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Trying to send large videos, high-res images, or big files on Discord, but getting stopped by the "8MB max file size" error?
As a free Discord user, you‘re limited to sending files up to 8MB. For anything larger, you need to upgrade to a paid Nitro subscription.
Thankfully, with a bit of creative thinking, you can find workarounds to bypass Discord‘s restrictive file size limit – no Nitro required.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through the ins and outs of Discord‘s file size restrictions, and provide 4 methods to effectively exceed the 8MB cap.
Why Does Discord Limit File Size?
Before we get into bypass techniques, let‘s quickly understand why Discord imposes file size limits in the first place.
Discord enforces an 8MB file size maximum for free users as an incentive to upgrade to a Discord Nitro subscription.
Nitro unlocks:
- 50MB file size limit (Nitro Classic, $4.99/month)
- 100MB file size limit (Nitro, $9.99/month)
- Custom emojis
- Animated avatar
- Custom profile badge
- 4K video streaming
By capping free users at 8MB, Discord strongly encourages upgrading to Nitro to unlock better features. In 2019, over 30% of active Discord users had an active Nitro subscription.
Source: Backlinko
But for folks looking to avoid paying, an 8MB file cap can be frustrating. Thankfully, you can leverage a few creative workarounds to seamlessly exceed this limit.
I‘ll share 4 effective methods to bypass Discord‘s size restriction, but first, let‘s explore…
Why You Might Want to Bypass the File Size Cap
Before jumping right into bypass techniques, it‘s worth discussing why you might want to bypass the file limit in the first place.
Here are some common reasons:
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Sending large videos – Videos quickly eat up megabytes, making 8MB seem tiny in comparison. For instance, a 1-minute 1080p video can easily exceed 50MB.
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High resolution images – Whether it‘s art, photography, screenshots, or memes, high-res image files get large fast. Even "compressed" JPGs can surpass 8MB if the resolution is over 6000×4000 pixels.
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Big game mods or software files – Gamers often need to share mods, maps, or game assets that far exceed 8MB. Software installers, ISO disk images, and code libraries can also go over the cap.
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No money for Nitro – For students or folks on a tight budget, paying $5-10 a month for Nitro may not be feasible. But they still need to share large files.
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Occasional large uploads – Paying for an ongoing Nitro subscription just to send the occasional oversized file can feel excessive. Exploring workarounds makes more sense.
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Privacy concerns – Some may prefer not to provide payment info to access Nitro‘s higher limits.
Understanding these motivations is key to assessing if bypassing the cap now and then might make sense for you personally vs just upgrading to Nitro directly.
Now let‘s get into the techniques!
Method #1: Upload to Imgur
One popular and easy way to get around Discord‘s file size limit is to first upload your oversized file to Imgur.
Founded in 2009, Imgur is one of the earliest and most widely adopted image and video sharing communities on the web.
Some key facts about Imgur:
- Used by over 300 million monthly active users
- Over 1 billion image uploads per month
- Supports files up to 200MB (25x Discord‘s limit)
- Supports PNG, JPG, GIF, and WebM/MP4 video formats
- Free account option available
Thanks to its generous file size allowance, you can use Imgur to "launder" large files into Discord.
The process works like this:
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Sign up for a free Imgur account at Imgur.com
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Upload your oversized file directly to Imgur, up to 200MB
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Copy the shareable link to your uploaded Imgur file
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Paste the Imgur link directly into your Discord chat
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Discord will automatically embed the Imgur file, allowing access despite bypassing the size limit
That‘s it! By hosting the file on Imgur first, you can essentially smuggle the large file into Discord.
A few tips when using Imgur:
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Double check your file uploads successfully before sharing the link
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When uploading, set the file privacy to "Public" so anyone can access it
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Paste the link itself, don‘t try uploading the Imgur link as a file to Discord
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If your file exceeds Imgur‘s 200MB limit, compress it or split it up first
Overall, Imgur is a quick, free way to seamlessly bypass Discord‘s size restriction when you need to share the occasional large file.
Method #2: Use Google Drive
Another excellent option is to upload your oversized file to Google Drive instead.
As one of the most widely used cloud storage platforms, Google Drive is perfect for bypassing discord file limits.
Advantages of Using Google Drive:
- Supports massive file uploads up to 5TB in size
- Can upload virtually any file type: docs, slideshows, images, audio, video, archives, etc.
