Attach PDF (or any document) to email.

Solved the problem - got the BBry Z10

I cannot find ANY reason why mail client doesn't have such BASIC functionality. This is too ridiculous for me to understand it. Unability to answer the mail with document attachement ????????? - I think they missed it on purpose. But I don't know why 😟

I did not have success attaching an edited pdf file without embedding it within the email using the other suggestions, including goodreader. I had a pdf that I needed to edit and sign. I did this in Notability. However, when trying to email it back, every workaround I tried embedded it within an email, and would not attach the file separately. I ended up saving it to dropbox, and sending a link to the file.

I then discovered the app Phone Drive free, which once installed, shows up as an app to "open in." Once the pdf was opened in the app, the trick is to go into the pdf itself. If you try to email the pdf from the home menu in Phone Drive, it still tries to embed it in the email. However, if you open the pdf and then tap on the square icon with a dash in it, you can send an email with the file separately attached.

I hope this helps anyone who struggled with this task as I have.

I have had the same problem from a long time, and although I agree that if you want to send a PDF doc by using the workaround, it doesnt help for my basic scenario problem.

My problem:

You want to Reply All to a lot of persons (more than a couple, most of the time 20+).

You cant Select All/Copy all of the email addresses, and thats the main problem.

Otherwise I could send any email from a 3rd party app just to send the PDF doc.

So basically you by instinct try 2 methods:

1. Reply All in Mail app and try to insert a PDF doc like any other image or video.

2. Use the 3rd app to send the PDF and paste all of the email addresses.

Problems with 1 (like mentioned on this thread already) is only for Photos/videos in your Camera roll.

Problems with 2, at least for myself that use my companies Exchange email on the Mail app, it is impossible to copy all of the email addresses to Paste on the To: field already open on the 3rd app. It will be great if I could copy All of the email adresses (that most of them are names from exchange itself). Example of the emails on my To: field "John Doe > Jack Hughes > Selena Trish > ..." so on...

So the main problem could be resolved if any of the 2 ways described could be done, either by Select All/Copy "correctly as well" all of the email addresses, or by letting insert a PDF in the Mail app like any photo or video...

The workaround unfortunately doesnt work for this scenario, and I do this a lot (and I need a computer to do so instead)...

All that you need to do is download and use "mailbox" app instead of native mailbox. Next, download Dropbox app. These two apps are free and integrated with one another. In addition the Dropbox app is integrated with iOS. So it is just as easy to get a file downloaded on Dropbox as any other method. Plus mailbox is really into organizing your email and getting your inbox to zero. This toats works. You can go attachment crazy with this solution. Attach to deleted, draft, reply, fwd, original. It does pics too. It even one ups the iOS with attaching pics cause one of the options is to attach the most recent pic you took. dang!

This solution only works with gmail and iCloud.

Yes, the Mailbox app requires you to either use a Gmail or a iCloud account but these people on this board seem pretty desperate. Best solution for the freebie factor and the common use of Gmail factor.

This solution is seamless if you already use Gmail. Otherwise you have to determine desperation of solution vs downsides of switching to Gmail. If this is not a personal email account then you may have to use one the the McGeyver methods discussed on this board.

zylbazyl wrote:

I cannot find ANY reason why mail client doesn't have such BASIC functionality. This is too ridiculous for me to understand it. Unability to answer the mail with document attachement ????????? - I think they missed it on purpose. But I don't know why 😟

The reason is a simple one. Apple hides the file system from users. Therefore, when replying to an email, it is not possible to simply attach a file to the email, as this would involve some kind of file browser, which means opening up the file system, which Apple do not appear to want to do; hence, the only solution is to send an email from the app containing the desired attachment. A very cumbersome workaround for what is easily achieved on other, more open, operating systems....

And Apple hides the file system from apps (not from users) to prevent apps from installing malware on the phone. A strategy that has worked very well, as there have been no successful attacks on iPhones in the almost 7 years they have been around. A statement that no other smartphone can make.

A fair point. However, it doesn't alter the fact that the approach adopted makes certain tasks extremely awkward, if not impossible. I much prefer the ease-of-use of Android and Symbian (which has also proved extremely resistant to attacks DESPITE its open nature)...

There are actually quite a few exploits that successfully attack Android. Symbian probably less so, because there are so few of them they aren't an attractive target (the same argument that was used against Apple Macs for for years).

The design of iOS restricts each app to its own data, so one app cannot read data that belongs to another app without the permission of the user. And every file type has an "owner" app. An app can offer data to another app; so the photo app can offer an image to email to send. But email cannot browse the space of the photo app. There are 3rd party apps (as has been pointed out) that can, with permission, access other data. But Apple doesn't provide such apps. Probably partly at least so they aren't accused of competing with their 3rd party developers.

For example, the calendar app is pretty primitive, and the contacts app lacks many essential features (such as the ability to change the group that a contact belongs to). But this creates a huge market for 3rd party apps to provide enhanced functionality. And there are many excellent calendar and contacts apps in the App Store.

you can attach file to new message but cannot do it when reply - so securing the filesystem is not the reason

There are actually quite a few exploits that successfully attack Android. Symbian probably less so, because there are so few of them they aren't an attractive target (the same argument that was used against Apple Macs for for years).

Not many Symbian devices? Really? Where did you get that gem from? More Symbian devices have been sold over the years than all iPhone models combined, and at one point Symbian had something like 80% of the smartphone market (excluding the US, where Symbian never gained any real traction)...

It's great cause by using 3rd party apps like mailbox and Dropbox you get the excellent competitive app market functionality with much less risk of attacks on phone. Smart stuff. And not complicated solution as long as you already use gmail. Duh

zylbazyl wrote:

you can attach file to new message but cannot do it when reply - so securing the filesystem is not the reason

I didn't know that. Mind you, we rarely send emails from our iPad...

Actually, having tested this on our iPad1, there is no way to create a new email in the email app and then add an attachment, unless I am missing a well-hidden button...