How to Email OneDrive Files From an iPad

To email a OneDrive file from an iPad, open the OneDrive app, press and hold the file to select it, tap Share, and pick how to send it. Email in Outlook (or Mail) puts a link to the file in a new message, while Send file attaches a copy of the file itself. OneDrive used to be called SkyDrive, so if you remember the SkyDrive app, this is the same service under its current name.

What you need first

• The OneDrive app, installed from the App Store and signed in with the Microsoft account that holds the file.
• An email app that is set up on the iPad. Microsoft’s steps use Outlook for iOS first and fall back to the built-in Mail app, or another app you choose.
• The file already in OneDrive. If it is still on your computer, see how to upload large files to OneDrive first.

The steps below follow Microsoft’s Share files in OneDrive for iOS guide, which covers both iPhone and iPad. The first two sections apply to a personal OneDrive account. Work and school accounts use a different Share screen, covered further down.

Link or attachment: which should you send?

A sharing link is a web address that opens the file where it lives in OneDrive. An attachment is a separate copy that travels inside the email. Decide which one you want before you tap Share, because the two behave differently after you send.

• Send a link when the file is large, when you are sharing a folder, or when you may want to end access later.
• Send an attachment when the recipient needs their own copy of one file and the file is small enough for email.

Before you send a link: Microsoft warns that anyone who has the link can open, download and save the document, and can forward the link to other people. Do not use a plain link for anything you would not want passed along.

Email a link to a OneDrive file

1. Open the OneDrive app on your iPad and browse to the file or folder.
2. Press and hold the file or folder until it is selected.
3. Tap Share. A row of sharing options appears.
4. Tap Email in Outlook. If Outlook for iOS is not on your iPad, tap Mail to use the built-in Mail app, or choose another email app.
5. A new message opens with the link already in it. Enter the recipient’s address, add a note if you want, and send the message.

Microsoft’s general guide to the mobile app describes a second way to reach the same menu: tap the three dots (…) next to the file name, then tap Share. Use whichever one your version of the app shows.

Attach the file instead of a link

1. In the OneDrive app, press and hold the file to select it.
2. Tap Share, then tap Send file. If you do not see it, swipe left on the bottom row of options.
3. Choose the app you want to use for the email.
4. A new message opens with the file attached. Add the recipient and a note, then send.

Microsoft notes that sending as an attachment works only with individual files. To share several files or a whole folder, use a link or Invite people instead. Also remember that an attached copy cannot be recalled once the message is sent.

Attach a OneDrive file from the Mail app

If you have already started writing a message, you do not have to leave it. Apple’s Files app can show OneDrive as a storage location, and Mail can attach documents from Files. This is a one-time setup followed by a short routine.

First, add OneDrive to Files, as described in Apple’s Use third-party cloud apps in the Files app article:

1. Open the Files app and tap Browse.
2. Tap the More button, then tap Edit.
3. Turn on OneDrive, then tap Done.

Then attach the file while you write:

1. In Mail, tap in the message where the attachment should go.
2. Tap the attachment button, then tap Attach File.
3. Locate the document in Files. Browse to the OneDrive location and tap the file to add it.

Apple documents the Mail steps in Add email attachments in Mail on iPad. This route sends a copy of the file, not a link. For more on the Files app itself, see how to find your files on an iPhone; the app works much the same way on an iPad.

Other ways to share from the OneDrive app

• Copy link: Tap Share, then Copy link. OneDrive creates a web address and places it on the clipboard, so you can paste it into an email you have already started, a text message, or a web page.
• Invite people: Tap Share, then Invite people (swipe left on the bottom row if needed). Enter the email addresses, turn Allow editing on or off, and tap Add. OneDrive sends each person an email with a link, so you do not need to write the message yourself.

Work or school OneDrive accounts

When you are signed in with a work or school account, Microsoft describes a different Share screen. Select the file, tap Share, enter the names of the people you want to share with, add a message, and tap Send. To send a copy rather than a link, use Send a Copy.

Before sending, you can open the link settings to choose who the link works for. Microsoft lists four choices, which vary with your organization’s settings:

• Anyone: works for whoever receives the link, including people outside your organization.
• People in your organization: works for everyone in your organization.
• People with existing access: does not change permissions; useful for pointing a colleague at a file they can already open.
• Specific people: works only for the people you name.

You can also turn Allow editing on or off, set an expiration date, and, when editing is off, block downloads. If an option is missing or grayed out, your administrator has likely restricted it. Ask your IT help desk rather than looking for a workaround.

Confirm the file was shared, or stop sharing

To check what you have shared, tap the Shared view at the bottom of the OneDrive app. Microsoft says this view includes files shared with you and files you have shared with others.

Stopping sharing is not done in the iPad app. Microsoft directs you to the OneDrive website:

1. Sign in to the OneDrive website and select the file or folder.
2. Select Details in the upper-right corner to open the Details pane.
3. Select Manage access.
4. Select Stop sharing to end all sharing, or open the Links tab and remove a single link.

Microsoft’s Manage sharing and permissions article has the full details, and our guide on how to change sharing permissions in OneDrive walks through it. Removing a link stops future access through that link. It does not delete copies that people have already downloaded, and it has no effect on a file you sent as an attachment.

Troubleshooting

• Send file or Invite people is missing. These sit further along the row of options. Swipe left on the bottom row to bring them into view.
• You need to send a folder. Attachments work only with single files. Share a folder with Copy link, Email in Outlook, or Invite people.
• Email in Outlook does not open a message. That option needs Outlook for iOS. Tap Mail or pick another app from the share options.
• The attachment is too big. Email accounts limit attachment size. Apple says that if a file exceeds the maximum your account allows, Mail shows instructions for sending it with Mail Drop. Sending a OneDrive link instead keeps the file out of the message.
• OneDrive does not appear in Files. Make sure the OneDrive app is installed and signed in, then repeat the Browse > More > Edit steps. Apple says to check with the cloud provider if a service still does not show up.
• The recipient cannot open the link. On a work or school account, the link may be limited to your organization or to specific people. Check the link settings and send a new link with the right audience.
• Nothing here helps. Microsoft says you can contact support from a mobile device by opening the OneDrive app and gently shaking the device.

Frequently asked questions

Is a OneDrive link safer than an attachment?

A link gives you more control afterward, because you can stop sharing from the OneDrive website. An attachment is a copy you cannot take back. A link is not private by default, though: anyone who has it can open the file and forward the link.

Can I email several OneDrive files at once from an iPad?

Not as attachments from the OneDrive app. Microsoft says Send file works only with individual files. To share several files or a folder, send a link or use Invite people.

Do these steps work on an iPhone?

Yes. Microsoft’s instructions are written for the OneDrive app on iOS devices in general, so the same Share options apply on an iPhone. The layout may look slightly different on the smaller screen.

Can the recipient edit the file I email?

It depends on how you share. With Invite people, the Allow editing switch controls whether recipients can make changes or only read the file. A recipient who gets an attachment can edit their own copy, but your original in OneDrive stays unchanged.

Where do I find files other people shared with me?

Tap the Shared view at the bottom of the OneDrive app. With a personal account, you can tap a person’s name to see the files that person shared.

Is SkyDrive different from OneDrive?

No. SkyDrive is the old name for the service. The app on your iPad is now called OneDrive, and the sharing steps in this article apply to it.

Next step

Pick one file you need to send today and try the link route first, since it keeps the file out of the message and lets you end access later. Need to type in all capitals in that email? See how to turn on Caps Lock on an iPad.