How to Increase WordPress Maximum Upload Size in 2026 (Working Fix)
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST: Before making any technical changes or editing your site’s code, please ensure you have a full backup of your website and database. If you aren’t comfortable editing files, consider using a staging site first. Need professional help? [Contact Us]. If you are looking to increase maximum file upload size in WordPress in 2026 , you’ve likely run into the frustrating ‘upload_max_filesize’ error. By default, many hosting providers set this limit as low as 2MB or 8MB—which is barely enough for a single high-resolution photo today. The Symptom: What are you seeing? When you go to Media > Add New, you will see a small text label that says: “Maximum upload file size: 2 MB.” If your file is even 0.1KB over that limit, WordPress will block the upload and show a red error bar. The Quick Fix (1-Minute Solution) If you have a modern host with cPanel or Plesk, don’t touch any code yet! 5 Proven Methods to Increase Maximum File Upload Size in WordPress. If the Quick Fix didn’t work, one of these technical methods will. We have ranked them from easiest to most advanced. Method 1: The functions.php Method (Theme Level) This is the easiest way to tell WordPress to request more “room” from the server. PHP @ini_set( ‘upload_max_size’ , ’64M’ ); @ini_set( ‘post_max_size’, ’64M’); @ini_set( ‘max_execution_time’, ‘300’ ); Method 2: The .htaccess Method (Apache Servers) If you are on shared hosting (Bluehost, BigRock, MilesWeb etc.), your .htaccess file usually controls these rules. Plaintext upload_max_filesize = 64Mpost_max_size = 64Mmemory_limit = 256M Method 3: The php.ini or .user.ini Method Some hosts require a dedicated configuration file in your root folder. Plaintext upload_max_filesize = 64M post_max_size = 64M memory_limit = 256M Method 4: The wp-config.php Method While less common for upload sizes specifically, increasing your WP Memory Limit often fixes the “timeout” errors that happen during large uploads. PHP define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’); Prevention: How to avoid this in the future Still Stuck? Sometimes, no matter what you code, the hosting provider hard-locks these limits. If you’ve tried all four methods and your limit is still 2MB, it’s time to contact your host’s support or Let GetWpFixed handle it for you. Next Post:How to Fix a Slow WordPress Website: The Ultimate 2026 Speed Guide