How to Send Large Files on Telegram (and the Size Limit)
Telegram is generous with file sizes compared to email, but it still has a ceiling, and it quietly compresses your photos and videos unless you do something about it. If you are bumping the limit, or you want the recipient to get the original quality, sharing a link is the cleaner answer. Here is the Telegram file size limit and how to get around it for free.
What is Telegram's file size limit?
Telegram lets you send files up to 2GB each on a free account, and up to 4GB with Telegram Premium. That is far more than email, but a long 4K video, a raw project, or a big archive can still pass it, especially without Premium.
There is a second catch most people miss: when you send a photo or video the normal way, Telegram compresses it to save space. To keep the original you have to send it as a file rather than as media, and even that is capped at the 2GB or 4GB limit.
The fix: share a link for full quality and no cap
Upload the file once to a host and paste the link into the Telegram chat. The link has no size cap of its own, so you are not limited to 2GB, and because Telegram is only carrying a URL, nothing gets compressed. The recipient gets the exact original you uploaded.
This also works for people who are not on Telegram at all, since a link opens in any browser, and it does not eat into anyone's Telegram cloud storage.
Step by step with SAVEDLY
First, open SAVEDLY and drop your file or video onto the upload box. There is no account and no size limit, so files past Telegram's 2GB cap go through. Second, copy the link when the upload finishes. Third, paste the link into your Telegram chat or channel.
When someone opens the link, videos and images preview on the page at full quality, with no Telegram compression, and they can download the original in one click. For a private file, add an optional password before sharing.
Send as file vs share a link
If your file is under 2GB and the recipient is on Telegram, sending it as a file (not as media) avoids compression and works fine. But once you are over the limit, or you want to share with someone not on Telegram, or you do not want it sitting in Telegram's cloud, a link is the simpler path. It keeps full quality either way.
Ready to share something?
Upload a file freeFrequently asked questions
What is Telegram's file size limit?
Telegram allows up to 2GB per file on a free account and up to 4GB with Telegram Premium. For anything larger, upload the file to a host like SAVEDLY and share the link, which has no size cap.
Does Telegram compress files?
Telegram compresses photos and videos sent as media. To keep the original quality you must send them as a file, or share a SAVEDLY link instead, since a link carries the exact file with no compression.
How do I send a file larger than 2GB on Telegram?
Upload it to SAVEDLY, which has no size limit and no account, then paste the link into the chat. The recipient downloads the full file from the link, with no 2GB cap and no compression.
How do I send a video on Telegram without losing quality?
Sending a video as media compresses it. Either send it as a file, or upload the original to SAVEDLY and paste the link, so the recipient gets the full-quality video with no Telegram compression.
Is sending large files on Telegram this way free?
Yes. SAVEDLY is free with no account and no size limit, so you can share a link to any size file on Telegram at no cost. Files with no traffic for 7 days are removed, so keep your own copy of anything important.