Emailing photo attachments from my iPhone 11

Since the ios14 update when I now email photos from my iPhone using either my work outlook or personal GMAIL addresses they are now sent embedded in the email message and not as jpeg attachments to the email. Why is this and how do I fix it or what settings can be changed, if any?

Posted on Sep 23, 2020 7:23 PM

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Posted on Mar 8, 2021 4:32 PM

Lotus9999 wrote:

There's a similar thread also, which has double the number of pages of this one:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251807601

There only seems to be 2 solutions to it:

ONE: I've done some testing now Sending pictures using Outlook app, and here are my findings:

1 - If you start in the Outlook app and attach pictures, they will still show up EMBEDDED. …

Actually, just as with Apple Mail, I expect that they are just as much attachments! (I wouldn’t be inclined to think otherwise, unless such was demonstrated to be otherwise upon inspecting the Raw email text.)


However, this does seem to demonstrate that Outlook, as well, is able to format emails as rich-text (text/html, actually). (When I worked within the corporate/governmental sectors, I would only send emails as plain-text if the other party had requested such, or I was replying to a plain-text email.)


I suspect, however, that if you sent this email to an email address where you use Outlook to read the email, that Outlook would allow you to perform bulk attachment operations (such as bulk-saves).


If not, I would actually be surprised! However, in that case y’all could use that as the best leverage to have Microsoft (at least partially) fix Outlook, and its derivatives.


… 2 - However, if you start in Photos (as others I believe have indicated), then choose the method to share as the Outlook app, they DO in fact show up as attachments! And there's no need to attach a 1 second video...

Yes. This should surprise no one.


Of course, as always, the real test is not in the appearances, but in the functionality: does Outlook (or another email client) allow you to perform bulk attachment operations (such as bulk-saves)?


… The only downside is that unlike when sending pictures by Mail, where you get the option to choose the size of the photo (S/M/L/Original), there are no options and they are sent as full-size by default.

Meh …


… Based on this solution, perhaps any other third-party app on the iPhone can be used with similar results, and not just the Outlook app. …

Make sure y’all don’t get caught up in the appearance, but pay attention to the functionality: does Outlook (or another email client) allow you to perform bulk attachment operations (such as bulk-saves), regardless of appearance?


… TWO: The other one allows you to still use the default Mail app, and by attaching a different file (such as a 1 second video), it forces it to send all of the pictures as attachments also.

As always, «the pictures» are sent «as attachments», always.


The only potential differences are:

  1. In the appearance of the email, and
  2. Whether Outlook (or one of its derivatives) will allow you to perform bulk attachment operations (such as bulk-saves), regardless of appearance.
292 replies

Dec 26, 2020 5:23 AM in response to iW00

Only partially true. Yes, they embedded images by default but we still had the option to click upload and select the format. Don't believe me? Well I did it just three weeks ago...before I got my new phone. I transfer files regularly and often.


Now, there's no option for uploading files rather than embedding them. That's the issue that you only partially correctly answered. You haven't provided a solution. Just useless words.

Jan 9, 2021 11:11 AM in response to deane160

I resisted upgrading to IOS 14 until finally did at 14.3, thinking bugs would be worked out. I had not even heard of this issue with photos being embedded and that's an issue for me. Apple: I DISLIKE embedded photos in emails! I am a small business and email photos to myself to download on my HP laptop, for quick download and edit. Now the photos are embedded in the body of the emails I'm sending myself and they are smaller pixels/resolution and square--not what I want, even though I use the largest MB photo size when emailing to myself. I have to click on each photo in the email to open it, download, save and rename it now! COME ON, APPLE, CHANGE THE EMAILED PHOTOS BACK TO JPG ATTACHMENTS! I was about to buy an iPhone 12 Pro Max, but WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER IPHONE UNTIL THIS IS FIXED.

Jan 14, 2021 5:48 AM in response to sterling r

I guess I've found the solution. Maybe it's been stated herein already. If so, my apologies. If not, looks like you have to email yourself the embedded image. Then:


  1. open the applicable email
  2. right click on the photo
  3. choose "Save as Picture"
  4. Name and Save


I'm on Windows 10 and using Outlook. I've only tried this from the laptop, not from the phone. This is the problem with Apple and it's always been this way (had my first MacIntosh in the late 1980s): forcing us to do business the way they want us to do business rather than allowing us to do business in the most efficient manner for ourselves.

Jan 14, 2021 2:12 PM in response to Chris-FW

Welcome, Chris-FW, to Apple Support Communities!


You are having to perform this per-photo save because you are using Outlook (any of its derivatives have the same issues). Right?


Have you not noticed that no other email clients force their users to go through this, regardless how the email appears to be formatted?


Apple has never been «forcing us to do business the way they want us to do business».


However, users do need to be wise about what tools they choose «to do business in the most efficient manner for [them]selves.»


In the case of trying to send (potentially many) photos to another location, email is, arguably, not the best tool for the job, even if it seemed to work at some points in the past: email will continue to evolve to better support human-to-human electronic communications.


That evolution will likely increasingly diverge from the purpose for which y’all have chosen to use it.


Yet. There are many other tools that are more specifically designed for sending files to remote locations and multiple sites.


It’s all up to y’all.

Jan 14, 2021 3:01 PM in response to Chris-FW

Even so-called “open source” have myriad issues.


In this case, Chris-FW, Apple has been and continues to use Open International Internet Standards.


In fact, Apple is, typically, among the first to adopt the latest such Standards.


