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Email pdf vs sending a link

I want to email a pdf from drop box. It sends a link rather than sending the pdf. The corporation I am sending to will not let them open the link. How do I send the file rather than sending a link to the file?

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Accepted answers

Mark

You cant send direct from Dropbox.

You need to download it first

Mark

Except if you read the thread you'd see it wasnt a Dropbox restriction but an Apple one - and one that was changed over a year ago so it is possible to now do.

All comments

Mark

You cant send direct from Dropbox.

You need to download it first

David B.93

I am using an Ipad. How do I down load it to the Ipad so I can send it rather than the link?

Mark

I dont think you can I'm afraid - Apple lock everything down so you cant do things like that.

Kim M.25

I absolutely agree!! In this world of now, now, now - our clients and partners need to be able to open a file on their phone from an email from me - not have to go to a website/app in order to do so. I will be posting this a few times in different forums - and sending to support. This shortcoming is a HUGE issue for all of the people I do IT work for - and have insisted that they use DB. Because this is not a possibility - they resort to double filing in order to keep a copy in DB and then in another app that will allow them to email the file rather than a link. As a product marketed for business users - I feel like this feature is not a bonus - but rather a requirement. Please let us know when this feature will be added. FYI - since the favorites are stored on the device - I feel that some slight alteration of the code should allow the favorites to be emailed as actual files. This might be the fastest means to an ends for this issue.

David B.93

Thanks Kim. Well said. I have hundreds of PDFs and it would remove the need for DB if I marked them as favorites and stored them on my Ipad. It is very time consuming to import into another app just to email them.

Tony G.16

I have just discovered I can now send an actual pdf ( not a link) from Dropbox using my Outlook mail client on IOS

That's a huge plus. Been waiting for that for a long time.

Mlorrell

I could not agree more. This is such an inconvenience that it makes you consider alternatives. It is obviously to gain more users as the recipient opens an account.

Mark

Except if you read the thread you'd see it wasnt a Dropbox restriction but an Apple one - and one that was changed over a year ago so it is possible to now do.

Tao

You say it is possible now? How? I'm in a iPhone 7 and all updated software and I can't see how to send a PDF from there directly to mail. Let alone a selection.

ArnColón

Yes please, how can it be done? I was using Quick Edit which works perfectly to send files not links. But alas a recent email from Dropbox states...
"...September 28, 2017, we’ll be making some changes to Dropbox that will likely affect the following 3rd party apps linked to your Dropbox account: ShareFile Quickedit. You’re receiving this email because you’ve used these apps at least once within the past month..."
"While we’ve informed all developers about our upcoming changes, the developers for the apps listed above have yet to update their apps accordingly. If they don’t update their apps before September 28, these apps will no longer be able to access Dropbox. That said, any data already saved in Dropbox won’t be affected and will still be accessible from our official web, mobile, and desktop clients."

ArnColón

Ok finally, you can do it but you need to use iOS Mail to send the attachment.

Here are the instructions...

https://thesweetsetup.com/how-to-attach-a-file-from-dropbox-to-an-ios-email/

Chrystie

that was easy from my desktop (MacOS High Sierra 10.13.3), but my iphone didn't allow me to "share as pdf"

kooy2000

Easy, just open drop box from file, please see the screen cuts attached, thanks

Bobmaas

Ive been having the same issue. When wanting to attach a PDF FILE in Outlook, works great on my iPad but wants to send the Dropbox LINK instead of the PDF.

Rich

@Bobmaas wrote:
Ive been having the same issue. When wanting to attach a PDF FILE in Outlook, works great on my iPad but wants to send the Dropbox LINK instead of the PDF.

That's a change that Microsoft made and is out of Dropbox's control. If you open a file in Dropbox and Export it to Outlook, you can still attach a file, but if you initiate the email in Outlook and try to attach a file from Dropbox, Outlook will only give you the Link option.

Ebuyer

Open pdf in adobe reader for iPhone
Then select “open in” icon
Share files
Share flatten
Then choose your email app

The pdf remains on Dropbox memory! And it’s emailed

ArnColón

Thank you for the tip. Even better I am reintroduced to the Adobe app which is awesome now! I am recieving pdf’s that need signing constantly from work and need to send back.

So now I save it to ...
-Dropbox
-Open Adobe
-Find PDF in Dropbox via Adobe
-Sign, date add notes (whatever)
-Save it
-Select Share and as Ebuyer stated choose “Flatten”
-Email as as an attachment!

Awesome and thank you Ebuyer!

Ebuyer

Well no

Open Dropbox

Open your pdf

Select open with

Choose adobe reader

:adobe reader opens with pdf loaded you can sign here if you like or fill in ( to sign or fill in - press any empty space and release - you’ll get
Note rext freehand

Note - is a post it

Text - fill in

Freehand - to sign

( to sign with freehand , make your mark , then save .... now tap your mark and choose thickness - I prefer the smallest thickness - then your mak looks like your dignities !.... you can move it any where on the page but not across pages ( you have to repeat the freehand on new page) )

Select open in

Select share file

Select flattened

Choose email app

Send ....

(

ArnColón

Yep absolutely you can do it as I described. More than one to get things done.

I just did it 😉

Markhgray

Did you sort this problem out. I have the same issue

ArnColón

Did you try the steps listed above? Three ways I know to share Dropbox files “not links” using an iPhone. ...

1) Via Adobe
2) Via Apple’s Mail Client
3) Via Apple’s Files

holde4

I want to send files in pdf

Tom M.31

Great. But how do you do it?

JLB 1906

Thats not true that it's an Apple issue Samsung androids have the same sending a link instead of a PDF problem.