How to Send Files on iMessage (Any Type, Any Size)
iMessage is great for photos and short clips, but the moment you try to send a PDF, a zip, a big video, or a file to someone on Android or a PC, it gets awkward or fails. The simplest way to send any file through iMessage is to share a link instead of attaching the file. Here is how to do it for free, with no account.
Where iMessage struggles with files
iMessage attaches photos and small files fine, but it has real friction with everything else: large videos get heavily compressed, documents and archives are clumsy to attach from a phone, and anything you send to a non-Apple device falls back to MMS, which has a tiny size limit and degrades media badly.
So while a few photos are easy, a big video, a PDF, a zip, or a file headed to an Android or Windows user is where iMessage lets you down. A link sidesteps all of it.
The fix: paste a link into the chat
Upload the file once to a host, copy the link, and paste it into your iMessage conversation. iMessage sends the link instantly, and the recipient taps it to view or download the file, no matter what device they are on or how big the file is.
This works the same whether you are messaging another iPhone, an iPad, a Mac, or someone on Android, because a link is just a link. It also keeps full quality, since iMessage is only carrying the URL, not re-compressing your file.
Step by step with SAVEDLY
First, open SAVEDLY in your browser, on the same phone or computer, and drop the file onto the upload box. There is no account and no size limit, so any file type and size goes through. Second, copy the link once the upload finishes. Third, open the iMessage chat and paste the link.
When the recipient taps the link, videos and images preview right on the page and other files download in one tap. If the file is private, add an optional password before sharing so only the right person can open it.
Sending to Android or a PC from iMessage
This is where a link really shines. Sending a file straight from iMessage to an Android phone or a Windows PC drops to MMS and usually fails or arrives tiny and blurry. A SAVEDLY link works on every device and browser identically, so the green-bubble or non-Apple recipient gets the exact same full-quality file as everyone else.
Ready to share something?
Upload a file freeFrequently asked questions
How do I send a file on iMessage?
For photos you can attach directly, but for documents, archives, big videos, or files going to non-Apple devices, upload the file to a host like SAVEDLY, copy the link, and paste it into the chat. The recipient taps the link to open or download it.
Why can't I send a large video on iMessage?
iMessage compresses large videos and falls back to MMS for non-Apple recipients, which caps size hard. Share a SAVEDLY link instead and the recipient gets the full-quality video with no size limit.
How do I send a file from iMessage to an Android phone?
Sending a file straight to Android drops iMessage to MMS, which usually fails or degrades the file. Upload it to SAVEDLY and paste the link in the chat, so the Android recipient opens the exact full-quality file in their browser.
Can I send a PDF or zip on iMessage?
Yes, by link. Upload the PDF or zip to SAVEDLY, copy the link, and paste it into iMessage. The recipient downloads the file in one tap, which is far more reliable than attaching it directly.
Is sending files on iMessage this way free?
Yes. SAVEDLY is free with no account and no size limit, so you can share a link to any file in iMessage at no cost. Files with no traffic for 7 days are removed, so keep your own copy of anything important.