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Share Google Drive Files as Attachments in Gmail

2 minute read

General Google Apps Blue

Currently in Gmail, you can add files to your messages from Google Drive as a link, or by attaching them from your desktop. If you’re storing all of your files in Google Drive, this doesn’t really apply to you and you haven’t had a way to simply add a file as an attachment directly from Drive. A recent update finally gives you the option to add a file from Google Drive as a true attachment.

Google Drive files as Gmail attachments

To access the feature, simply click on the Google Drive icon at the bottom of your newly composed Gmail message. That will open a familiar window to select a file from your Google Drive. From there, you will see a new option in the bottom-right corner to add the file as a Drive link (like you’ve always been able to) as well as a true attachment.

Google Drive file as a Gmail attachment 2

Keep in mind, this new feature only applies to non-Google file types. So you could add your Microsoft files, images, open source files, etc. as attachments, but not Docs, Sheets or Slides. This feature is available for Google Apps domains on the Rapid release track and will be made available to Scheduled release domains in early January 2015.

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