To attach documents to an email using VoiceOver, you must send the email from the app in which the documents to be attached reside. This is often accomplished by tapping the Share button from within the appropriate app. It also means that, in most cases, it is only possible to send an email with one attachment. If the app from which you are sending the email does not allow for more than one document to be attached, you may need to send a second email with the second attachment.
From within the message body typing field, use the rotor until you find edit. Next you must swipe down with one finger to switch between the edit options until you find add attachment, then double-tap to go to the attachment selection screen.
Go to the edit option on your rotor. Then flick down until you hear add attachment & if you want to attach docs select this one & go to where the doc is, & attach it from there. Or flick to insert photo/video & choose 1 or more from your photos. Once you selected the photo/video hit the use button & you're good! It may need to compress it so don't be surprised if it takes a few seconds. Hope this helps!
I know this thread is three years old. Apparently iOS has changed and the option to add an attachment is no longer available from the rotor edit option.
I can still add an attachment, but it's clumsy. Here's how I do it:
Compose my email.
When I'm ready to insertt an attachment, turn off my Bluetooth keyboard.
After turning off my keyboard, several buttons become available, directly after the message body. One of them is labeled Insert Attachment. Select it.
Navigate through the Files app, find the file to attach, and select it.
Finally, find and select the Send button.
Turn my Bluetooth keyboard back on and continue with life as usual.
Unfortunately, tap and hold space bar doesn't work with my Logitech K380.
However, long press on the edit area brings up a menu similar to the one I get by turning off my keyboard. Why the menus are different is a head-scratcher. But at least I can still access an Insert Attachment button. So it's better than turning off my keyboard.
Ok, I followed the long press suggestion, and tapped on 'Show More Items' and then tapped on 'Attach File'.
But then I navigate seemingly through all of the possibilities and I cannot find a place where Google Drive is an option. I would like to add attachments from Google Drive but still use the Mail app. I know someone will say use the Gmail app on the phone, but I would like to use the Mail app.
I found the following tutorial, but Google Drive never appears as an option.
Here is a link to the tutorial: https://www.techbout.com/attach-google-drive-files-to-email-iphone-10667/
Ok, I guess I am answering my own question here. I kept at it and found that I had to enable Google Drive to appear in the Files app first. Once I did that, then the tutorial steps worked just fine.
Additionally, there is a Expand Toolbar button in the compose window of an email. I find it by double tapping in the body area of the email and then swiping right until I find it. Then I double tap it, and one of the toolbar buttons is to attach a file, and it brings up the same Files app interface. A little bit of a different progression than the long tap.
First, thanks. VO+long hold space bar brings up the context menu.
As I mentioned before, if I turn off my Bluetooth keyboard, there are a series of buttons following the message body edit area. It's not clear to me why these buttons aren't visible when my keyboard is on, and I wonder if this is a bug. These buttons aren't the same as the options on the context menu, though there is significant overlap. It's not clear whether they are supposed to be entirely different, or entirely similar, but having them be partially similar makes me question the design intent.
I also tried doing what I've always done on the Mac, which is to Command-C copy a file in Finder and Command-V paste into the message body. But Command-C copy in Files seems to have no effect, at least VoiceOver is silent when I perform that keypress.
Finally, once I insert (or attach) a file, there is no way to verify the file is attached, as far as I can tell. On Mac, it appears as an icon in the message body, and VoiceOver reads it as I arrow past it. This doesn't happen on iOS, nor is there a way to bring up a list of files I have attached to make sure I'm sending everything I want to send.
Comments
Attaching documents
To attach documents to an email using VoiceOver, you must send the email from the app in which the documents to be attached reside. This is often accomplished by tapping the Share button from within the appropriate app. It also means that, in most cases, it is only possible to send an email with one attachment. If the app from which you are sending the email does not allow for more than one document to be attached, you may need to send a second email with the second attachment.
Gmail
If you have the gmail app, there is an option to add attachments from there.
Adding attachments to an email
From within the message body typing field, use the rotor until you find edit. Next you must swipe down with one finger to switch between the edit options until you find add attachment, then double-tap to go to the attachment selection screen.
rotor edit
Go to the edit option on your rotor. Then flick down until you hear add attachment & if you want to attach docs select this one & go to where the doc is, & attach it from there. Or flick to insert photo/video & choose 1 or more from your photos. Once you selected the photo/video hit the use button & you're good! It may need to compress it so don't be surprised if it takes a few seconds. Hope this helps!
Not on the edit menu
I know this thread is three years old. Apparently iOS has changed and the option to add an attachment is no longer available from the rotor edit option.
I can still add an attachment, but it's clumsy. Here's how I do it:
Does anyone have a better solution? Thanks.
Thanks, long press is helpful
Unfortunately, tap and hold space bar doesn't work with my Logitech K380.
However, long press on the edit area brings up a menu similar to the one I get by turning off my keyboard. Why the menus are different is a head-scratcher. But at least I can still access an Insert Attachment button. So it's better than turning off my keyboard.
Good solution, thanks.
How about files from Google Drive?
Ok, I followed the long press suggestion, and tapped on 'Show More Items' and then tapped on 'Attach File'.
But then I navigate seemingly through all of the possibilities and I cannot find a place where Google Drive is an option. I would like to add attachments from Google Drive but still use the Mail app. I know someone will say use the Gmail app on the phone, but I would like to use the Mail app.
I found the following tutorial, but Google Drive never appears as an option.
Here is a link to the tutorial: https://www.techbout.com/attach-google-drive-files-to-email-iphone-10667/
Any suggestions?
Had to add to Files app.
Ok, I guess I am answering my own question here. I kept at it and found that I had to enable Google Drive to appear in the Files app first. Once I did that, then the tutorial steps worked just fine.
Additionally, there is a Expand Toolbar button in the compose window of an email. I find it by double tapping in the body area of the email and then swiping right until I find it. Then I double tap it, and one of the toolbar buttons is to attach a file, and it brings up the same Files app interface. A little bit of a different progression than the long tap.
HTH.
Some observations
First, thanks. VO+long hold space bar brings up the context menu.
As I mentioned before, if I turn off my Bluetooth keyboard, there are a series of buttons following the message body edit area. It's not clear to me why these buttons aren't visible when my keyboard is on, and I wonder if this is a bug. These buttons aren't the same as the options on the context menu, though there is significant overlap. It's not clear whether they are supposed to be entirely different, or entirely similar, but having them be partially similar makes me question the design intent.
I also tried doing what I've always done on the Mac, which is to Command-C copy a file in Finder and Command-V paste into the message body. But Command-C copy in Files seems to have no effect, at least VoiceOver is silent when I perform that keypress.
Finally, once I insert (or attach) a file, there is no way to verify the file is attached, as far as I can tell. On Mac, it appears as an icon in the message body, and VoiceOver reads it as I arrow past it. This doesn't happen on iOS, nor is there a way to bring up a list of files I have attached to make sure I'm sending everything I want to send.
It's all very confusing.