The short answer: start a new email, tap the paperclip (Attach) button, pick the photo and tap Send. In Gmail the paperclip is at the top right of the new message (Google). In iPhone Mail, tap inside the message and use the button above the keyboard (Apple). Gmail lets you attach up to 25 MB per email. That’s usually a handful of phone photos. If you go over that, Gmail sends the files as a Google Drive link instead (Google).
Gmail on your phone
- Open the Gmail app and tap Compose.
- Tap Attach (the paperclip) at the top right.
- Choose where the photo is: your photos, the camera, your files or Google Drive. You can pick up to 5 photos at a time (Google).
- Add the recipient and a subject, then tap Send.
Gmail on a computer
- Go to gmail.com and click Compose.
- At the bottom, click Attach (the paperclip), choose the photo and click Open. You can also drag a photo straight into the message (Google).
- Add the recipient and a subject, then click Send.
iPhone Mail app
- Open Mail, start a new message, and tap where you want the photo to go.
- Tap the attachment button above the keyboard.
- Tap Photo Library (or Take Photo or Video) and choose your picture (Apple).
- Tap send.
For very large files, iPhone Mail can offer Mail Drop, which uploads the file to iCloud and sends a download link (Apple).
Outlook
- Start a new email.
- Select Attach file (the paperclip) and choose the photo from your computer, or from OneDrive (Microsoft).
- Select Send.
Sending a lot of photos?
- Split them into a few emails of 3 to 5 photos each, or
- share an album instead. See how to share photos with family.
- Gmail blocks some file types, such as programs ending in .exe, for safety (Google). Photos are fine.
A safety tip
Only open attachments you were expecting from people you know. Scam emails often carry fake invoices or “shipping labels” as attachments. See how to spot fake emails.
