Email attachments in gmail are often essential for conversations and you should be able to access them on the go, on your android, with no problem. However, some users claim that they cannot open email attachments on android and we have some solutions to suggest. the solutions provided below are for google gmail but you can also use them in microsoft outlook or different android email clients.
There are millions of extensions and some files require specific niche tools, so identifying the file format extension (eg .zip, .tar, .xlsx, etc.) is a good start. once you know what the file format is, you can download the attached file and install a corresponding application that allows access to the extension. pdf reader for pdf files, rar for rar and zip files, etc.
index:
- download attachments and try again
- install apps that support different file formats
- clear local gmail data
- uninstall gmail updates</li
- try to access email attachments on your pc
how do i open email attachments on my android?
If you can’t open email attachments, you should:
- Delete and re-download the attachment from the email.
- Use apps that can open certain extensions if you don’t have any system apps that can open them.
- reset gmail.
- make sure the file is valid and not corrupted. you can ask the sender to verify it for you and send it back to you.
You can usually open email attachments in gmail without downloading them. at least, to preview the contents of the file. however, we suggest downloading the file and using an application recommended for the file format to access it. be it that rar, pdf reader or a specific tool.
1. please download attachments and try again
The first thing you need to do is download the attached file and access it locally. there may be a temporary server-side issue preventing access to the email content.
then download the attached file and try again. To do so, simply open the email and tap the download icon below the attachment preview to store it locally. after that open the file manager (all android devices have a built-in file manager) and locate the file. attachments you download from gmail usually go to internal storage > downloads.
2. install applications that open different file formats
Android can open a wide variety of files, but just like your PC, certain formats require specific applications to access them. The good thing is that once you download a file that cannot be opened, your android will offer to search for applications that can open it in the play store.
an obvious example would be a presentation made with microsoft powerpoint. if you don’t have powerpoint for android, you should still be able to preview this attachment (not with all file extensions created in powerpoint), but you can’t edit it.
so please check the details of each attachment you want to access and focus on the file format extension. Many users get attachments with compressed files (zip or rar) for which you need applications like winzip (get it here) or rar (available here) to unzip the file so that you can access the files it contains on your android.
Please note that there are a small group of files that are simply not accessible on android and you will need to use your pc to access them.
3. clear local gmail data
If you suspect an application crash is causing attachment problems, you can reset it by clearing local data. the procedure is quite simple, you won’t lose anything and the app should work better afterwards.
here is how to clear gmail local data for android:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Open Gmail from the list of available apps.
- Tap Storage.
- Clear data and restart your device.
- Open Gmail, open the email containing the attachment you want to access, and try again.
If that fails and you still can’t open email attachments on your android smartphone or tablet, please reinstall gmail or uninstall app updates.
4. uninstall gmail updates
On some Android skins, you can’t fully remove Google Gmail but you can uninstall updates from it. To uninstall updates from Gmail, navigate through Settings > Apps > Gmail. Once there, tap on the 3-dots menu and select Uninstall updates.
On the other hand, in many android skins, you can reinstall gmail from play store with ease. here is how to reinstall gmail on android:
- open play store.
- search for gmail and expand the app.
- tap uninstall .
- reboot your android device.
- once again go to play store and install gmail.
5. try to access email attachments on your pc
Finally, you can try to access email attachments on your pc. just navigate to gmail for web, here. you may need to login with your gmail/google account credentials first. once there, download the attachments, the same way you would on android. again, incomplete attachments and corrupted files cannot be accessed, so make sure everything is in order from senders as well.
that should do it. Thanks for reading and feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions with us in the comments section below. Also, feel free to check out our facebook and twitter pages.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in December 2021. We make sure to update it to make it more current and accurate.