# G-mail users: How do you open attachments?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/g-mail-users-how-do-you-open-attachments/377203>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 20, 2006, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/g-mail-users-how-do-you-open-attachments/377203 "2006-10-20T09:34:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/g-mail-users-how-do-you-open-attachments/377203/1 "2006-10-20T09:34:18Z")

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I just switched over to G-mail, and it has its adjustments. I just got a letter with an attachment I’m dying to read, but clicking on the little paper-clip thingie does nothing, and I can’t find an “attachments” link anywhere. Where do they hide it? Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/g-mail-users-how-do-you-open-attachments/377203/2 "2006-10-20T09:46:33Z")

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Clicking on the paperclip in the folder view, or on the top of the message in the sible-message view will do nothing AFAIK, but on the bottom of the single-message view there should be a symbol for the attachment, with its file name, file size, and links to view or download it.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/g-mail-users-how-do-you-open-attachments/377203/3 "2006-10-20T10:09:51Z")

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The paperclip is just a picture to tell you there are attachments, like **tschild** said the real attachments are at the bottom.

You can double clic (and be asked whether to save or open), or right-click on them. By default, Gmail doesn’t open pictures which are part of the actual mail, but it gives thumbnails of attached pics.