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In the digital age, email is a fundamental tool for daily communication, both in personal and professional spheres. Attachments, in particular, allow us to share documents, images, and projects quickly and directly. Alice Mail, now TIM Mail, represents a consolidated reality in the Italian landscape, a service that has accompanied the digital evolution of millions of users. However, like every email service, it has technical specifications that are essential to know for optimal use. One of the most common challenges concerns managing attachments, specifically their size limits and accepted formats.
Understanding these rules thoroughly is not just a technical matter, but a crucial step to making our communications more efficient and avoiding the classic error messages signaling a failed delivery. This guide aims to clarify the limits imposed by Alice Mail, exploring the most effective solutions for sending large files and offering practical advice for intelligent mailbox management. The goal is to provide every type of user, from professionals to students, with the tools to overcome these obstacles and communicate without interruptions.
When sending an email with Alice Mail (now TIM Mail), it is fundamental to consider the total message size. Historically, the limit for standard attachments was around 30 MB. However, to meet the growing needs of users, TIM introduced a specific feature called Giga Attachments. This service allows you to send files of significantly larger sizes, up to a maximum of 2 GB per single dispatch. It is a solution integrated directly into the webmail that facilitates the sharing of heavy documents, videos, or entire compressed folders without immediately resorting to external services.
It is important to note a technical detail: the size of a file on your computer does not correspond exactly to the space it will occupy in the email. Due to MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) encoding, necessary for transporting files via the internet, the size of an attachment can increase by up to approximately 37%. This means that a 20 MB file could exceed 27 MB once attached. Therefore, it is always prudent to stay slightly below the maximum limit to avoid sending issues. The Giga Attachments function manages this process transparently, uploading the file to a TIM server and inserting a download link in the email body, valid for a limited period (from 1 to 7 days).
Security is a priority for any email provider, and Alice Mail is no exception. To protect users from viruses and malware, restrictions are applied to the file formats that can be sent and received. Generally, commonly used formats like documents (.pdf, .docx, .xlsx), images (.jpg, .png, .gif), and audio files (.mp3) are fully supported and present no issues. These files are considered safe and represent the majority of attachments exchanged daily.
Conversely, executable files or scripts are almost universally blocked. Formats like .exe, .bat, .js, .vbs, and .jar are filtered because they are the most common vehicles for spreading malicious software. Attempting to send a file with one of these extensions will almost certainly result in a block by the mail server, both incoming and outgoing. A common practice to partially bypass this obstacle is to put the files in a compressed archive (like .zip or .rar). However, even this solution is not infallible: modern antivirus systems are capable of analyzing the content of archives and blocking the email if a prohibited file format is detected inside. Therefore, it is fundamental to be aware of the risks and consider safer alternatives for sharing software or potentially dangerous files. If you suspect your mailbox security is at risk, it is useful to learn how to protect it, for example by reading an SSL/TLS security guide.
When even the Giga Attachments function is not sufficient or a universal solution is preferred, there are several strategies for sending large files. These methods are based on a simple principle: instead of attaching the file directly to the email, you upload the file to an external service and share only the download link. This approach not only bypasses any size limit imposed by the mail provider but also makes the email much lighter and faster to send.
Cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive are excellent tools for sharing heavy files. Their operation is intuitive: you upload the file to your personal cloud space, set access permissions (for example, “anyone with the link can view”), and copy the generated link. This link can then be pasted into the email body. The recipient will simply have to click on the link to view or download the file. This solution offers the advantage of keeping the file available indefinitely (or until deleted) and being able to manage access permissions precisely. For those using the Google ecosystem, leveraging this option is particularly simple, as explained in the guide to sending large files with Google Drive.
Another very popular category of tools is represented by file transfer platforms like WeTransfer or Smash. These services are designed specifically for the rapid sending of large files, often without the need to create an account. The user uploads the file to the site, enters the recipient’s email and their own, and the service takes care of sending a notification with the download link. The main advantage is simplicity and immediacy. However, unlike cloud storage, the links generated by these platforms usually have an expiration date, after which the files are permanently deleted. This feature makes them ideal for occasional sharing and not for long-term archiving.
