Can't download attachments in Gmail? 8 fixes that work

Updated October 2026

When you click download on a Gmail attachment and nothing happens, you get a warning, or the file fails halfway, the cause is almost always one of the eight below. Start with the one that matches what you see.

1. Gmail blocked the file for security

If you see a warning that the attachment contains a virus or a blocked file, Gmail has disabled the download on purpose. Gmail blocks program and script files such as .exe, .bat, .js, .vbs and .jar, documents with harmful macros, and archives (.zip, .rar) that contain those files or are password-protected.

There's no setting to override this. If you trust the sender, ask them to share the file through Google Drive or another file-sharing service instead of attaching it.

2. A browser extension is getting in the way

Ad blockers, privacy extensions and download managers can stop Gmail's download from starting. Open Gmail in a private (incognito) window, where extensions are usually off, and try again. If it works there, turn your extensions off one at a time to find the culprit.

3. Cookies or the browser cache are broken

Gmail serves attachment files from a separate Google domain, googleusercontent.com. If your browser blocks cookies for that site, or a stale cache is confusing it, downloads fail with a blank page or an error. Try these in order:

• Allow cookies for mail.google.com and googleusercontent.com in your browser's privacy settings.
• Clear the browser's cache and cookies, then sign in to Gmail again.
• Update your browser, or try a different one.

4. The download starts but the file never appears

Open your browser's downloads list (Ctrl+J on Windows and Linux, ⌥⌘L in Safari or ⇧⌘J in Chrome on Mac). If the download failed there, check that your download folder still exists and that your disk isn't full. If the browser asks where to save every file, the save dialog may be hidden behind another window.

5. It's a work or school account

Google Workspace admins can stop attachment downloads, or only allow them on managed devices. If downloads work in your personal Gmail but not your work or school account, the block is almost certainly a policy. Ask your IT admin, since there's no way around it on your side.

6. The "attachment" is really a Google Drive link

Gmail attachments can be at most 25 MB, so bigger files are sent as Google Drive links. If clicking one says you need access, click Request access or ask the sender to share the file with your email address.

7. The Gmail app on your phone won't save it

• Both: update the Gmail app, check you have free storage, and switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data.
• iPhone and iPad: open the attachment, tap the share button, and choose Save to Files (or Save Image for photos).
• Android: in Settings, go to Apps, then Gmail, then Storage, and tap Clear cache. Then try the download again.
• Still stuck? Open mail.google.com in your phone's browser and download from there.

8. You need attachments from lots of emails

Gmail only has a Download all button inside a single email, and Google Takeout exports your whole mailbox as one large mail archive, not as separate files. To get the files from dozens or hundreds of emails, use a tool that searches your inbox and bundles the files.

Still not working?

Check the Google Workspace Status Dashboard to see if Gmail is having an outage, and try again from a different device or network.