How to Send Files in Messenger on Android, iPhone, and Computer

You can send many document types through Messenger, including PDFs, Word files, spreadsheets, and text files. On Android and a computer, attach the file from inside the chat. On an iPhone, sharing the file from Apple’s Files app is often the most reliable method.

Messenger’s available buttons, accepted formats, and size limits can change. If a file is rejected, compress it or share a view-only link from a trusted cloud-storage service instead.

Send a file in Messenger on Android

Step 1: Open the conversation. Tap the plus, four-dot, or circular attachment button beside the message box, then choose File. If File is not visible, expand the menu or update Messenger.

Open a conversation and tap the Messenger attachment button Choose File from the Messenger attachment menu

Step 2: Android’s file picker opens. Use the menu to browse Downloads, Documents, recent files, local storage, or a connected cloud provider. Tap the intended file and confirm the upload.

Browse storage locations in the Android file picker Select a document to send through Messenger

Step 3: Wait until the file appears in the chat with a successful status. The recipient can tap it and choose an installed app that supports the format. A browser or download manager may handle some files.

File attachment received in a Messenger conversation Open or download a Messenger file on Android

Send a file from Messenger on a computer

Step 1: Open Messenger on the web or in the desktop app, select the conversation, and click the Attach files or paperclip icon.

Attach files button in a Messenger desktop conversation

Step 2: Find the file in the system picker, select it, and click Open. Check the filename before sending; you can add a separate explanatory message if needed.

Choose a file to upload in Messenger on a computer

Step 3: Send the message and keep the tab or app open until the upload finishes. The attachment should then appear as a downloadable item in the conversation.

Successfully sent file in Messenger on a computer

Send a file in Messenger on iPhone or iPad

Step 1: Open Apple’s Files app and locate the document. Open it and tap Share, or touch and hold the file and choose Share.

Select a document in the iPhone Files app Tap Share for a document in Files

Share option in the iPhone file menu

Step 2: Choose Messenger in the share sheet. If it is hidden, scroll through the apps, tap More, and enable Messenger. Select the correct conversation or search for the recipient, then tap Send.

Choose Messenger in the iPhone share sheet Select a recipient and send the iPhone file

Step 3: Open the conversation in Messenger and confirm that the attachment was delivered.

File delivered through Messenger on iPhone

If Messenger will not send the file

No File button: use the phone’s Files app and its Share command, or try Messenger on a computer.
Unsupported format: place related files in a ZIP archive, provided the recipient expects it and can open it safely.
File too large: reduce its size or upload it to a trusted cloud service and send a link with appropriate access permissions.
Upload stalls: check the connection, reopen Messenger, and retry only after confirming the first copy was not delivered.
Recipient cannot open it: ask which format and app they support; PDF is usually suitable for documents that should not be edited.

Verify the recipient and filename before sending confidential material. Messenger is not a substitute for an organization’s approved secure file-transfer system. Do not open unexpected executable files, archives, or documents that request macros, even when they appear to come from a familiar account.