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iPad iPad Air 2 - Reply email file (pdf) attachment

T

TTofik

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 30, 2014
9
0
Greetings,

Can anyone, please confirm or contradict whether it is possible to add an attachment (not a photo, nor video, but a PDF file, or any other document file) to a reply message using default Mail app by Apple on iPad Air 2?

According to my very modest knowledge (as for now, I hope) and some tries I cannot find a way to perform this task.

It is very annoying and frustrating - such a basic option is missing!

Thank you in advance, any helpfull sign will be truly appreciated.

PS
Is there any alternative to default iPad Air 2 Mail which allow to use multiple email accounts including POP3?
 
TTofik said:
Greetings,

Can anyone, please confirm or contradict whether it is possible to add an attachment (not a photo, nor video, but a PDF file, or any other document file) to a reply message using default Mail app by Apple on iPad Air 2?

According to my very modest knowledge (as for now, I hope) and some tries I cannot find a way to perform this task.

It is very annoying and frustrating - such a basic option is missing!

Thank you in advance, any helpfull sign will be truly appreciated.

PS
Is there any alternative to default iPad Air 2 Mail which allow to use multiple email accounts including POP3?
Click to expand...

Get a GMail account and forward all of your other accounts to that one.
 
I can confirm. It is not possible.

Apple apparently doesn't think replying to an email with an attachment is important.

Makes you wonder what color is the sky in their planet.
 
ZBoater said:
I can confirm. It is not possible.

Apple apparently doesn't think replying to an email with an attachment is important.

Makes you wonder what color is the sky in their planet.
Click to expand...

Thank you both of you.

I will make a call instead or take a walk to attachment-added reply to a message taking my brand new iPad Air 2 with me (it is its main value here - portability). This method always works.
Technology is very important nowadays, isn"t it?
 
iPad Air 2 - Reply email file (pdf) attachment

tobeornottobe said:
Of course u can attach PDF files in emails on an ipad or iPhone
Click to expand...


Yes. You can attach to a new email.

Try doing it when REPLYING. Let us know how that works out for you.

With iCloud Drive Apple should be giving us the option of attaching a document from there at least. Come on, it's 2014.
 
TTofik said:
To 'reply' message via default Mail app?
If so, would you tell us how to achieve this task, please?
Click to expand...

Just tried it. It works but not very intuitively.

You need to go to your PDF file location (mines in iBooks) then email it with a new email. But in order to make it into the chain of emails from Perviously you need to copy all the text from old emails into the new email with the attachment. Then copy the title as well and the recipients. Press send. DONE. Your attachment is now part of a reply of the chain of emails.


I hope you understand what I'm saying. It is a stupidly inefficient process but it works. If only apple could include the attach button then it would solve all these ridiculous steps.
 
Last edited:
tobeornottobe said:
Just tried it. It works but not very intuitively.

You need to go to your PDF file location (mines in iBooks) then email it with a new email. But in order to make it into the chain of emails from Perviously you need to copy all the text from old emails into the new email with the attachment. Then copy the title as well and the recipients. Press send. DONE. Your attachment is now part of a reply of the chain of emails.


I hope you understand what I'm saying. It is a stupidly inefficient process but it works. If only apple could include the attach button then it would solve all these ridiculous steps.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Just a tiny function with a even tinier button.
Certainly your method works. But as you have mentioned the point is to be able to simply add an attachment piece other than a photo or a video.

Thank you for your response.
 
ZBoater said:
Ok, forward to whom, and then what?

Something as simple as an insert from iCloud button eludes Apple.
Click to expand...

Sorry I misunderstood the question. I must have some kind of acute dyslexia.

Just tried several options and I couldn't find a way which does not involve third party apps like GoodReader. But even GoodReader only enables you to attach multiple PDFs in a new e-mail. Copying and pasting using the share sheets in QuickView does not work either.

That's crazy in 2014.
 
Badrottie said:
I am hoping for iOS 9 might include reply with document/pdf attachment. :apple:
Click to expand...

To attack a document Apple would have to give access to some sort of 'user' folder where docs can be seen. That's a type of file access. Until that happens attachments to a reply (and multiple attachments of differing types) can't happen. You have to be able to browse and select from a list of files.
 
donnaw said:
To attack a document Apple would have to give access to some sort of 'user' folder where docs can be seen. That's a type of file access. Until that happens attachments to a reply (and multiple attachments of differing types) can't happen. You have to be able to browse and select from a list of files.
Click to expand...

