HI. G-mail drafts with attachments, written with the MacBook's Mail application, appear on the iPhone mail app with attachment icons but no documents. Above all, if sent from the iPhone, they reach the recipient without attachments. MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015), MacOs 12.7.5 (21H1222) / iPhone 13 mini, iOS 17.5.1 Spoiler: I know my MacBook / macOS are old, but I've never had this problem before.
iPhone 13 mini, iOS 17
If email attachments in drafts written on your MacBook's Mail application appear on your iPhone's Mail app without the documents, and if they reach the recipient without attachments when sent from the iPhone, this issue can be due to several factors. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:
1. Ensure Proper Syncing
- Check Sync Settings:
- Ensure that your Gmail account is set to sync attachments properly.
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Gmail Account] > Account > Advanced. Ensure that Mail is enabled.
2. Update Apps and iOS
- Update iOS and macOS:
- Ensure both your iPhone and MacBook are running the latest available updates.
- For iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- For MacBook: Go to System Preferences > Software Update.
3. Re-add Gmail Account
- Remove and Re-add Gmail Account:
- Removing and re-adding your Gmail account can sometimes resolve sync issues.
- On iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Gmail Account] > Delete Account.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Re-add your Gmail account via Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account > Google.
- On MacBook:
- Go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > [Your Gmail Account] > Remove.
- Restart your MacBook.
- Re-add your Gmail account via Mail > Preferences > Accounts > Add Account > Google.
4. Check Email Settings
- Verify SMTP Settings:
- Ensure that your SMTP settings are correct on both your MacBook and iPhone.
- On MacBook:
- Go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > [Your Gmail Account] > Server Settings.
- Verify the outgoing mail server (SMTP) settings.
- On iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Gmail Account] > Account > SMTP > Primary Server.
- Verify the outgoing mail server settings.
5. Draft Attachments Check
- Check Drafts Folder:
- Ensure that the drafts are saved correctly with attachments.
- On MacBook: Open the draft email and verify the attachment is visible and accessible.
- On iPhone: Open the draft email and verify the attachment icon.
6. Test Sending from Different Device
- Send Draft from MacBook:
- Try sending the draft email from your MacBook instead of your iPhone to ensure that the attachments are included.
- Send a New Email:
- Compose a new email with an attachment directly on your iPhone and send it to see if the problem persists.
7. Use Gmail Web Interface
- Verify on Gmail Web:
- Check your drafts and attachments using the Gmail web interface (mail.google.com). This can help determine if the issue is with the email client on your devices.
8. Alternative Email Clients
- Try Different Email App:
- As a temporary solution, try using a different email app like the official Gmail app on your iPhone to see if the issue persists.
By following these steps, you should be able to identify and resolve the issue with disappearing email attachments in drafts. If the problem continues, consider reaching out to Gmail support for further assistance.
Thank you very much for your reply.
I tried most of your suggestions before (except the Gmail web/app suggestions, see below) and have done them all again.
Nothing happened until I opened the Gmail Web and Gmail App: there, in both, I saw that my recent drafts appeared correctly, with attached documents. But I also saw, in the drafts box, 78 "conversations" from 2017 and 2018, each one of them containing dozens of drafts, most of them being endless versions of the same draft.
I never saw all those drafts before, in the Mail app, desktop, or iPhone.
So I canceled those old drafts one after one. And after that I saw my draft attachments in the Mail app, perfectly synced between Mac and iPhone.
Then, before replying to you "Problem solved!", I wrote a new draft with an attachment on the Mac, opened it on the iPhone, and… no attachment. I went back to the Gmail App, all normal. I went to Gmail Web and…other 13 conversations with endless drafts from the past!
So I canceled all of those other old drafts again and after that I tried again a new draft with an attachment and.. no attachment on the phone.
So strange.
Furthermore, I tried to contact Gmail support and their community but, in both cases, I only found a page with a window to report the problem which returns three basic troubleshooting articles and a link "Do you need further assistance?" which takes you back to the starting window and so on to infinity
Email attachments in drafts disappear
