David Talley
Level 1 (8 points)
Mac OS X

Q: iPad mail help

I received an email with a PDF attachment. When I opened it on my iPad and clicked on the PDF symbol of the attachment it gave me feedback that it was opening, but I can't find where it went. How can I open mail preferences or settings on an iPad to tell it where I want attachments to open to (like the desktop on a Mac)?

OBS MacBook Pro (15-inch 2.4/2.2 GHz), OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on Sep 5, 2016 11:31 AM

by Rysz,Solvedanswer
Rysz Rysz
Level 6 (19,821 points)
iTunes
A:

Not all PDFs will open in Mail, but when they do, you're essentially looking at a preview of that PDF. It's all done within Mail. To open it in another app, you have to use the Share Sheet to save the PDF file in that app.

Posted on Sep 5, 2016 3:47 PM

Close
David Talley

Q: iPad mail help

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Rysz,Helpful

    Rysz Rysz Sep 5, 2016 3:02 PM in response to David Talley
    Level 6 (19,821 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 5, 2016 3:02 PM in response to David Talley

    Normally, when you open a PDF in Mail (or Safari) it gives you the option to move it to iBooks. Otherwise, long-press on the attachment and select which app to use to open it. The Share Sheet that appears can be customized by tapping on the " ... " icon.

  • by David Talley,

    David Talley David Talley Sep 5, 2016 3:03 PM in response to Rysz
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 5, 2016 3:03 PM in response to Rysz

    Thank you for this input. What is the default location for PDFs to go when selected?

  • by Rysz,

    Rysz Rysz Sep 5, 2016 3:07 PM in response to David Talley
    Level 6 (19,821 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 5, 2016 3:07 PM in response to David Talley

    When you open a PDF in Mail or a Safari window (without long-tap on the file) it's iBooks. For a brief time you should see that option in the upper-right corner of the document.

     

    To sync PDF documents saved in iBooks with other devices, enable iCloud Disk.

  • by David Talley,

    David Talley David Talley Sep 5, 2016 3:22 PM in response to Rysz
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 5, 2016 3:22 PM in response to Rysz

    Interesting. I just sent a test pdf to myself in Mail. When I click on it, it just opens--not in iBooks--it just opens kind of like Preview on a Mac. I saw no connotation on it. Yes, if I hold down I get the option of opening in iBooks, Adobe Acrobat, and a couple of other choices, but without holding down and making a selection, I can't tell what app is opening it unless it's just Mail. In that case, I don't know how to make a "preference" selection of what I would like my default to be.

  • by Rysz,Solvedanswer

    Rysz Rysz Sep 5, 2016 3:47 PM in response to David Talley
    Level 6 (19,821 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 5, 2016 3:47 PM in response to David Talley

    Not all PDFs will open in Mail, but when they do, you're essentially looking at a preview of that PDF. It's all done within Mail. To open it in another app, you have to use the Share Sheet to save the PDF file in that app.

  • by David Talley,

    David Talley David Talley Sep 5, 2016 3:53 PM in response to Rysz
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 5, 2016 3:53 PM in response to Rysz

    Now I get it! Thanks so much for the help. So if the PDF doesn't open by itself in mail (at least 99% or mine seem to) use the Share Sheet.

  • by Rysz,

    Rysz Rysz Sep 5, 2016 3:56 PM in response to David Talley
    Level 6 (19,821 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 5, 2016 3:56 PM in response to David Talley

    You've got it!