Downloading, Viewing, and Saving Attachments

 

Messages that contain attachments display a paperclip icon on the message list. 

Attachments associated with email messages are available for download to a device, provided that:

•      the Send attachments to device option is enabled on the server

•      an attachment viewing application that supports the file type is installed on the device.

 

Attachment Viewing Applications

Documents To Go®

•      BlackBerry OS v7.0 or greater come with Documents To Go® Premium Edition, which includes Word To Go®, Sheet To Go®, Slideshow To Go®, and PDF To Go®.  These applications allow you to view attachments in their native file format and also provide editing tools allowing you to work with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files directly on the smartphone.  The device must be running NotifyLink for BlackBerry app version 4.7.x or greater and be synchronizing with a version 4.7.x or greater NotifyLink Enterprise Server.

•      BlackBerry OS v4.5.0 – 6.x come with DataViz® Documents To Go® Standard Edition, which includes Word To Go®, Sheet To Go®, and Slideshow To Go®.  These applications allow you to view attachments in their native file format and can be used if the device is running NotifyLink for BlackBerry app version 4.7.x or greater and be synchronizing with a version 4.7.x or greater NotifyLink Enterprise Server. 
To install or upgrade your Documents To Go application, follow instructions outlined in our Knowledge Base article.

Note that the Standard Edition does not include PDF To Go®, nor does it provide attachment editing capabilities.  Upgrade to BlackBerry OS v7.0 or greater, which includes these features, if it is available for your device.  Users may also purchase the Documents To Go® Premium Edition.

BeamReader

•    BeamReader, a .pdf file viewer, can be installed on devices running BlackBerry Operating System Software v4.5 – 6.x.  See also Equipping Devices with BeamReader.

 

Download and Open an Attachment

Open the message, highlight the attachment you wish to download, and select Retrieve from the menu.  A progress bar displays while the attachment downloads and opens.

Note that if the message is an HTML email with images and you have the Automatic Image Download option enabled in the Email Settings, a progress bar will also appear as images download.

•      The attachment open only if an attachment viewing application which supports the file type exists on the device.  An error message displays when the file type is not supported.

•      If the attachment’s file type is not supported, you can still save and send the attachment in another email or forward the attachment.

•      To select multiple attachments, hold down the SHIFT key and scroll with the trackball.  When multiple attachments are selected all will download, but not open.

•      The downloaded data and estimated file size display beside the attachment name.  Ex: Budget Report (0K/32K).  If the attachment has not yet been downloaded, the first value in the display is 0K.

•      To view an attachment that has already been downloaded, open the message and highlight the attachment.  Select Open Attachment from the menu.

Retrieve an Attachment

Use Open Attachment to view attachment once it is downloaded

 

Viewing Plaintext Attachments

Plaintext attachments over 30K will be displayed on multiple pages, each page containing up to 30K of the attachment.  Several navigational features are available for such attachments:

•      A field showing the current page number and the total number of pages   Ex: Page 3 of 5

•      Menu options to go to the Next and Previous page

•      A Go To Page menu option where you can select the page you want to view

 

Viewing Contact Attachments (VCards)

File attachments with an extension of .vcf are VCards or contact information.  These files can be downloaded, viewed, or saved to the address book. 

The following menu options can be used with .vcf attachments:

•      Save As Contact saves the selected Vcard attachment(s) to the address book.

•      View displays the actual file content on the screen using the NotifyLink text viewer.

•      View Attachment Name displays the full name of the attachment you have selected from the table.

 

Save or Delete an Attachment

All attachment types may be saved to the device or an SD card (if device is equipped).  Saving an attachment moves the downloaded data from the NotifyLink database to the location you choose in the device file system.

 

Saving an Attachment File to the Device

1.  Open the message and highlight the attachment(s you wish to save.

2.  Select Save As from the menu. 

3.  Choose where to save the attachment. 

•      To save to the native device file system, navigate to /store/home/user/.
Select an appropriate folder to store it in and choose Save from the menu.

•      To save to the SD card, select SDCard
Select an appropriate folder to store it in and choose Save from the menu.

 

Choose where to save the file

Choose a folder in which to store it

4.  When the save is complete a dialog displays showing the location of the file.  The downloaded attachment data moves to the storage location.  The attachment listed in the message will reflect 0 bytes downloaded again.

 

Deleting an Attachment

1.  Open the message highlight the attachment(s) you wish to delete.

2.  Select Delete from the menu.  The downloaded data for all of the selected attachments is deleted.  The downloaded data indicator returns to 0K.

NOTE: If the file has been saved to a location in the device file system, you do not have the option to delete it here.  You must navigate to the file location and delete it from the file system.