The simplest way: use the Mail app's attachment button
Open the Mail app on your iPhone and start a new email by tapping the pencil-and-paper icon in the bottom right corner. Type in the recipient's address and subject line. Then tap inside the message body where you want to mention the photo, and look for the paperclip icon — it usually appears above the keyboard when you tap in the compose area. Tap the paperclip, then select Photo or Video from the menu that appears.
Your photo library will open. Find the photo you want to send, tap it once to select it, then tap Choose in the bottom right. The photo will attach to your email. You can see it either as a thumbnail in the message or as an attachment icon, depending on your iPhone model and iOS version. Once the photo is attached, finish typing your message and tap Send in the top right corner.
If you don't see the paperclip icon, try tapping the arrow pointing left at the bottom left of the keyboard — this sometimes reveals additional options including the attachment button.
Key Takeaways
- The paperclip icon in the Mail app's compose screen lets you attach photos directly from your library.
- You can attach multiple photos to a single email by tapping the paperclip again after the first photo is added.
- Photos sent through Mail are compressed automatically, so file size is not something you need to manage yourself.
- If the paperclip does not appear, swipe up on the keyboard or look for a menu arrow at the bottom of the compose window.
Attaching photos from the Photos app instead
If you are already looking at a photo in the Photos app and want to email it, you do not have to switch to Mail first. Open the photo, tap the Share button (usually a square with an arrow pointing out of it), and scroll down until you see Mail in the list of options. Tap it.
Mail will open with a new compose window and the photo already attached. The recipient field will be empty, so type in the email address and add a subject line. This route is faster if you know exactly which photo you want to send before you start composing.
Attaching multiple photos at once
To send more than one photo in the same email, open Mail and start composing as usual. Tap the paperclip icon and select your first photo. After it attaches, tap the paperclip again — it will reappear — and choose your second photo. Repeat this for as many photos as you need to send.
Alternatively, go to the Photos app, select multiple photos by tapping Select in the top right, then tap each photo you want to include. Once you have selected them all, tap the Share button and choose Mail. All selected photos will attach to a single email at once, which is faster than attaching them one by one.
What happens to photo quality when you send them
iPhone automatically compresses photos when you attach them to email. This means the file size becomes smaller so the email sends faster and does not clog up the recipient's inbox. The photo will still look good on a phone or computer screen, but if someone wants to print a large version or edit it professionally, they may notice the quality is not quite as sharp as the original.
If you need to send a photo at full quality without compression, use iCloud or another cloud storage service instead. You can share a link to the photo through email, and the recipient can read the original file from there. This is also useful if you are sending many photos, since email has size limits but cloud storage does not.
Troubleshooting: paperclip icon does not appear
If you tap in the message body and the paperclip icon never shows up, try these steps in order. First, make sure you are using the Mail app that came with your iPhone, not a third-party email app like Gmail or Outlook — those apps have different attachment buttons. Second, tap the keyboard once to make sure it is fully open, then look again. Third, try swiping up on the keyboard itself — sometimes the attachment options are hidden above the keyboard and only appear when you swipe.
If none of that works, close Mail completely and open it again. Sometimes the app needs to refresh. If the paperclip still does not appear after restarting Mail, restart your iPhone itself. This clears temporary glitches that can hide interface elements.
Sending photos through other apps on your iPhone
You are not limited to the Mail app. Most messaging apps like Messages, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger have their own photo attachment buttons — usually a camera icon or a plus sign. Tap that icon, select a photo from your library, and send it. These apps often send photos faster than email because they compress them more aggressively.
If you want to email a photo but prefer a different email app, the process is similar: open the app, start a new message, look for the attachment or camera icon, and select your photo. The exact location of the button varies by app, but the concept is the same across all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I attach a photo that is not in my Photos app?
Not directly from Mail. Photos you receive through email, messages, or downloads go into your Photos app automatically, so they will be there when you go to attach. If you have a photo stored in a file manager or cloud app like Google Drive, open that app first, share the file to Mail, and Mail will handle the attachment from there.
What is the largest photo file I can attach to an email?
Most email providers accept attachments up to 25 megabytes per email. A typical photo from your iPhone camera is 2 to 5 megabytes, so you can send many photos in one email without hitting that limit. If you are sending dozens of high-resolution photos, you may exceed the limit — in that case, split them across two emails or use cloud storage instead.
Why does my photo look blurry after I send it?
iPhone compresses photos automatically when you attach them to email. This is normal and intentional — it makes the email smaller so it sends faster. The photo will look fine on a screen but may appear slightly less sharp than the original if printed very large. If the recipient needs the original quality, send the photo through cloud storage or AirDrop instead.
Can I attach a screenshot the same way as a regular photo?
Yes. Screenshots are saved to your Photos app just like regular photos, so they appear in your library when you tap the paperclip icon. Select a screenshot the same way you would select any other photo, and it will attach to your email.