You can forward an email with its attachments by using the forward button instead of copying the message text

When you forward an email using your email program's forward feature, attachments come along automatically. The person who receives your forward will see both the original message and any files that were attached to it. This is different from copying and pasting the email text into a new message — that method leaves the attachments behind.

The forward button is usually near the reply button in your email interface. In Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail, it appears as an arrow pointing right or a label that says "Forward". Clicking it creates a new message with the original email quoted inside, and the attachments are already included in the package you are about to send.

Key Takeaways

  • Use the forward button in your email program to send an email with its attachments; copying and pasting the message text will not bring the files along.
  • The forward feature works the same way across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail — click the arrow or forward label and the attachments attach automatically.
  • You can add your own message above the forwarded email and remove attachments before sending if you do not want to include them all.
  • If an attachment is very large, your email program may warn you that the file size is too big to send, and you may need to use a file-sharing service instead.

How to forward an email with attachments in Gmail

Open the email you want to forward. Look for the arrow icon pointing to the right, or look for the three-dot menu icon and select "Forward" from the dropdown. A new message window will open with the original email quoted below and all attachments already included.

Type the recipient's email address in the "To" field. You can add your own message above the forwarded content if you want. When you are ready, click "Send". The attachments will go with the message.

How to forward an email with attachments in Outlook

Open the email you want to forward. Click the "Forward" button in the toolbar at the top of the message. A new message window opens with the original email and its attachments ready to send.

Enter the recipient's email address and add any message you want to include. Click "Send". If you want to remove one of the attachments before sending, click the X next to the file name in the attachment area.

How to forward an email with attachments in Yahoo Mail

Open the email. Click the three-line menu icon (sometimes called a hamburger menu) or look for the forward arrow. Select "Forward" from the options that appear. The original message and its attachments will be included in the new message.

Add the recipient's address and any message you want to include, then click "Send". Yahoo Mail will send the attachments along with the forwarded email.

How to forward an email with attachments in Apple Mail

Open the email on your Mac or iPhone. Click the forward arrow button (usually in the top right of the message). A new message window opens with the original email quoted and attachments included.

Type the recipient's email address and add your message if needed. Click "Send". The attachments travel with your forward.

What to do if the attachment is too large to send

Email programs have size limits for attachments. Gmail allows up to 25 megabytes per message. Outlook's limit is 20 megabytes. Yahoo Mail allows 25 megabytes. If you try to forward an email with a file larger than the limit, your email program will show an error message and will not send the message.

When this happens, you have two options. You can ask the original sender to use a file-sharing service like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive to share the large file instead, and then forward that link to your recipient. Or you can upload the attachment to one of these services yourself and send your recipient a link to read it from there, along with a message explaining what the file is.

How to remove attachments before forwarding

If an email has multiple attachments and you only want to send some of them, you can remove the ones you do not need. In Gmail, look for the attachment area below the message text. Click the X next to any file you want to remove. In Outlook, do the same in the attachment section of the new message window.

In Yahoo Mail and Apple Mail, the process is similar — find the attachment in the compose window and click the remove button next to it. This is useful when an email chain has accumulated many files over time and you only want to forward the most recent or relevant ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person I forward to see the original sender's name?

Yes. When you forward an email, the message shows "---------- Forwarded message ---------" followed by the original sender's name, the date they sent it, and the subject line. Your recipient will know the email came from someone else originally.

Can I forward an email to multiple people at once?

Yes. In the "To" field of your forward message, you can type multiple email addresses separated by commas, or use the "CC" field to add additional recipients. All of them will receive the forwarded email with its attachments.

What if I forward an email by accident?

If you have not clicked "Send" yet, you can close the message without sending it. If you have already sent it, most email programs do not have an unsend feature, though Gmail offers an "Undo Send" option for a few seconds after you click send. Check your email program's settings to see if this feature is available.

Does forwarding an email use up my storage space?

Forwarding creates a new copy of the email and attachments in your sent folder, so yes, it uses some of your email account's storage. If you are running low on storage space, you may need to delete old emails or attachments to make room.