Send a link
Whoever opens it gets the file in their browser, decrypted on their own computer.
How to send large files from a Mac
AirDrop for Apple devices nearby. A link for everyone else.
7 days free, no card. macOS 14 or later.
The short answer
You've got a 6 GB export to hand off, Mail says the attachment is too big, and now you're shopping for upload sites. If the other person is in the same room with an iPhone, iPad or Mac, AirDrop is still the quickest way. For everyone else you need a link, and your Mac can already make one with Mail Drop or iCloud Drive. Crest's Drop makes an encrypted one straight from the notch, without opening a browser tab.
| Way | Who can open it | Largest file | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirDrop | Apple devices nearby | No set limit | Sent once, directly |
| Mail Drop (Apple Mail) | Anyone you email | 5 GB | 30 days |
| iCloud Drive link | Anyone with the link | Your iCloud storage | Until you stop sharing |
| Crest Drop | Anyone with a browser | 2 GB | 1 hour |
| Crest Drop with Crest Cloud | Anyone with a browser | 20 GB to 100 GB | 30 days to 1 year |
What a Mac does on its own
- AirDrop sends directly between Apple devices close to each other, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. It is the fastest way when it works, and it does not reach a Windows PC.
- Mail Drop takes over when an attachment is too big for email in Apple Mail: the file goes to iCloud and the email carries a link. It handles up to 5 GB and the link lasts 30 days.
- iCloud Drive can share a file by link from Finder (Share, then Collaborate or Copy Link). The file counts against your iCloud storage.
Send it from the notch with Crest Drop
We built Drop into Crest, our notch app for the Mac, because we got tired of opening a website every time a file was too big for chat. You drag the file onto the notch and get a link that only the person holding it can open. Here's how it works:
- Drag the file onto the notch and choose a link. The link is ready to copy at once, before the upload has finished; the page it opens shows the upload coming in.
- The key is in the link itself, in the part after the #, which a browser never sends to a server. Our server stores only encrypted pieces it cannot open.
- Whoever opens it needs nothing installed. Their browser downloads the pieces and decrypts the file on their own computer.
- If your Mac goes to sleep, the upload pauses and picks up where it left off when it wakes.
If your friend also has Crest, you can skip the link entirely. Drag the file to the notch, let go on their picture, and it lands in their notch, encrypted for their Macs only. Receiving is free, and Drop holds a friend's file for 7 days so they don't have to grab it right away.
How big, and for how long
Without Cloud, a Drop link carries a file up to 2 GB and lasts 1 hour, which is plenty for "here's the file, grab it now". When the file is bigger or the other person won't get to it today, Crest Cloud raises both limits:
| Plan | Price | Largest file | Links last up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free week | Free with the 7-day trial | 5 GB (5 GB in all) | 30 days |
| 100 GB | $4.99 a month or $44.99 a year | 20 GB | 30 days |
| 500 GB | $11.99 a month or $129.99 a year | 50 GB | 90 days |
| 1 TB | $21.99 a month or $249.99 a year | 100 GB | 1 year |
Prices are before US tax. Every Cloud plan includes Crest, Take and Minutes. Without Cloud, Drop sends files up to 2 GB, with links that last 1 hour.
Send your first big file from the notch. Sending comes with Crest, and receiving stays free for everyone.
7 days free, no card. macOS 14 or later. Full refund within 7 days.
Or send it to a friend’s notch
If they have Crest too, it lands in their notch, encrypted for their Macs only.
Questions5
Does the person I send it to need Crest?
No. A Drop link opens in any modern browser, on a Mac, a Windows PC or a phone, and the file is decrypted right there. Only sending a file straight to a friend's notch needs Crest on both Macs.
What is the largest file Drop can send?
Up to 2 GB without Cloud. With Crest Cloud you can send up to 20 GB on the 100 GB plan, 50 GB on 500 GB and 100 GB on 1 TB.
Can you see the files I send?
No. The file is encrypted on your Mac before it uploads, and the key travels inside the link, in the part after the #, which browsers never send to a server.
What happens when a link expires?
The encrypted pieces are deleted and the link tells whoever opens it that it has ended. Without Cloud, that happens 1 hour after the upload finishes.
Is receiving free?
Yes. Receiving files with Drop stays free, also after the 7-day trial.