Every platform imposes file size limits — and they're rarely the same. WhatsApp won't send a file over 100MB. Gmail caps attachments at 25MB. UPSC rejects photos over 40KB. These limits exist for real reasons: servers cost money, CDN bandwidth is expensive, and mobile users in bandwidth-constrained regions need reasonable load times. This guide consolidates every major platform's limits in one place, updated April 2026.
Messaging Apps
| Platform | Images | Video | Files/Docs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16MB (compressed to ~150KB) | 16MB | 100MB | Send as Document to skip image compression | |
| Telegram | Unlimited (resized) | 2GB (Premium) / 1.5GB (free) | 2GB Premium / 1.5GB free | Best messaging app for large files |
| Signal | — | 100MB | 100MB | End-to-end encrypted |
| iMessage | — | 100MB | 100MB | iOS auto-compresses before sending |
| 25MB | 25MB | 25MB | Very restrictive limits | |
| Line | — | 300MB | 1GB | Generous file sharing |
Email Providers
| Provider | Attachment Limit | Storage | Workaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25MB | 15GB (shared) | Auto-offers Google Drive link for larger files |
| Outlook | 20MB | 50GB mailbox | 50MB with OneDrive link attachment |
| Yahoo Mail | 25MB | 1TB | Dropbox integration for larger |
| ProtonMail | 25MB | 1GB free | End-to-end encrypted |
| iCloud Mail | 20MB | 5GB free | Mail Drop sends up to 5GB via temporary link |
Social Media Platforms
| Platform | Images | Video | Key Constraint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8MB (Feed) | 4GB | Stories: 4GB, max 60s. Reels: 4GB, max 15 min | |
| TikTok | — | 287.6MB | Max 10 minutes. App uploads up to 1GB but compresses |
| 10MB | 10GB | Video max 240 minutes | |
| Twitter / X | 5MB | 512MB | GIF: 15MB. Premium gets 8GB video |
| 8MB | 5GB | Video max 10 minutes (feed), 15 min (newsletter) | |
| 20MB | 2GB | Video pins max 15 minutes | |
| Snapchat | 5MB | 1GB | Snaps max 60s |
| YouTube | — | 256GB or 12 hours | Most generous video platform |
| 20MB | 1GB | Video max 15 minutes (subreddit-dependent) |
Cloud Storage
| Service | Max File Size | Free Storage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | 5TB per file | 15GB | Docs/Sheets/Slides don't count against storage |
| Dropbox | 50GB (free) / 2TB (Pro) | 2GB | File upload limited by your plan storage |
| OneDrive | 250GB per file | 5GB | Microsoft 365 subscribers get 1TB |
| iCloud Drive | 50GB per file | 5GB | Seamless on Apple devices |
| WeTransfer Free | 2GB per transfer | — | Files expire after 7 days |
| WeTransfer Pro | 200GB per transfer | — | €16/month, 1TB storage |
Work & Collaboration Tools
| Tool | File Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Slack | 1GB (free) / 5GB (Business+) | Free plan has 5GB total workspace storage |
| Microsoft Teams | 250MB per file | SharePoint backend — 15GB per team |
| Zoom | 512MB cloud recording (free) | Paid plans: unlimited cloud recording |
| Google Meet | No upload limit | Recordings go to Google Drive (15GB quota) |
| Notion | 5MB (free) / Unlimited (paid) | Free plan 5MB per file is very restrictive |
| Confluence | 250MB per attachment | Atlassian Cloud: 2GB space storage free |
Development & Design
| Platform | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub | 25MB per file / 100MB warning | Git LFS for files over 100MB. Repo soft limit 1GB |
| Figma | 2GB per file | Image assets: 4096×4096px max |
| Canva | 300MB per file | Video uploads: 1GB on Pro |
Indian Government Portals
| Portal | Photo | Documents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UIDAI (Aadhaar) | 20KB | 2MB | JPEG only, white background |
| DigiLocker | — | 1MB per doc | PDF, JPG, PNG accepted |
| Income Tax (India) | — | 5MB (return) / 1MB (docs) | PDF only for most documents |
| EPFO | 500KB | 2MB | JPEG for photo |
| UPSC | 40KB (photo) / 10KB (sig) | 300KB PDF | Strictest photo limits of any major portal |
| SSC | 100KB (photo) / 50KB (sig) | — | Photo 100×120px, sig 40×60px |
Quick Reference Card
Most common limits to remember:
Gmail: 25MB — the email standard everyone should know
WhatsApp: 16MB media, 100MB documents — send as Document for full quality
Instagram: 8MB images, 4GB video — video is generous, images are tight
Twitter/X: 5MB images — smallest of major social platforms
UPSC: 40KB photo, 10KB signature, 300KB PDF — compress before every upload
Google Drive: 5TB per file — effectively unlimited for normal use
GitHub: 25MB hard limit per file — use Git LFS for binary assets
Notion free: 5MB — surprisingly small, upgrade or use Drive links