What the share sheet does in Mail
The share sheet in Apple Mail is a menu that appears when you want to send something to another app or person without leaving Mail. Instead of copying text, switching apps, and pasting it in, you tap or click one button and choose where it goes. It's the fastest way to forward a message, save it to Notes, add it to a reminder, or send it to any app on your device that accepts shared content.
On iPhone and iPad, the share sheet looks like a box with an arrow pointing up. On Mac, it's usually a button that says "Share" or shows the same arrow icon. When you tap or click it, a menu slides up (on phone) or pops open (on Mac) with all your options in one place.
Key Takeaways
- The share sheet icon is a box with an arrow pointing up on iPhone and iPad, and a "Share" button or arrow on Mac.
- You can access it by selecting a message or attachment, then tapping or clicking the share icon in the toolbar.
- The share sheet shows apps installed on your device that can receive the content you're sharing — Mail, Messages, Notes, Reminders, and others.
- You can customize which apps appear in your share sheet by scrolling to "More" and toggling apps on or off.
- The share sheet works the same way whether you're sharing a whole message, a single attachment, or just the sender's contact information.
Finding the share sheet on iPhone and iPad
Open Mail and find the message you want to share. Tap the message once to select it — you'll see a highlight appear around it. Look at the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. You should see several icons: a trash can, a flag, a folder, and others. The share icon is the box with an arrow pointing up, usually near the right side of that toolbar.
If you don't see it when ready, try swiping left on the toolbar. Some icons hide until you scroll. Once you tap the share icon, a menu slides up from the bottom showing all the apps and services that can receive this message. You can share to Messages, Notes, Reminders, Mail (to forward it), or any third-party app you have installed that supports sharing.
Finding the share sheet on Mac
Open Mail and click the message you want to share. At the top of the window, look for a toolbar with several buttons. You should see a button that says "Share" or displays the box-with-arrow icon. Click it, and a menu appears showing your sharing options.
If you don't see a Share button, the toolbar may be hidden. Go to the menu bar at the very top of your screen, click "View," and select "Show Toolbar." Once the toolbar is visible, the Share button should appear. On some Mac versions, you can also right-click the message and look for "Share" in the context menu that appears.
Sharing a message versus sharing an attachment
When you select the entire message and use the share sheet, you're sharing the whole thing — subject line, body text, and any attachments. The recipient sees it exactly as it appears in Mail. This is useful when you want someone to see the full context of a conversation.
If you only want to share one attachment, tap or click the attachment itself instead of the message. Then use the share sheet. This time, only that file goes to the app you choose. For example, you can share a PDF attachment directly to Notes, or a photo to Messages, without sending the entire email.
Customizing which apps appear in your share sheet
By default, the share sheet shows your most frequently used apps first. If you want to change what appears, scroll down in the share sheet menu until you see "More" at the bottom. Tap or click it, and you'll see a full list of every app on your device that can receive shared content.
Each app has a toggle switch next to it. Turn the switch on to make that app appear in your main share sheet menu, or off to hide it. The changes save automatically. The next time you open the share sheet, your customized list appears. This is especially useful if you have many apps installed — you can keep only the ones you use regularly visible.
What happens after you choose where to share
Once you tap or click an app in the share sheet, Mail passes the content to that app and opens it. If you chose Messages, a new message window opens with the content ready to send. If you chose Notes, the message appears in a new note. If you chose Mail, a forward window opens so you can add recipients and a message before sending.
You can edit the content before finalizing it in the receiving app. For example, if you share a message to Notes, you can add your own text, delete parts you don't need, or format it differently. The original message in Mail stays unchanged — sharing doesn't alter anything there.
Sharing contact information from a message
If a message is from someone whose contact details you want to save, you can share their information directly to your Contacts app. Tap or click the sender's name or email address at the top of the message, then look for a share icon near their name. Use the share sheet to send their contact to Contacts, or to another app that stores contact information.
This is faster than manually typing someone's email address into your contacts. The app automatically pulls their name and email from the message header and formats it correctly in Contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't I see the share icon in my Mail toolbar?
On iPhone and iPad, swipe left on the toolbar to reveal hidden icons. On Mac, go to View > Show Toolbar in the menu bar. If the toolbar is already visible and you still don't see Share, try updating Mail or restarting your device. Some older versions of Mail have the share feature in a different location or under a menu instead of a button.
Can I share a message to an app that isn't installed on my device?
No. The share sheet only shows apps you have installed. If you want to share to an app that isn't on your device, you'll need to install it first from the App Store (iPhone and iPad) or the Mac App Store (Mac). Once installed, it should appear in your share sheet automatically.
Does sharing a message send it to the other person, or just to the app?
Sharing sends the content to the app you choose, but not to another person unless you complete the action in that app. For example, if you share to Messages, the message appears in a new text, but you still have to type the recipient's name and tap Send. Sharing is just the first step.
Can I share multiple messages at once?
On most devices, you can select multiple messages by holding down one message and tapping others to add them to the selection. Then use the share sheet. However, some apps may only accept one message at a time, so the result depends on which app you're sharing to.
What's the difference between sharing and forwarding?
Forwarding is a Mail-specific action that creates a new email with the original message included. Sharing is broader — it sends content to any app on your device. If you share to Mail itself, you're essentially forwarding. But you can also share to Notes, Messages, Reminders, or dozens of other apps.