How to view and download attachments in Gmail

When you get an email with attachments, you can download a copy of the attachment to your device. 

How to download attachments on you computer

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. Open an email message.
3. Hover your mouse over the thumbnail, then click Download .

Your browser saves attachments you’ve downloaded in a download folder. Check your browser’s settings to see where to find your downloads. If you use Google Chrome, learn about downloading a file on Chrome.Download to Google Drive

Note: Some attachments can be seen or shared, but not saved to Google Drive.

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. Open an email message.
3. Hover your mouse over the thumbnail, then click Save to Drive .

You can see any files you’ve downloaded in Google Drive.Download a photo inside an email

Some photos are sent inside an email message, and not as attachments.

Here are a few ways to save photos from inside emails:

• Download: Right-click the photo and choose the option to save the photo.
• Save to Drive: Download the photo to your computer and then upload to Google Drive.

How to download attachments on Android

Save to your phone or tablet

Download an attachment

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Gmail app .
2. Open the email message.
3. Tap Download .

Download a photo from inside an email

Some photos are sent inside an email message, and not as an attachment. If the photo was inside the email:

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Gmail app .
2. Open the email message.
3. Touch and hold the photo.
4. Tap View image.
5. Tap the photo.
6. In the top right, tap More .
7. Tap Save.

Save to Google Drive

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Gmail app .
2. Open the email message.
3. Tap Save to Drive .
4. When the message is saved, you’ll see “Saved to Drive” on your screen.

How to view and download attachments on iPhone or iPad

Download attachments

Save to your phone’s photo gallery

1. Make sure you’ve downloaded the Gmail app.
2. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Gmail app .
3. Open the email message.
4. Tap the attachment to open it.
5. Tap the attachment again.
6. In the top right, tap Share .
7. Tap Save Image.

I can’t download the photo

Photos that are inside the message can’t be saved to your Photo Gallery. The photo has to be an attachment for you to save it.

My photo won’t save

Your photos may not save to your Photo Gallery if you haven’t allowed Gmail to access your photos. To fix this:

1. Open your device’s Settings app.
2. Tap Privacy  Photos.
3. Switch on Gmail.

Save to Google Drive

1. Make sure you’ve downloaded the Gmail app.
2. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Gmail app .
3. Open the email message.
4. Tap the attachment to open it.
5. In the top right, tap Save to Drive .
6. When the message is saved, you’ll see “Saved to Drive” on your screen.

I’m getting a warning message

Attachment allows unverified scripts

Google can’t confirm that the message’s attachments are safe to open. If you open the attachments, there’s a chance malicious software could start running on your computer or device.

What to do if you see this warning

If the email looks suspicious, don’t reply and don’t download the attachment. You can report it as spam or phishing.

If the email is from someone you know and trust, ignore the warning.”Encrypted attachment” warning

What this warning means

Some attachments, such as documents requiring a password to open, are encrypted and can’t be scanned for viruses.

What to do if you see this warning

If the email looks suspicious, don’t reply and don’t download the attachment. You can report it as spam or phishing.

If the email is from someone you know and trust, ignore the warning.The authenticity of this message cannot be verified

What this warning means

The message has emails attached (.eml). While we’ve checked the message and .eml attachments for spam and viruses, we can’t confirm that the sender shown in the .eml files actually sent those emails. Learn more about authentication.

What to do if you see this warning

If the email looks suspicious, don’t open the attached emails. You can report it as spam or phishing.

If the email is from someone you know and trust, ignore the warning.