I think it can be done by enabling access to:

1. iCloud drive
2. Attachments in Mail.app
 
Just don't use stock mail app if possible. It's not that great compared to some other mail apps (boxer for ex.)
 
TommyA6 said:
Just don't use stock mail app if possible. It's not that great compared to some other mail apps (boxer for ex.)
Click to expand...


Ummmm, I'm not sure how using another email app solved this problem. Are you aware of another email app that lets you reply to an email and attach s document from your iPhone?

----------
ada-lovelace said:
Or use this workaround:

PDF App (e.g. Goodreader) --> "Open In" Mail
Click to expand...


Again, how does this fix the problem of REPLYING to an email and adding an attachment?????

It does not.

----------
haruhiko said:
I think it can be done by enabling access to:



1. iCloud drive

2. Attachments in Mail.app
Click to expand...


Bingo. The insert function in s reply needs access to iCloud Drive. Problem solved.
 
ZBoater said:
Ummmm, I'm not sure how using another email app solved this problem. Are you aware of another email app that lets you reply to an email and attach s document from your iPhone?

----------




Again, how does this fix the problem of REPLYING to an email and adding an attachment?????

It does not.

----------




Bingo. The insert function in s reply needs access to iCloud Drive. Problem solved.
Click to expand...

i think Boxer can do just that...
 
donnaw said:
To attack a document Apple would have to give access to some sort of 'user' folder where docs can be seen. That's a type of file access. Until that happens attachments to a reply (and multiple attachments of differing types) can't happen. You have to be able to browse and select from a list of files.
Click to expand...

Not really. It could be done using the exact method that is already in place in iOS. You click the Share button (or, as is currently necessary to attach a photo or video directly from the Mail message, long press in the contents to get the menu) and a list of apps that can share their data is brought up. Allow you to repeat this step. The capability is already 100% present in the OS.
 
TommyA6 said:
i think Boxer can do just that...
Click to expand...

No, unless Boxer can somehow overcome the sandbox limitations of iOS.

Let me explain.

I have a Word document in Pages. I get an email asking for the document, part of an email string/conversation. I hit reply. I can only insert a photo or video, because that's what iOS lets me see. Files in other applications are "sandboxed" or protected.

I work around this on a browser with iCab, as iCab lets me upload a doc to it that can later be inserted when I want to upload a doc to a website. That is a workaround, and an ugly one at that. I do not have access to my latest documents, as they are stored in their respective sandboxes.

Sure, I can upload the doc from its sandbox to a more accessible site, say, Dropbox.

I can then use an app that lets me access Dropbox. Great. I can use Android while I'm at it, which lets me hit the attachment button and browse my storage area for ANY file.

You know, like a REAL computer.

No, there is no apologizing for Apple on this one. They've simply dropped the ball. Like when they released the iPhone without the ability to cut and paste. This is supposed to be a good thing? No, it's retarded. And should be fixed.

In the meantime, no replies with attachments (or soup) for you!!!
 
What I do:
Open the PDF in Dropbox.
Copy the shareable link.
Paste the Dropbox link into the reply.
 
funnyboy88 said:
What I do:
Open the PDF in Dropbox.
Copy the shareable link.
Paste the Dropbox link into the reply.
Click to expand...

In that case someone has got a Dropbox account, hasn"t he/she?
If not...?

Or I am wrong?

I cannot figure out how to force a user to upload a file to upload the file to... email it instead of available a simple attachment with some kind warning of the risk to accessing the file folder for browsing?

It seems to me a user is in certain, quite delicate way pushed to use cloud services and sooner or later pay for them. Of course this is a very handy way to manage documents keeping maximum mobility available. But why haven''t got a simple choice to use one own storage sources?
 
funnyboy88 said:
What I do:
Open the PDF in Dropbox.
Copy the shareable link.
Paste the Dropbox link into the reply.
Click to expand...

Exactly. You shouldn't be sending any email attachments really. I use a Hazel rule that sweeps my public shared Dropbox folder clean once a week so old links become redundant as well.
 
This whole problem stems from the fact that there is no access to a "file system" in iOS - its just a conglomeration of apps. The only way I see this possible is for Apple to implement attaching a document from iCloud. Fingers crossed.
 
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