Email attachments
- Thread starter Dan983
- Start date
Tim SPRACKLEN
iPF Noob
The answer is Yes and No....
From within the iPad's native Mail app you cannot add attachments - so that was the bad news...
From within the iPad's Photos app you attach up to five photos to an email...- partially good news...
Using the third party app GoodReader, you can add any number and variety of attachments held locally by GoodReader and then send them using the iPad's native Mail app - that's definitely the good news.....
Some information about GoodReader....
There is a program that most all iPad users have called GoodReader. It's the 'Swiss Army Knife' for the iPad and it can store files all together and in folders - or however you want them - and can transfer files to and from your PC using either WiFi or USB without the need for iTunes. It's built in web-browser can download files too, something that Safari doesn't offer - except for PDF format. From within GoodReader you can open those files in any app that supports that type of file. Having said that, though, when a compatible app does open that file it makes a local copy that it works on, so the original copy in GoodReader is left untouched. If you want to store the modified file in GoodReader you have to transfer it back there by some means.
GoodReader can also attach several files to an email and then send them using the iPad's native Mail app - something you can't do from within Mail itself. It also gives you the opportunity to annotate PDF files and save the resulting file so that it can be read on a PC or Mac.
Tim
twerppoet
iPad Fan
GoodReader will use your current email setup. All files you want to attache will have to be in GoodReader before you can send them. You can do this by going to each of the originating apps and choosing the OpenIn option to move them to GoodReader (or one of several other methods).
Once you've done that select the Manage Files section from the right column. Then select each file you want to send from the left column. When done choose the e-mail button.
Once you've done that select the Manage Files section from the right column. Then select each file you want to send from the left column. When done choose the e-mail button.
twerppoet
iPad Fan
Emails with multiple attachments can be fairly large. These will show up in your Outbox until the entire attachment has been sent tot he server. Depending on your connection that could be seconds, minutes, or even hours.
Also, some email providers have limit on how large attachments can be. In that case the email should eventually error out. You may or may not get an undeliverable email from your provider.
For large files it is usually better to place them online and share a link instead. You can do this with a DropBox account (and app), or one of the other cloud storage services. I also like Box.com.
Also, some email providers have limit on how large attachments can be. In that case the email should eventually error out. You may or may not get an undeliverable email from your provider.
For large files it is usually better to place them online and share a link instead. You can do this with a DropBox account (and app), or one of the other cloud storage services. I also like Box.com.
hpulmer
iPF Novice
KiwiNZ said:
Guess it is more a policy than unability...
Look at the good points of sharing links to online-stored files:
- you can revoke permissions to look at them
- you do not produce undesired data transfer
- you do not fill the recipient's email inbox with lots of data, and
- if the receiver is receiving his email while on the run he will be able to read what it is about and can download the file(s) at a later stage when he has time and access to do so
- if it is about shared documents (cooperation) there will be only one version around
There are more reasons but that is what comes to my mind at 05:50 am...
Some fair points, but what frustrates me and no doubt others, is that we are being forced to take such steps when what most people are used to is simply clicking 'attach' on an email and it's done. Our ability to make our own decisions on how we share information has been removed and we have to re-learn how to do what was once the easiest thing.
About sharing links to online storage, does the recipient have to subscribe or sign up in any way to the online storage application in order to access or download the file or attachment?
About sharing links to online storage, does the recipient have to subscribe or sign up in any way to the online storage application in order to access or download the file or attachment?
twerppoet
iPad Fan
The better news is that there are many of ways of emailing attachments without using GoodReader; many of them free. GoodReader is a favorite app for many users here, so it gets recommended often.
Not being able to attach directly in Mail is a consequence of Apple's sandboxing (security) approach to apps. The iPad requires a different approach to file management, where apps own their files. When you want to do anything with a file, you must start with the app that owns it. This is why almost every app that generates content has an email option built in, at a minimum.
There are two ways to get around this. One is to move most of your files to a cloud service and carefully choose apps that can access that service, or get another device that fits your expectations better.
Not being able to attach directly in Mail is a consequence of Apple's sandboxing (security) approach to apps. The iPad requires a different approach to file management, where apps own their files. When you want to do anything with a file, you must start with the app that owns it. This is why almost every app that generates content has an email option built in, at a minimum.
There are two ways to get around this. One is to move most of your files to a cloud service and carefully choose apps that can access that service, or get another device that fits your expectations better.
