Open & download attachments in Gmail

When you get an email with an attachment, you can download the attachment to your device.

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Download an attachment

Open & download attachments in Gmail

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. Open a message.
  3. At the bottom of the message, hover over the attachment.
  4. Click Download .

Tips:

  • If you use Google Chrome, learn how to download a file on Chrome.
  • Your browser saves attachments to a download folder. Check your browser’s settings to find your downloads.
  • If your computer supports it, you can also drag photos and attachments to your desktop.

Add an attachment to Google Drive

Important: You can’t add certain attachments to Google Drive. Learn about files you can store in Drive.

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. Open a message.
  3. At the bottom of the message, hover over the attachment.
  4. Click Add to Drive .

Download a photo in an email

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. Open a message.
  3. Hover over the photo.
  4. Select an option:
    • Download : Download the photo to your computer.
    • Add to Drive : Add the photo to Google Drive.
    • Save a copy to Photos : Add the photo to Google Photos.

Open a Microsoft 365 (Office) attachment

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. Open a message with a Microsoft 365 (Office) attachment.
  3. At the bottom of the message, hover over the attachment.
  4. Click Edit with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides.
    • A copy of the attachment stores in Drive. You can:
      • Edit
      • Share
      • Get version history
      • Collaborate in real time

Tip: For other email options, click File and then Email.

Include attachments when you forward or reply

  • When you forward a message, the attachment is automatically included.
  • When you reply to a message, the attachment isn’t automatically included. To include the original attachment with your reply:
    1. On your computer, at the bottom of the reply box, click More options More.
    2. Click Include original attachments.
    3. To remove the attachment in your reply, to the right of the attachment, click Remove attachment Remove.

Fix download issues with attachments

Important: If the sender uses confidential mode, you can’t copy or download the message text and attachments. Learn more about confidential mode.

  1. On your computer, use a supported browser.
  2. Turn off browser extensions one at a time.
  3. In your browser, clear cache and cookies.

Learn about suspicious attachments

To protect your account from potential viruses and harmful software, Gmail notifies you about suspicious attachments in the email. An attachment may be suspicious because:

  • The attachment allows unverified scripts: We can't confirm that the message's attachments are safe to open. If you open the attachments, there's a chance malicious software will run on your computer or device.
  • The attachment is encrypted: Some attachments, like documents that require a password to open, are encrypted and can't be scanned for viruses.
  • The attachment includes emails (.eml): While we check the message and .eml attachments for spam and viruses, we can't confirm that the sender in the .eml files actually sent those emails. Learn more about authentication.

If the email looks suspicious, don't reply and don't download the attachment. You can:

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

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