How to Send and Receive Email Attachments

Learn how to attach a file or photo to an email, open attachments you receive, and avoid attachments that could be dangerous.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Open a new email and start writing
2.Attach a file
3.Send the email
4.Open an attachment you received
5.Save an attachment to your device

Open a new email and start writing

~15s

In your email service (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.), click "Compose" or "New Message" and fill in the recipient's address, subject, and your message.

Attach a file

~16s

Look for the paperclip icon in the email compose window and click it. A file browser will open — navigate to the file or photo you want to attach (for example, your Pictures folder) and click "Open" or "Choose." The file name will appear in the email.

Send the email

~15s

Once the attachment is uploaded (you will see a progress bar for large files), click "Send." Wait for the upload to finish before sending, or the attachment may be missing.

Open an attachment you received

~18s

When you receive an email with an attachment, you will see a file name or thumbnail image below the message. Click on it to open the file. Your device will open it in the appropriate program — PDFs open in a PDF viewer, photos open in your photo viewer, and so on.

Save an attachment to your device

~15s

To keep the file, look for a download icon (an arrow pointing down) near the attachment name and click it. Choose where on your device to save it — the Downloads folder is the most common choice.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Send and Receive Email Attachments

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An email attachment is a file — like a photo, a document, or a PDF — that you send along with an email message. The person who receives the email can then open or save that file. Attaching a file is like putting a paper document inside an envelope before you mail it. Most email services let you attach files up to about 25 megabytes (MB) in size for free.

Receiving attachments is equally common — your doctor's office might send a PDF form, or a family member might email you photos. To open an attachment, you click or tap on the file name or icon shown in the email. Your device will then open the file with an appropriate program.

One important safety note: never open an attachment from someone you do not know, and be cautious even with known senders if the email feels unexpected or strange. Malicious attachments can install harmful software on your device.

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