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IOS 13 Unable to open mail attachments

Anyone having issues opening attachments from received email in the mail app since upgrading to 13.0? I have an actions option to copy or save to files and such. Seems to not be an issue with app file extensions, but definitely a problem with .doc and .pdf files.

Posted on Sep 25, 2019 12:17 PM

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Posted on Sep 27, 2019 12:28 PM

Hello woffordscott and welcome to Apple Support Communities.


I see you're having an issue with opening attachments to email messages.


First, you'll want to make sure you're updated to iOS 13.1.1


Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support


Using a .doc attachment as an example, opening in Pages is pretty simple. Just touch and hold the attachment and then choose the Share option. Under Share if you choose Save to Files and then immediately open the Pages app, you'll see the document you just saved at the top of the Recent screen view. Tapping that opens the file in Pages.


You can, of course, also just tap the attachment in Mail to see a preview of the document.


Cheers.

64 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Sep 27, 2019 12:28 PM in response to woffordscott

Hello woffordscott and welcome to Apple Support Communities.


I see you're having an issue with opening attachments to email messages.


First, you'll want to make sure you're updated to iOS 13.1.1


Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support


Using a .doc attachment as an example, opening in Pages is pretty simple. Just touch and hold the attachment and then choose the Share option. Under Share if you choose Save to Files and then immediately open the Pages app, you'll see the document you just saved at the top of the Recent screen view. Tapping that opens the file in Pages.


You can, of course, also just tap the attachment in Mail to see a preview of the document.


Cheers.

Apr 23, 2020 12:20 AM in response to woffordscott

I have this problem since april 2018, business wise. We use Salesforce and in Salesforce the List Email functionality.

When we send an Email with an attachment (PDF or Word or else), Salesforce sends the attachments as an HMTL link : https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=000326717&type=1&mode=1

  • With the list email feature, it is possible to send files as attachments; but the email attachments will always be sent as .html files.
  • To view the attachment the email recipient simply has to click on this link and the file will open in a new browser window on their computer. Recipients then have the choice to save the file locally.


When receivers open the emails with attachments on Imac, Windows Desktop, Android Phone, Samsung tablet / phone, there is no problem to open it en read it. Receivers with an Iphone and Ipad cannot open the html links, as described in this discussion.

Even if you have Google Mail or Outlook or Chrome installed on your Iphone or Ipad, you can't open the html link. The only difference is dat an url is displayed. Maybe this url gives some information? See for the url the attachment.


Oct 22, 2019 1:44 AM in response to Dirtcowboy82

Same issue as do a number of my colleagues.

IOS13 has badly broken mail. Many (not all) PDF and DOC attachments do not open any more. Funny thing is, on my iPad with the same IOS they do open. On other colleagues iPhone (same 10 max with same IOS version) the attachments open just fine. This is rendering my iPhone next to useless as a work mail device. Tried all the latest upgrades and switching between dark and light modes without change.

Oct 30, 2019 3:27 PM in response to woffordscott

I just might found a solution! I was going to do wipe and restore. When I plugged the phone to MacBook a message appeared that there has to be some update installed first (the message did not revealed any specifics).


After the mysterious update, the doc and pdf opens on the iPhone again! Hurray for the apple technological superiority!!!


The files look differently that on other devices with iOS 13.2 I saw (where there was no problem). But who cares if it works :-)

Nov 1, 2019 11:16 AM in response to woffordscott

This has been causing me similar problems. I see very few options in sharing /opening email attachments in iOS mail.


I have just succeeded in a fault diagnosis, though I haven’t yet found a workable fix:


I use my phone (11 Pro) to access work emails. This requires Microsoft InTune and the installation of a company management profile. I think it’s something to do with this, because I removed my device in InTune, which also removed the profile. I then performed an on/off cycle (though this may not have been necessary, I thought it a wise precaution). After this, a full list of Open with / Copy to options became available.



The contents of the management profile installed look like this:




Once these were re-installed, the equivalent screen shows only these options (with no extras available when “Edit Actions” is selected).



In summary, this looks like it is connected with the loaded profile. How to address this I can’t be sure, but perhaps the first stop is Corporate IT support (good luck with that!).

Oct 30, 2019 12:52 AM in response to woffordscott

Please is there any solution on this? Did Apple gave any response at all?


The only thing that opens is docx. The doc files and majority of pdf are not opening since iOS 13 (now iOS 13.2). The problem is not only in mail attachments, it is in files app syncing in iCloud too. It just makes the doc files grey and not opening even in MS word app. Nothing wrong with the files itself (they are opening in MacBook normally).


This is a major issue which makes my XS worth the same as old Nokia 5110.

Oct 30, 2019 1:17 AM in response to jiri130

Come on Apple, it’s clear there is a portion of users that have the same clear issue. DOC attachments and PDF attachments are not opening in mail any more. As pointed out by multiple others, this renders these supposed Pro devices useless for business. At least acknowledge that you are aware of the issue and working on replicating or resolving it.

IOS 13 Unable to open mail attachments

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