Mail app - Where are "downloaded" email attachments stored?

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iOS Mail app - Where are "downloaded" email attachments stored?

I'm on iOS 12.1.3

For example, I email someone two mp3 files (don't worry - not illegally - these are audio exports from notation software :)) using the GMail web interface on my iMac . I then want to be sure the attachments are playable on iPhone, so I go to my sent mail in the Mail app on my iPhone, click on the sent email, then "tap to download" each of the mp3 files. They both download, and then I can tap to play them from within the Mail app (it brings up an audio player with the QuickTime logo in the background).

So my question is, where are such downloaded files stored on my iPhone? Are they embedded to that email so that the only way to delete them from your phone is to delete the email and then empty the trash? Or is there a way to empty the cache of downloaded files without having to delete the email(s) from which they were downloaded?
 
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usagora
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Maybe some of the tips or hints from here would help provide the answer for your situation:
https://m.imore.com/how-save-email-attachments-mail-iphone-and-ipad





- Patrick
======

Thanks, but that article just explains how to save attachments to various cloud storage platforms, which I already know how to do. I'm referring to files you download and view/play directly within the Mail app as described in my OP, such as documents, images, audio, and video. I'd like to delete those files without deleting the email they were attached to (if possible).
 

IWT


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Jonathan,

Don't know if this is what you are after; but, say, you send and email with any attachment you like. Maybe a large attachment. As soon as the recipient acknowledges they've got it - go into Send, find the email, then go up to the main tool bar, click on Message, and at the bottom of the drop down is "Remove Attachments". Click on that.

This leaves you with the typed content of the email, but without the attachments..

Ian
 
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Jonathan,

Don't know if this is what you are after; but, say, you send and email with any attachment you like. Maybe a large attachment. As soon as the recipient acknowledges they've got it - go into Send, find the email, then go up to the main tool bar, click on Message, and at the bottom of the drop down is "Remove Attachments". Click on that.

This leaves you with the typed content of the email, but without the attachments..

Ian

You must be referring to the macOS Mail app. I'm referring to the iOS Mail app (which is why I posted in this sub-forum, but I'll edit the thread title to make it clearer).
 

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Oops. Sorry.:Oops:

Still, If you ever want to know how to do it on a Mac......

Ian
 
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Did the files appear in iTunes/Music Player? Maybe as a new Playlist? Or maybe as two new songs?
 
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Did the files appear in iTunes/Music Player? Maybe as a new Playlist? Or maybe as two new songs?

No, they're nowhere in the Music app (not under Recently Added or in any search result). When I play the files from the email, they play directly within the Mail app...or at least they appear to - there's a player that comes up with the QuickTime logo in the background like this:

46931897191_bcdc2e2190.jpg
 
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iOS Mail app - Where are "downloaded" email attachments stored?


Well, that sounds like a pretty reasonable question to ask and I don't use iOS very much, but just reading some hits from a Google search of the question sure seems like some of the developers didn't really put much thought into it, especially regarding some of the comments, ie:
Downloading files on iPhone or iPad is a pain
No matter how good you are at getting this workflow down, it still feels like downloading files and documents from an iPhone or iPad is a giant pain in the butt. It’s not complex per say, but it’s an inelegant process that needs some work.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy to be able to download files this way, but I wish Apple would let me access part of the drive of my iPhone or iPad so I can painlessly download stuff to my liking. Maybe this will be part of a future software update, especially now that Apple is trying hard to pitch iPad as a work machine.

As always, any questions or comments you may have are more than welcome.
https://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/04/14/how-to-download-files-and-documents-to-iphone-or-ipad/

https://www.google.com/search?ei=6B....0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j33i10.9HkSjHWto3U

Or have they actually improved things a bit from when that article was written??? Doesn't seem like it from what I could see.







- Patrick
======
 
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Well, that sounds like a pretty reasonable question to ask and I don't use iOS very much, but just reading some hits from a Google search of the question sure seems like some of the developers didn't really put much thought into it, especially regarding some of the comments, ie:

https://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/04/14/how-to-download-files-and-documents-to-iphone-or-ipad/

https://www.google.com/search?ei=6B....0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j33i10.9HkSjHWto3U

Or have they actually improved things a bit from when that article was written??? Doesn't seem like it from what I could see.







- Patrick
======

Well, I don't do much content creation or editing on my iPhone - mainly just reference/viewing/sharing. And most of that is within Google Drive or OneDrive. I have no complaints for my needs at least. I just don't want GBs of "downloaded" files I've viewed in Mail (some I maybe exported to OneDrive or whatever, which means they're probably taking up twice the space) taking up space on my iPhone needlessly.
 

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