Adding an Attachment to a Reply Email on an iPad

Whether you're composing a new email or replying to a received message on your iPad, you are restricted to attaching only photo or video files from within the Mail app. Should you wish to attach any other type of document or file, you'll have to either share it to email directly from the file itself or use another email application altogether instead.

If you've chosen to utilize the native Mail app for your iPad email needs, select the email to which you'd like to reply, tap the left-facing arrow icon and select "Reply." Type a message if desired and then tap within the body of the email where you'd like to insert the photo or video attachment. When a menu of options displays, tap "Insert Photo or Video" to locate the file you'd like to embed in your reply.

You'll have to create a new message if you intend to attach another file type to your message, or you can use the "Share" feature from the app you'd use to view the file itself. For example, open a spreadsheet file in the Numbers app, tap the "Share" icon -- it looks like a square with an upward-facing arrow -- and then tap "Send a Copy." Select "Mail" to attach the file in a new email message.

You can also use a third-party email app to facilitate any type of file attachments to both new and reply messages. The Gmail app, for example, allows all attachment types and doesn't restrict you to using a Gmail email address -- use its Mail Fetcher feature in any browser (link in Resources) to configure additional accounts, even those that don't originate from the Gmail domain. Other Mail alternatives with attachment support include Molto and Group Email. Open a message in the app, tap "Reply" and then tap "Attachment" to embed any file in your reply.