- Free accounts start with 15GB of storage space
- File access can be selectively restricted if desired
Here is the process to use Google Drive to bypass Discord‘s limit:
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Upload your file to Google Drive
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Right click the file and select "Get shareable link"
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Copy the shareable link
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Paste the link in your Discord channel
When you share the link on Discord, it will automatically convert to a preview of the Google Drive file. Clicking the link will allow access to the full file, shared seamlessly despite surpassing 8MB.
Pro tip: Make sure your Google Drive file sharing permissions are set to "Anyone with the link can view" or recipients may not be able to access it.
Method #3: Use Dropbox
As an alternative to Google Drive, you can also use Dropbox to share large files beyond 8MB on Discord.
Dropbox has some benefits over Google Drive:
- Max file size also 5TB
- Public links allow anyone to view files by default
- Desktop app makes sharing links easy
- Can selectively password protect links
The process for using Dropbox mirrors the other services:
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Install Dropbox and upload your oversized file
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Right click the file and choose "Copy Dropbox Link"
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Paste the link in your Discord chat
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The file will show as a preview, with access to the full file available by clicking
Between Google Drive and Dropbox, choose whichever you personally have more experience with. Both integrate flawlessly with Discord to sneak files past the 8MB barrier.
Method #4: Use Discord Bots
My first 3 methods focused on leveraging external services like Imgur or Google Drive. There are also options within Discord itself to bypass file limits.
Specifically, you can use Discord bots to upload files directly, without the 8MB restriction.
Bots like FileDropbox, Diski, and Senda allow sending large files through simple chat commands.
For example:
/upload [file]
/send [file]
/file [file]
The bot will handle the upload and generate a link to share in the channel. Some bots have file size limits of 100MB or more, easily surpassing Discord‘s 8MB cap.
The main catch is that everyone in the server needs to authorize the bot before using it. So this method works best in smaller private servers versus massive public ones.
Bots also take time to set up properly with permissions, versus the instant accessibility of services like Imgur. But in closed groups or teams, bots unlock a frictionless way to directly upload large files to Discord without limits or external sites.
Bypassing File Limits on Mobile
All of the techniques discussed work universally across desktop, web, and mobile Discord apps.
The main consideration is that your mobile device will need access to the third party platforms like Imgur or Google Drive.
For example, utilize the Imgur mobile app to upload files from your camera roll. Or install the Google Drive app to upload files from local storage.
Once your file is hosted on these platforms, you can copy the shareable link directly within the mobile app and paste into Discord on mobile just as you would on desktop.
So with the right apps installed, bypassing file limits works flawlessly cross-device. Discord automatically parses the valid share links to embed previews regardless of how you initially share them.
Risks and Drawbacks
Before wrapping up, I want to briefly touch on some risks and drawbacks to be aware of with these file bypass methods:
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Links get broken – If the uploaded file gets deleted on the external host service, your Discord link will break.
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Managing links takes time – Constantly uploading to other sites and copying/pasting links can get tedious.
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Privacy issues – Uploading files to third party sites means temporarily storing them externally.
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Discord bans – Repeatedly and egregiously bypassing limits to share enormous files could get you banned.
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No direct uploads – Recipients can‘t directly upload/download files from your Discord chat.
The risks here are fairly minor. But it‘s worth being cautious and selective when bypassing file size limits versus a direct Nitro upgrade. Use good judgment!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this guide has given you plenty of options to bypass Discord‘s pesky 8MB file size cap. Let‘s recap the key takeaways:
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Discord limits free users to 8MB to encourage Nitro paid subscriptions
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You may want to bypass the limit to share videos, high-res images, game files, or large documents
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Top bypass methods include using Imgur, Google Drive, Dropbox links, or Discord uploader bots
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All techniques work seamlessly on desktop and mobile, with the proper apps installed
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Be selective in how you bypass the cap to avoid bans or link management headaches
At the end of the day, upgrading to Discord Nitro is still the simplest option if you frequently need to share huge files.
But for occasional large uploads, these bypass methods can definitely save you the Nitro subscription cost. Just be smart in how you employ them!
With this guide, you should have all the tools needed to seamlessly exceed Discord‘s file size restrictions. Never let an 8MB limit come between you and sharing the perfect meme, video, or gaming mod again!
