Increasing WordPress’ 8MB limit with MAMP Pro (Updated for MAMP 6)

TL;DR

• When using MAMP Pro for local WordPress, increase the default 8MB upload limit to 64mb by adding a .user.ini file in the root.

MAMP is a great tool for locally developing WordPress sites on macOS.

In addition to its ability to manage multiple installs, the upgraded MAMP Pro version also allows you to specify an install’s PHP version.

The primary drawback with MAMP is it sets an install’s default settings to limit your uploads to 8MB. For almost any site, an 8MB limit doesn’t cut it.

How to increase upload max filesize with MAMP 5

The first step to increasing the 8MB limit in MAMP Pro 5 is changing the Mode settings from “Identical PHP versions” to “Individual PHP Versions” on the PHP tab.

How to increase upload max filesize with MAMP 6

To increase the 8MB upload_max_filesize limit in MAMP 6, first be sure to activate “Expert View,” because the PHP tab is not visible in “Standard View.” From there, change the “Mode”from “Module” to “CGI.”

The magic file

The final step is creating a .user.ini file within the site’s root directory. Since it’s an invisible file (due to the preceding period) you will probably need to use your IDE of choice.

Below are the necessary entries to the .user.ini file to increase the 8MB limit to 64MB.

upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
memory_limit = 400M
file_uploads = On
max_execution_time = 180

Lastly, click Save, restart the MAMP servers and you’re good to go!

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I’m a web developer by trade and Mac enthusiast at heart. If you ever need help with either of those things you can always reach me at nico@studioncreations.com.