How to send large files from Android to any device

Your options for sending large files on Android

How to send a large video from Android with a link

1. 1

   Step 1

   Open Transfr in your browser

   Go to transfr.me in Chrome, Samsung Internet or Firefox. No app, no sign-up.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Add the files

   Tap to add files. Pick from the gallery, or use Browse to reach the Camera (DCIM) folder, Downloads or a memory card. Several videos and photos can go in one transfer, up to 100 GB.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Choose Link and set options

   Pick how long the link stays up (1 to 7 days free), add a password, or limit downloads.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Keep the tab in front

   Stay on Wi-Fi for big files and avoid switching apps for long, since Android can pause background tabs. If the network drops, Transfr retries on its own.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Share the link

   Tap Copy link and paste it in WhatsApp, Messages, Telegram or an email. On the other side it opens in any browser.

How to send large files from Android to iPhone

Text messages between Android and iPhone go through MMS or RCS, and videos come out compressed. Google’s Quick Share now works with AirDrop on supported phones, as long as both are within Bluetooth range and the iPhone accepts files from everyone for a while; check whether your model has it. When you are not side by side, a link is simpler: upload on Android, paste the link in any chat, and the iPhone downloads it in Safari. Our Android to iPhone guide covers moving a whole phone’s worth of files.

How to transfer large files from Android to a PC

With a USB cable

1. Connect the phone to the PC with a USB cable that supports data, not a charge-only cable.
2. Unlock the phone, pull down the notification shade and tap the USB notification (often “Charging this device via USB”).
3. Choose File transfer (also called Transferring files or MTP).
4. On Windows, open File Explorer: the phone appears under This PC. Copy the DCIM folder or the files you need.

Without a cable

Quick Share sends to a nearby Windows PC with Google’s Quick Share app installed. For a PC that is not yours, or in another city, upload the files to Transfr and open the link on the computer. More in send large files on Windows and send large files from Mac.

Transferring large files between two Android phones

Side by side, Quick Share is the obvious choice: open the file, tap Share, then Quick Share, and pick the other phone. Samsung phones use the same Quick Share name. If the other phone is not nearby, or if you send the same files to several people, a single Transfr link works for everyone and you only upload once.

Why are videos sent from Android blurry?

Messaging apps re-encode videos to save data. MMS is the most aggressive, and WhatsApp compresses videos sent from the gallery, even in HD. To keep what you filmed, send the original file: as a document in WhatsApp under 2 GB (see WhatsApp guide), or as a link for anything bigger. For export settings and codecs, see send large video files.

Mobile data or Wi-Fi?

A large upload eats your data plan as fast as it sends: 5 GB of video uses 5 GB of data, plus a little overhead. On a typical mobile upload of 10 to 20 Mbps, that also means 30 to 70 minutes of waiting. Wi-Fi is usually cheaper and often quicker, but check its upload speed, which can be much lower than the download speed your box advertises. If you must use mobile data, send the most important clips first in a smaller transfer. More in how long it takes to upload large files.

Need someone to send large files to your Android phone?

Create a file request and send its link: the other person uploads up to 100 GB from any device, without an account, and you get an email when files arrive. You then download them on your phone or, for big batches, on a computer.

Keep your files private

Anyone with a plain link can download until it expires, so add a password for personal videos and share it in a separate message. For sensitive documents, enable end-to-end encryption: files are encrypted in your phone’s browser before upload, and the key stays in the link. Read our secure file transfer guide.