Sending photos via email on your iPhone is a straightforward process, perfect for sharing memories with family, submitting work to colleagues, or simply sending visual updates to friends. Whether you want to attach a single photo or multiple images, your iPhone offers several convenient methods to get the job done. This guide will walk you through attaching photos, along with videos and documents, to your emails directly from your iPhone, ensuring your messages are both informative and visually engaging.
You can easily attach files directly within the Mail app while composing your email. This includes not only photos and videos from your library but also documents stored in your Files app. The process is designed to be intuitive, allowing you to enhance your emails with rich media in just a few taps.
Draft email composition screen on iPhone with attachment options displayed above the keyboard.
Attaching Photos, Videos, and Documents to Your Email
The most common need is to attach photos or videos to an email. Here’s how to do it quickly and efficiently using the Mail app on your iPhone:
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Open the Mail App: Begin by launching the Mail application on your iPhone’s home screen.
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Compose a New Email or Reply: Start a new email by tapping the compose button or reply to an existing email thread.
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Access Attachment Options: In the body of your email, tap where you want to insert your attachment. Look for the Expand Toolbar button (it appears as an arrow pointing upwards above your keyboard) and tap it. This will reveal additional options, including the attachment icon. Then, tap the Attachment icon (it usually looks like a paperclip).
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Select Your File Type: You will be presented with different options depending on what you want to attach:
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Attaching a Document from Files: If you need to attach a document, tap the Attach File button. This will open the Files app, where you can browse and select documents stored on your iPhone, in iCloud Drive, or other connected cloud services. Navigate through locations like “Recent,” “Shared,” or “Browse” at the bottom of the screen to find your desired file. Once found, simply tap on the file to attach it.
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Attaching Existing Photos or Videos: To attach photos or videos that are already saved in your Photos app, tap the Photo or Video icon. This will give you access to your photo library. Select the photos or videos you wish to attach to your email. After selecting, tap “Done” to return to your email message, and the selected media will be attached.
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Taking a New Photo or Video to Attach: If you want to take a photo or video right then and there to attach, tap the Take Photo or Video button. This will open your iPhone’s camera. Capture your photo or video. You can then tap “Use Photo” or “Use Video” to directly insert it into your email draft. If you are not satisfied, tap “Retake” to capture again.
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File Size Considerations: Be aware that email providers often have limits on attachment sizes. If your file is too large, you might see a prompt to use Mail Drop. Mail Drop is an Apple service that allows you to send large attachments via iCloud. Refer to Apple Support’s documentation on Mail Drop limits for detailed information on size restrictions and usage.
Scanning and Attaching Documents as PDFs
For situations where you need to send a physical document, such as a signed form or paper invoice, your iPhone’s scan feature provides a handy solution to create and attach a PDF directly to your email.
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In Your Email, Access Attachment Options: As before, in your email draft in the Mail app, tap in the message body where you want to insert the scanned document. Tap the Expand Toolbar button above the keyboard, then tap the Attachment icon.
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Choose Scan Document: From the options, select the Scan Document button. This will activate your iPhone’s camera interface optimized for document scanning.
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Scan Your Document: Position your iPhone camera over the document. The iPhone will automatically detect the document edges and capture the page. For manual capture, you can tap the shutter button or press a volume button. If needed, you can control the flash settings by tapping the flash icon.
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Review and Save Scan: After scanning, you can review the scan. Tap “Retake” if you need to rescan the page or “Keep Scan” if you are satisfied. You can scan multiple pages if needed. Once you have scanned all pages, tap “Save.”
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Edit Your Scan (Optional): If you need to make adjustments to your saved scan, tap on the scan preview. You will then have options to:
- Crop the image: Use the crop tool to adjust the boundaries of the scanned document.
- Apply Filters: Use filters to enhance readability or adjust the scan’s appearance.
- Rotate the image: Rotate the scan if the orientation is incorrect.
- Delete the scan: If you are not satisfied, you can delete the scan and rescan.
Creating and Attaching a Quick Drawing
For times when words aren’t enough, or you need to quickly sketch out an idea, the iPhone allows you to create a drawing and attach it to your email.
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Access Markup Toolbar: In your Mail app email draft, tap within the message body, tap the Expand Toolbar button, and then tap the Attachment icon to bring up attachment options. Then select the Markup icon to start a drawing.
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Use Markup Tools: The Markup toolbar will appear at the bottom of your screen, offering various drawing tools and color options. Select a tool and color, and then use your finger to draw directly in the provided area.
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Insert Your Drawing: Once your drawing is complete, tap “Done.” Then, tap “Insert Drawing” to attach your sketch to the email.
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Edit or Resume Drawing: If you need to make changes or continue working on a drawing you’ve already inserted, simply tap on the drawing in your email, then tap the Edit button to reopen the Markup toolbar and continue editing.
Attaching photos and other files to emails on your iPhone enhances your communication capabilities, making it easy to share a wide range of content directly from your mobile device. Whether it’s photos, documents, scanned papers, or quick sketches, your iPhone provides the tools to keep your emails informative and engaging.
See also
Download email attachments in Mail on iPhone
Annotate email attachments on iPhone
