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Mac Mail attachments not showing? Check these.

Usually the attachment is there, just not where you expect. Here's what Apple's Mail User Guide says, in order.

1. It’s showing in the message, not as a file

Mail displays some attachments, like images and one-page PDFs, right in the message body. That’s often why a PDF attachment seems to be missing. To see it as a file icon, Control-click it and choose View as Icon. To switch back, Control-click and choose View in Place.

2. Check the message has one

In the message list, messages with attachments show the Attach icon below the date.

3. Mail hasn’t downloaded it

Mail always downloads media attachments, like images, PDFs, video and audio. For other types, like spreadsheets or .zip files, it follows a setting for each account:

  1. In Mail, choose Mail > Settings, click Accounts, then click Account Information.
  2. Click the Download Attachments pop-up menu and choose All. Recent downloads only those from the past 15 months. None downloads none.

4. Someone removed the attachments

Message > Remove Attachments deletes them but keeps the message, with a note that they were removed. For IMAP accounts, Apple says they’re deleted from the mail server too and can’t be retrieved. Ask the sender to send it again.

5. Open or save it another way

  • Quick look: select the attachment and press the Space bar.
  • Open in another app: Control-click it, choose Open With, then pick an app.
  • Save it: choose File > Save Attachments, or drag it to the desktop. Saved attachments go to Downloads unless you pick another folder in Mail > Settings > General.

These come from Apple’s View, save, or delete email attachments and Change Account Information settings pages in the Mail User Guide.

Sending one instead?

In a new message, click the Attach button and choose Attach Files, or drag the file in from Finder. Too big for your email provider? Mail offers Mail Drop. See Email a file from your Mac and Mail Drop not working? Stuck in the Outbox? See Mac Mail not sending?

Or skip the mail app

Sendoff is a Mac app that lives in the notch. Drop a file on it, pick the person, press Send off, and it goes by Gmail or iMessage. You never open a mail app or attach anything by hand. It ranks the people you send to most, like your accountant or your teammate, remembers which channel each one gets, and gives you 3 seconds to undo. It sends files; it doesn’t read your mail.

Join the waitlist below, and tick the beta box if you want to test it first.