The issue is not about appearances—how any given email may appear when displayed (rendered) by any given email client—but about functionality—whether the user can perform bulk email attachment operations (such as bulk-saves) upon the attachments associated with any received email, regardless how said email client may choose to display (render) such email.


So, why have «you not noticed that no other email clients force their users to go through this, regardless how the email appears to be formatted?»


Are you, like so many others, only paying attention to appearances?


(I’ve read this, and other similar Discussions from the beginning. I took my time in evaluating the issue, including the nature of the various “workarounds”, before coming to the conclusion I and others have.)

Jan 14, 2021 3:27 PM in response to Halliday

Open source having issues wasn't the point. Far from it. Of course it has issues.


As far as the following, again you miss the mark. No idea where this comes from and it's not what I was saying so I'm not wasting time addressing every disprepancy.


Point taken, however, about Open International Standards.


I'm a data modeler who knows a few languages. I'm also an avid photographer. I probably have a better idea than you regarding batch uploads and the better tools available for such (which is not what I was talking about).


Thank you for the response. I was trying to help out others. Sorry the thread got hijacked by philosophy and theory. I stand by my statements. I offered a solution. That's really what readers on this thread wanted to know.

Jan 14, 2021 3:43 PM in response to Chris-FW

Chris-FW wrote:


Point taken, however, about Open International Standards.

I'm a data modeler who knows a few languages. I'm also an avid photographer. I probably have a better idea than you regarding batch uploads and the better tools available for such (which is not what I was talking about).

I certainly would not try to claim I know what «the better tools available for such» may be.


I simply know there are such, and trying to use a tool, with its own intended purpose, for some divergent purpose, is seldom wise, even if such may be utilitarian, temporarily.

Jan 15, 2021 2:09 PM in response to Chris-FW

Chris-FW wrote:

… I do not, however, agree that attaching a pic to an email from your phone is some divergent purpose. Actually, it's fundamental...or has been until now.

Attaching a picture to an email is not, in and of itself, «some divergent purpose». However, neither is it «fundamental», nor has it ever been.


Back in the early ‘80s, all we had was plain-text (text/plain) emails, and attached files always had to be handled separately.


In those days, attached pictures, to an email, were more analogous to photographs enclosed within the same envelope as a typed or handwritten letter: the receiver had to, sort of, integrate them in their own mind.


Then, in the latter ‘80s, as we were having access to word processing—wherein we could integrate formatted text and images, at least, there was a push for similar capabilities within emails. After all, we now had that capability in “snail”-mail.


So, a number of rich-text formats came into being. The main one that is in most use, these days, is the one based upon the same HTML standard as webpages, text/html.


This used and still uses the same old email attachment methodology used in the early ‘80s, but references the attached files within the body-text of the email to integrate formatted text with images, and other multimedia files, in a manner like unto webpages, to provide a “word processed” email document.


So. The intended purpose of email continues to be facilitating human-to-human electronic communications.


Any attachment (or otherwise) of pictures, or other files, is strictly to facilitate that purpose: in this case, in a manner like unto word processing.


Hence, the attachment of pictures/images/etc. is incidental to the fundamental purpose—not, in any way, «fundamental», in and of itself.


Hence, using email as a means of transferring pictures, and other files, is, fundamentally, «some divergent purpose», compared to the fundamental purpose of email.


However, fortunately for y’all, there does not appear to be a “push” to replace the old attachment mechanism for images/pictures/etc., within the International Internet Standards that govern emails.


So, there is no excuse—at this time—for any email clients to prevent their users from performing bulk attachment operations (such as bulk-saves), upon their received emails, regardless how any given email client may choose to format (render) said emails.


Unfortunately, what has hit you, and all other afflicted parties, here, and in other, similar Discussions, is a tiny subset of email clients (only a single email client and its derivatives, so far as anyone within this entire Community has been able to find) that violates the aforementioned principle.


Furthermore, since none of that tiny subset of email clients is within Apple’s control, Apple has no way of correcting the actual problem.

Jan 15, 2021 3:01 PM in response to Halliday

Thank you for the explanation. I wasn't aware. Makes perfect sense and helps a lot. And, of course, Apple can't control other email clients. No issues with any of it.


FWIW, I started back in the mid 80's. I agree with everything you said. As far as International Standards, I'm a neophyte. I definitely need to get up to speed. I didn't consider International Standards with my initial post. Clears up a lot. My mistake.


Thanks again. (Chalk another one up to user error.)



Jan 20, 2021 8:23 AM in response to Chris-Me

Welcome, Chris-Me, to Apple Support Communities!


Apple isn’t here, generally. It is only us, your fellow users.


You may provide Feedback to Apple, at any time on anything related to their products through their provided Feedback mechanisms: Product Feedback - Apple.


Admittedly, this issue is far from as simple as it may appear, at first.


It took many of us a while, working with people, like yourself, for quite a while (mostly on Discussions that predate this version), in order to work out the causal relationships.


While my discussion with Chris-FW, earlier in this Discussion, doesn’t go into many of the details, it did seem to help him better understand the issue. Perhaps it may help you, as well.

Feb 1, 2021 3:44 PM in response to Pvjoy

send it as a text. Someone above suggested this and it works... for now. I can’t believe apple would not create a solution to this. We use Iphones for work. If they don’t fix this soon it makes our phones useless for business. I take hundreds of photos per week for work and have to email them out. No one is going to sit there and right click to save each photo. Come on apple...

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Emailing photo attachments from my iPhone 11

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