Telegram file size limit: 2 GB free, 4 GB with Premium
Short answer
Telegram lets you send files up to 2 GB each, or 4 GB with Telegram Premium. Bots using the standard Bot API are limited to 50 MB. For anything bigger, send a link instead.
| Limit | |
|---|---|
| Free account | 2 GB per file |
| Telegram Premium | 4 GB per file |
| Downloading | Anyone can receive files up to 4 GB |
| Bots (standard Bot API) | 50 MB to send, 20 MB to download |
Photo or file: why your video looks worse
Send a photo or video the normal way and Telegram compresses it to save data, so the person you send it to gets a smaller, softer copy. To send the original, attach it as a file instead (in the attachment menu, choose File rather than Gallery, or turn off compression before sending). The 2 GB limit applies either way.
When 2 GB isn't enough
A few minutes of 4K phone video, a camera card's worth of RAW photos or a zipped project folder can pass 2 GB quickly. Premium only doubles it, and it only helps if you pay for it. It also does nothing for people who aren't on Telegram at all.
The simple fix is to send a link instead. Upload the file to Send Shed's Quick Share (free, no account, up to 3 GB per file) and paste the link into the chat. Anyone can open it, on Telegram or not, and it arrives exactly as you uploaded it. For anything private, use Encrypted Share: the file is encrypted in your browser before upload.
Bots and the 50 MB wall
If you're building a bot, the standard Bot API stops uploads at 50 MB and downloads at 20 MB. Running your own Bot API server raises uploads to 2 GB. For anything bigger, or to avoid running that server, upload the file elsewhere and have the bot send the link; Send Shed's upload API and terminal upload return a link you can post straight into the chat.
Quick answers
What is Telegram's file size limit?
Free accounts can send files up to 2 GB each. Telegram Premium raises that to 4 GB per file.
Does Telegram compress videos and photos?
Yes, when you send them as a photo or video. Send them as a file instead and Telegram delivers the original, at full quality, up to the same size limit.
Why can't my Telegram bot send files over 50 MB?
The standard Bot API limits bots to 50 MB per upload and 20 MB per download. Bots running their own Bot API server can go up to 2 GB.
Too big? Send it here instead
Upload it to Quick Share — up to 3 GB per file, free, no account — and paste the link wherever you were trying to attach it. Unused links delete themselves.
Send it with Quick Share Send it encrypted