How to Remove Attachments from Emails Without Losing the Mail?

  

Rollins Duke   Contributor

Published On December 5th, 2025 • 7 Min Read

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Do you want to delete an attachment from an email to manage your email storage space better? You can certainly do so, but the approach varies based on the email service and status (draft /received/sent).

Removing an attachment from an email helps you free up a significant amount of storage space. However, you may still need the email itself, which is why we explain how to delete an email attachment without safely deleting the message step-by-step.

Email Attachments & Why Delete Them?

An email attachment is a file sent with the email message that recipients can download and access. It can be an embedded/inline attachment or a standard file attachment. It may include PDF, DOC, JPEG, XLS, video files, or more.

Most email clients have a set size limit on an email attachment. Although an email attachment is an efficient way of sharing files directly through an email message, there can be several reasons to remove an attachment from an email.

• Remove the email attachment when replying if you have mistakenly added it.
• To keep the mailbox quota from exceeding.
• To clear up the email mailbox.
• Businesses need to delete email attachments to meet compliance.
• To improve the efficiency of the webmail platform.
• For a faster backup or migration.
• To avoid having duplicate attachments saved on the cloud and local storage.

Despite the need, in many email services, there is no direct way to delete an attachment from an email. Thus, we have laid out the exact steps you can follow to manage email attachments efficiently.

How to Remove an Email Attachment When Replying?

It is very easy to delete email attachments when replying or when the email is in draft. The exact steps may vary from one email client to another. Follow these steps:

Read: How to Delete an Attachment in Gmail?

Remove Email Attachment From Drafts in Outlook

1. Click on the drop-down menu in front of the attachment.
2. Select the Remove Attachment option.

Delete Email Attachment iPhone

Steps to remove an attachment from an email from the Mail app on iPhone:

1. Open the draft.
2. Tap on the attachment.
3. Tap Delete Attachment.
4. Delete Email Attachment Mac
5. In the drafts, hover over the attachments.
6. Click on X.

How to Delete an Attachment in an Email Received?

Most email clients do have a direct way to remove attachments from received emails.

There are walk-around ways that can help you do so. Configuring your email account in a third-party email client, like Apple Mail or Outlook, with IMAP helps you remove an attachment from an email.

Here are the manual steps to remove all attachments from inbox emails:

Method 1: Using Outlook Desktop (Windows/Mac)

Using Outlook is a smart and easy way that works both on Mac & Windows and with most IMAP-based email clients. The process is as follows:

1. Download Outlook on your PC.
2. Click on File >> Add Account.
3. Configure your email account with IMAP in Outlook.
4. Open the email from which you need to delete the attachment.
5. Click on the dropdown menu along with the attachment.
6. Choose the Remove Attachment option.

Method 2: Delete email attachment Mac Mail

Configuring your account in Apple Mail on Mac is a simple way to remove email attachments.

Remove attachments from emails on a Mac steps:

1. Ensure your email account is configured in Apple Mail.
2. Open your Email/ Message.
3. Navigate to the Messages tab.
4. Click on the Remove Attachments.

Limitations of Desktop Clients to Remove Email Attachments

• Only limited to Mac Mail and Outlook Classic.
• No option to delete email attachments in bulk.
• Configuration can be technically complex.
• Risk of corruption.
• No option to remove large inline images or attachments

How to Remove an Attachment from a Sent Email?

Mostly, you can not delete an attachment from a sent email from the receiver’s mailbox.

However, many email clients offer an Undo option immediately after sending. And with legacy versions like Outlook 2003/ 2010, you can remove it via the Recall Option if the receiver also has a similar version, and if not already read.

But you can delete email attachments from your sent folder easily using Outlook Classic’s or Apple Mail’s Remove Attachment Option.

Professional Email Attachment Remover

Email Backup Software is a direct, fast, and easy way to delete attachments from email in bulk. Our specialized Email Attachment Remover helps you remove attachments from 200+ email sources safely without any chance of corruption. A smart way to remove large inline images or attachments from sent/ inbox or drafts to manage your mailbox storage better.

Download the Email Attachment Remover today to delete email attachments but not the email. A free trial is also available to try out the advanced feature before buying it.

How to Remove an Attachment from an Email? Pro Steps

1. Download the Email Attachment Remover on Windows/ Mac.
   
2. Select your email client from the Email Source panel on the left.
   
3. Enter the email address, log in with your password, or use OAuth.
   
4. Select folders (eg, Drafts, Sent, and Inbox) from which you want to delete email attachments.
   
5. Use the advanced filter to remove attachments from selective emails based on Date, To/From, & certain words.
   
6. Choose Delete Email Attachment from the saving option.
   
7. Click on the Backup button.

Advanced Features of Email Attachment Remover

Some advanced features of our email attachment removal tool make it trusted by millions of users worldwide:

• 100% secure HIPAA & GRDP compliant, and ensures the permanent removal of email attachments without corruption.
• Delete selected file types (.jpg, .doc, .xls) attachments with Advanced Selective Deletion. 
• Email Attachment Remover for Mac and Windows that works without any high-end system setup.
• Ad-free & easy to use GUI makes deleting email attachments beginner-friendly.
• Batch mode to delete attachments from multiple emails in one go.
• Remove all large inline images and attachments at once.
• Smart filter to delete email attachments based on date range, To/From, Subject, and Keywords.

Conclusion

You can remove an attachment from an email in drafts by clicking the “X.” Or use the Remove Attachment option in Outlook/ Apple Mail to manually delete attachments from sent or received emails with the email intact. However, the Email Attachment Remover is the best way to get rid of email attachments in bulk and selectively based on file type and more. However, if you have any questions about deleting email attachments, our expert support team is available 24×7 worldwide to assist you.

FAQs: Remove an Attachment from an Email

Q: Is it possible to remove an attachment from a sent email?

No, you can not remove an attachment from the receiver’s mailbox after you have sent it. However, you can delete it from your mailbox by using the Remove Attachment options in desktop clients or with the professional Email Attachment Remover.

Q: Does removing the attachment from the sent email remove it for everyone?

No, although using a professional tool helps you permanently delete email attachments from your mailbox but it does not remove them from the recipient’s mailbox.

Q: How to delete an attachment in Webmail?

To delete attachments from webmail emails, you can use X to remove them while composing the message, or configure the account in Outlook or Apple Mail to delete attachments while keeping the email intact, or use a professional email attachment-removal tool to remove webmail attachments in bulk.

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