Careful management of attachments is essential to ensure the proper functioning of your Alice Mail mailbox, which offers 3 GB of storage space. Over time, received and sent attachments can accumulate quickly, risking saturation of available space and preventing the receipt of new emails. The first rule is prevention: avoid using the mailbox as a permanent archive for important files. It is good practice to download relevant attachments and save them in a folder on your computer or on a cloud storage service.
To free up space, it is useful to use the webmail’s advanced search function to locate the heaviest messages. Often it is possible to filter emails by size, quickly identifying those containing voluminous attachments that can be archived elsewhere and then deleted from the mailbox. If you find yourself in a situation where Alice Mail space is exhausted, following a specific guide can help you resolve the problem quickly and effectively. Periodic archiving and targeted cleaning not only free up precious space but also contribute to keeping the mailbox more organized, fast, and responsive.
Check that the file is less than 20-25 MB. Remember that encoding increases the weight by 37%, so stay under the standard 30 MB limit to avoid sending errors.
For files larger than 30 MB, use the integrated Giga Attachments option. You can send up to 2 GB by uploading the file to the TIM server, which will generate a download link valid for a few days.
Make sure to send safe formats like PDF or images. Avoid executable files (.exe, .bat) which are blocked. If necessary, compress files into a .zip archive before sending.
If Giga Attachments isn’t enough, upload the file to Google Drive or Dropbox. Generate a share link and paste it into the email body: it’s ideal for very heavy files or long-term access.
For quick sends without an account, use external services like WeTransfer. Upload the file online and simply send the generated download link to the recipient.
Alice Mail has 3 GB of space. Use advanced search to find and delete emails with heavy attachments already saved elsewhere, preventing the mailbox from filling up and blocking new messages.
Managing attachments on Alice Mail (TIM Mail) is an operation that, with the right knowledge, becomes simple and obstacle-free. We have seen that, although standard limits exist, the Giga Attachments service offers a powerful integrated solution, allowing the sending of files up to 2 GB. It is crucial to remember the difference between the actual size of a file and the encoded size for sending, as well as being aware of file formats blocked for security reasons, such as .exe executables.
For needs that exceed even the capabilities of Giga Attachments, cloud storage services and file transfer platforms represent valid and flexible alternatives. Finally, proactive management of the mailbox, through the external saving of important attachments and periodic cleaning of the heaviest messages, is the key to maintaining an efficient account with space always available. By adopting these strategies, every user can make the most of their email’s potential, transforming technical limits into opportunities for more organized and conscious communication.
Alice Mail (now TIM Mail) distinguishes between standard attachments and Giga Attachments. For traditional emails, the maximum allowed size for attachments may vary, but for large files, the service offers the *Giga Attachments* feature. This option allows sending files up to 2 GB. Recipients will receive a link to download the files, which will remain available online for a maximum period of seven days.
If your file is too heavy for a normal email, you must use the Giga Attachments function, accessible directly from the Alice/TIM webmail. When writing a new message, instead of the standard Attach button, select the Giga Attachments option. This will allow you to upload files up to 2 GB. The recipient will not receive the file directly, but a link to download it. Remember that this function is available only via the web interface and not through external mail programs (clients).
If you try to send an email with an attachment that exceeds the limit for standard sends, the system will most likely block the dispatch and return an error message. To avoid this problem and send heavy files, the solution offered by Alice Mail is precisely to use the Giga Attachments service.
Generally, you can attach the most common file formats like documents (PDF, .doc, .xls), images (.jpg, .png), and compressed archives (.zip, .rar). However, for security reasons, email providers, including Alice Mail, block files with potentially dangerous extensions, such as executable files (.exe). If you need to send a file that is being blocked, one solution is to place it in a password-protected compressed archive.
When you use the Giga Attachments function of Alice Mail, you have the option to set how long the files should remain available for download. The maximum period you can select is seven days. After this deadline expires, the download link will no longer be valid, and the file will no longer be accessible to the recipient.