How to Send Attachments on Yahoo
By Aaron Parson
Like all email services, Yahoo Mail supports attaching files from your computer, and Yahoo expands on that standard with the option to send files directly from Dropbox or Flickr. By attaching a document, rather than rewriting text into an email's body, you preserve the file's formatting. Share an image via email and you can keep the snapshot between you and the recipient, as opposed to sharing it on Twitter for all to see.
Attach a File on Your Computer
Step 1
Click "Compose" in Yahoo Mail to start a new message, or click "Reply" on an existing email.
Step 2
Press the "Attach File" button, which looks like a paperclip, beneath the message either before or after writing the text of the email. Make sure your recipient notices the attachment by specifically mentioning it in your message.
Step 3
Select one or more files on your computer and press "Open." To select multiple files, click and drag a box around them or hold "Ctrl" and click on each individually. Yahoo can send emails up to 25MB in size, including the email text itself and all attachments. The process of attaching files increases their size by about a third, so you might need to send fewer files than expected to fit in this limit.
Step 4
Press "Send" after completing your email to send the message and attachments. To remove an attachment before sending the message, click "Remove" or "Remove All" in the attachment list beneath the message.
Attach from Dropbox or Flickr
Step 1
Open the drop-down menu next to the "Attach File" button in a new email and pick either "Share from Dropbox" or "Share from Flickr."
Step 2
Sign in to your Dropbox account if you chose "Share from Dropbox." If you're sharing images from Flickr -- owned by Yahoo -- Yahoo Mail automatically uses the Flickr images on the same Yahoo account as your email, so you don't need to log in.
Step 3
Press "Link Account" to tie your Yahoo and Dropbox accounts together, saving you the time of logging in to Dropbox when writing future emails. Sharing from Flickr does not require this step.
Step 4
Select a file from Dropbox or an image on Flickr. To select multiple items, click on each in turn. Press "Choose" -- or "OK" if using Flickr -- to attach the files to your email. After inserting files or photos, write and send your message as usual.
References
Tips
- Yahoo doesn't include built-in support for cloud storage services other than Dropbox, but you can still share links to files on Google Drive, Box, OneDrive and other services by creating a sharable link and pasting the link in the text of your email (see Resources).
- You don't need to worry much about the file size limit when sending text documents. Even very long Word files take up only a small fraction of Yahoo's 25MB size limit. Pictures use far more space, but even with high quality photographs, you can attach several images to one email without hitting the limit. If you need to send several large files that collectively exceed the limit, send each in a separate email to work around the cap.
Warnings
- Certain types of files, such as EXE program files, are often used to carry viruses in email attachments. As a precaution, some email clients block these file types completely, preventing a recipient from receiving your attachment. If you need to share a blocked file type, use an alternate method, such as a file sharing service or a USB drive.
Writer Bio
Aaron Parson has been writing about electronics, software and games since 2006, contributing to several technology websites and working with NewsHour Productions. Parson holds a Bachelor of Arts from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash.