Resolving ‘Cannot Download Gmail Attachments’ Error – Effective Solutions

Emails play a significant role in our lives in this fast-paced world. We use emails to communicate with each other personally or professionally and for various purposes such as applying for jobs or obtaining crucial documents from other institutes. With emails, you can also share things like important conversations and documents as an attachment. However sometimes, people encounter issues while downloading attachments in Gmail, and there are many reasons for it. Let’s look at why you might have trouble getting attachments from Gmail and find solutions for those who cannot download Gmail attachments.

Before moving further, we will discuss why this issue arises. As a result, it will help you to resolve the problem effectively.

Common causes for Gmail Attachment Download Issues

Here are some common causes that are preventing you from downloading attachments from Gmail. Let’s have a look.

• If the person who sent you the attachment used ‘Confidential Mode,’ you can’t download, print, or save the attachment. You need to ask them to turn off this mode.
• If your Gmail account is running out of space, it won’t let you get new emails or attachments. You might need to clear some space.
• Sometimes, if the attachment is too big, you can’t download it. In that case, ask the sender to make the file smaller before sending it again.
• Be careful because the attachment might have a virus. If that’s the case, it’s a damaged file, and you cannot download attachments in Gmail. 

we have discussed some common reasons for the Gmail attachment not downloading problem. Now, we will elaborate on how to fix this issue. 

How to Resolve Cannot Download Gmail Attachments?

The following section will discuss various ways to resolve the problem. You just need to understand and utilize the troubleshooting ways accordingly. 

#1. Check Internet Connection 

Let’s start with a simple solution. Make sure your internet is working well. If it’s not strong or keeps going on and off, it can create problems while downloading attachments. If things seem off, try turning your internet router off and on again, and make sure you connect to a good, steady network. 

#2. Opt For A Compatible Browser  

Check the web browser you’re using to open Gmail. If there are issues with downloading attachments, it could be because of the browser. Make sure you’re using a good one like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge. If you’re having problems, try using a different browser – that might fix the inability to download attachments from Gmail error. 

#3. Turn Off Browser Extensions

Those little add-ons in your web browser, like ad blockers or security tools, might be causing trouble with downloading Gmail attachments. Try turning off each one to see if any of them are causing the problem. If you find the one causing issues, you can either keep it turned off when using Gmail or find a different add-on that won’t mess up your email data.

#4. Remove Browser Cache

We all know that the browser collects a lot of stuff over time. As a result, this stuff can slow down Gmail, making it tricky to download attachments. To fix it, just clear your browser’s cache and cookies now and then. You can usually find this option in your browser settings or preferences menu. 

#5. Go With Desktop Email Client

Using email on the internet can sometimes be a bit heavy and cause problems, like can’t download email attachments Gmail. You can try using a desktop email program instead. It’s like a lighter version and might work better without causing issues and allow you to download attachments from Gmail without any trouble.

#6. Check Out your Gmail Settings

• First, click on the little gear icon in the top-right corner.
• Then, choose ‘See all settings.’ 
• Look for the ‘Attachments’ tab and see what’s there. 
• Make sure nothing is stopping you from downloading certain kinds of files. 
• At last, adjust things if needed.

#7. Update Your Default Browser

Let’s make sure your web browser is fresh and up-to-date. If it’s not, it might cause problems “cannot download Gmail attachments.” Here’s what to do:

1. If you’re using Google Chrome, click on those three dots in the top-right corner, then pick Help, and click on About Google Chrome. If there’s an update, Chrome will do it automatically.
2. If you’re using Microsoft Edge, click on those three dots, choose Help and Feedback, and click on About Microsoft Edge. If there’s an update, Microsoft Edge will handle it.

After the update, restart your browser and see if you can now download attachments in Gmail.

#8. Verify Lab Settings

Let’s check some settings in Gmail that might be causing attachment issues. Here’s what to do:

• First, log in to your Gmail on your desktop.
• Then, go to Settings or click the Gear icon.
• Afterwards, look for the Lab tab.
• Then, Turn off all the options there.
• At last, click ‘Save Changes’ to apply the new settings.

#9. Turn On Downloading Encrypted Pages

If you still can’t download attachments, maybe you choose not to save encrypted pages. Here’s how to change that:

• First, look for ‘Internet Properties’ in your taskbar.
• After that, go to the ‘Advanced’ tab.
• Make sure ‘Do not save encrypted pages to disk’ is not checked.
• Finally, see if you can now download attachments in Gmail. 

After doing these changes, restart your computer, and you should be good to go, downloading Gmail attachments without any problems. These solutions should easily fix the issue.

If the “cannot download Gmail attachments” issue remains unsolved, you can try using the Gmail Backup Tool. It will help you download attachments from Gmail to your computer without any issues. Additionally, it allows you to download multiple attachments at once if needed. Moreover, this tool enables you to save your emails along with attachments in different file formats, such as EML, MBOX, PDF, CSV, TXT, DOC, etc.

Conclusion 

Here, we have reached the end and have a detailed discussion on the problem of not downloading Gmail attachments problem. Initially, we learned why this problem arises. After that, we went through various solutions to fix it. You can utilize them accordingly, and most importantly, where you feel more comfortable, go for it.

Also Read: Best Way To Delete All Emails On Gmail In Any Devices