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Files

You can share almost any file in channels, direct messages and threads: documents, code, archives, photos and videos. Photos and videos show right in the conversation, code and text files show a preview, and anything can be downloaded to your device.

Attach a file#

In the message box, select + (Attach or insert) and choose:

  • Attach a file to pick any file from your device.
  • Photos and videos to pick from your photo library.
  • Camera (phones and tablets only) to take a Photo or Record video with your device’s camera. The first time, your device asks for permission; if you said no, allow the camera in your device’s settings.

You can also:

  • Drop files onto a conversation or a thread on desktop. Drop a file to attach it shows while you drag.
  • Paste with Ctrl/Cmd+V in the message box: a screenshot, or files you copied in File Explorer or Finder.
  • On phones, press and hold the message box and choose Paste to attach a screenshot or photo you copied.

Add text if you like, then send. The message’s text goes with the file.

Note: Each message carries one file, or one set of photos and videos. Dropping several files attaches the first and says so. To send more, send them one after another, or zip them.

Photos and videos#

Photos and videos go together as a set: up to 10 in one message.

  • They wait above the message box as thumbnails, each with a ✕ to remove it.
  • ALT on a thumbnail (Add description) lets you describe the photo for people who use a screen reader, up to 1,000 characters.
  • Your message text is the caption for the whole set.

Quality#

By default photos are made smaller before they’re sent, and on phones videos are compressed to 720p, so they upload faster. To send them as they are, select Image quality: Optimized (or Video quality) under the thumbnails and choose Original. The choice goes back to Optimized for upload after each message. On desktop and the web, videos are always sent as they are.

While a phone compresses a video, the message shows Compressing video… with its progress and Cancel.

Note: Location data is always removed from photos and videos before upload, whichever quality you choose. Optimized also removes the photo’s other details, such as the date and camera.

View files#

  • Photos show in the conversation: one at its own shape, or several in a grid. Tap or click one to open it full screen. Swipe, or use the arrow keys or the previous and next buttons, to move through a set, and pinch or scroll to zoom. On phones and tablets, swipe down to close; everywhere, tap the dark area around the photo or press Esc.
  • Videos show a poster with ▶ and their length. Tap to play in the conversation, with controls for pausing, seeking, muting, full screen and speed. Only one video plays at a time.
  • Code and text files show their first 100 lines under the file, with syntax highlighting and a Copy button. Files over 1 MB show only the file.
  • Other files show as a card with an icon for their kind (document, spreadsheet, archive, PDF and so on). Tap or click the card to open the file in its app on your device.

Save a file#

Select Download on a file’s card, in the photo viewer, or in a video’s More options (⋮). Where the file goes depends on your device:

  • Windows and macOS: your Downloads folder. A toast says Saved to Downloads, with Show in folder (Windows) or Show in Finder (Mac).
  • Android: your Downloads, with Open in the toast.
  • iPhone and iPad: the share sheet opens; choose Save to Files, or another app.
  • The web: your browser’s usual download.

If a file with the same name is already there, the new one is saved as name (1).ext.

Tip: On Windows and macOS, saved files are marked as downloaded from the internet, so your computer warns you before running a script or enabling macros in a document from someone else.

Sizes and types#

  • Files can be up to 100 MB, and videos up to 250 MB.
  • On phones, you can pick or record a video of up to 2 GB: it’s compressed first, and must fit in 250 MB afterwards. With Original, the video itself must be under 250 MB.
  • Any type of file works, except programs and installers, such as .exe, .msi, .dmg, .pkg, .app, .apk and .ipa. These are refused with Programs and installers can’t be shared. Zip it if you need to send it.
  • iPhone photos in HEIC are turned into JPEG before upload.

Offline#

Files you attach while offline wait on your device and upload when you’re back online; a set of photos picks up where it stopped. In the desktop and phone apps, photos and files you’ve already opened are kept on your device, encrypted, so you can view them offline too. See Offline.