What Likely Happened
When you drag and drop photos from the Photos app > Recents into a Mail message on macOS, depending on:
- How you dragged them,
- What other apps were open (like Pages), and
- How macOS interpreted the data,
…it’s possible the system created a Rich Text or Pages document containing the images, and inserted that instead of inline attachments + text.
Also: if your drag triggered content from the Photos memory cache, or a background app (like Pages) hijacked the drag event, Mail may have saved just that container — not the original message body.
Why It Looks Like a Pages Document
- macOS sometimes auto-converts dragged image groups into a “rich attachment bundle” that mimics a Pages or RTF file, especially if you had Pages open.
- This isn't something you'd normally see — but if Pages or Mail misinterpreted your drag, it may have created a temporary document.
- The resulting email may show only a Pages attachment with embedded images — no text body, because the original Mail message body was never sent or got wiped out in the glitch.
Where to Look Next
1. Check the Sent Email on Another Device
- Open the Sent email on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap to preview the "Pages" file — see if it contains your original text and images.
- Sometimes, macOS labels an attachment as "Pages" but it's actually an RTF or embedded HTML preview.
2. Search for Auto-Saved Drafts or Versions
- In the Mail app, go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > Mailbox Behaviors
- Make sure Store draft messages on the server is enabled (for future)
- Check ~/Library/Mail/V10/MailData (or V9 depending on macOS) for Recovered Messages or Envelope Index rebuilds
- Use Spotlight to search for keywords from your message
3. Use Time Machine or “Reopen Last Closed Window”
If you use Time Machine, restore the Mail app or Photos state from just before the email was sent.
Or:
- Open Mail
- Click File > Reopen Last Closed Window — this sometimes restores unsent message drafts that weren’t saved.
What You Can Do Next Time
- Avoid dragging photos directly from Recents — instead:
- Use the photo picker (click 📎 or paperclip > Photos > choose items), or
- Export from Photos to Desktop, then drag into Mail
- Always type or paste your message after adding images — sometimes attachments overwrite the content area
- Use plain text mode (Format > Make Plain Text) to prevent style conversions when uncertain
