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From your Mac

How to send a file on a Mac.

Start with who's getting it. Someone next to you, someone you email, or someone you text each have a best way.

The quick way: the Share menu

In Finder, select the file, then click the Share button in the toolbar. If it’s on the desktop, Control-click it and choose Share. Then pick AirDrop, Mail or Messages. What’s listed depends on the file. To add or remove options, or if the button isn’t working, see Customize the Share menu.

Someone next to you: AirDrop

AirDrop sends to a nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac, within 30 feet (10 meters), with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Choose AirDrop in the Share menu, or click AirDrop in the Finder sidebar and drag the file onto the person. They click Accept.

Won’t show up? See AirDrop not working. Sending to an Android phone? Some can take AirDrop: see Can you AirDrop from a Mac to Android?

Someone you email: Mail or Gmail

  • Mail: in a new message, click the attachment button, then Attach Files. Or drag the file from Finder into the message.
  • Gmail: click Compose, then Attach. Personal accounts can attach up to 25 MB. Over that, Gmail adds the file as a Google Drive link instead.
  • Big file in Mail? If it’s over your email provider’s limit, Mail Drop uploads it to iCloud, where it’s kept for up to 30 days.

Step by step in Email a file from your Mac. Too big? See File too large for Gmail and Send large files from your Mac. Stuck in the Outbox? See Mac Mail not sending. Sent it too soon? See Unsend an email.

Someone you text: Messages

Choose Messages in the Share menu and type the person’s name. Or open the conversation and drag photos or videos into the message field. More in Send a file by iMessage and Send a text message from your Mac, and if it won’t go, Messages not sending. Sent the wrong thing? Unsend or edit it.

Someone on Windows or Android

Email and a Drive link work for everyone. See Mac to Windows and Mac to Android.

Another Mac, or a whole folder

See Send a file from one Mac to another, How to share a folder on a Mac and Share an iCloud Drive folder. Sent a Drive link that won’t open? See Google Drive says “You need access”.

By type of file

Comparing apps? See the best file sharing apps for Mac.

Same few people every time? Sendoff

Sendoff is a Mac app that lives in the notch. Drop the file, pick the person, press Send off. Your accountant gets it by Gmail and your mom by iMessage, because Sendoff remembers each person’s channel. A 48 MB video for someone you usually email goes by iMessage instead. It’s all keyboard, with 3 seconds to undo. Slack is coming soon.

Join the waitlist below, and tick the beta box if you want to test it first.