Mail offers Mail Drop: the file goes to iCloud and the recipient gets a download link, valid for 30 days, for attachments up to 5 GB. iCloud Drive, Dropbox and Google Drive share links work in any email app.
Links are the right choice for full-quality originals and long videos. Compressed attachments are better when the recipient should just open the file, without downloading from a link that expires.
Zip won’t fix it
Finder’s Compress creates a ZIP, which barely shrinks PDFs, photos and videos, because they’re compressed already. It’s useful for sending many small files as one, not for making large media smaller. See why ZIP doesn’t make files smaller.
Get FileMate
Compress it in Finder, attach it, send it. FileMate makes the smaller copy on your Mac and keeps the original as it was.
Normal price €9.99, now €4.99 incl. VAT
One payment, no subscription. macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.