To download photos from Outlook email, open the message, hover over the attachment chip, click the dropdown arrow, and choose "Save to your device" (New Outlook/Web) or right-click and select "Save As" (Classic). On a Mac, click the attachment chip and pick "Download"; on mobile, tap the image full-screen and use the download icon or three-dot menu.
How to download photos from Outlook email, quick steps by platform
Here’s the fastest route for each version of Outlook. The primary action for New Outlook and Outlook on the Web is the dropdown arrow on the attachment chip; for Classic Outlook, it’s right-click and Save As; for Mac, it’s the Download button; for mobile, it’s the full-screen tap and save icon.
| Platform | Primary action to save a photo |
|---|---|
| New Outlook / Web | Hover over attachment chip, click dropdown, select "Save to your device" or "Download" |
| Classic Outlook (Windows) | Right-click attachment, choose "Save As" |
| Outlook for Mac | Click attachment chip, select "Download" or right-click for "Save As" |
| Mobile (iOS/Android) | Tap image to full-screen, use download icon or three-dot menu |
Save a single photo or embedded image
For one image, the steps depend on whether the photo is a file attachment or an inline image embedded in the email body. Inline images often appear directly in the message text, while attachments show up as chips at the top or bottom of the email.
New Outlook and Outlook on the Web
- Open the email containing the photo.
- Hover over the attachment chip (or the inline image) to reveal a dropdown arrow.
- Click the dropdown arrow and select "Save to your device" or "Download".
- Choose a destination folder and confirm the save.
Classic Outlook (Windows)
- Open the email in the Reading Pane or double-click to open it in its own window.
- For a file attachment, right-click the attachment chip and select "Save As".
- For an inline image, right-click directly on the photo and choose "Save as Picture".
- Pick a destination folder and click Save.
Outlook for Mac
- Open the email.
- Click the attachment chip to select it.
- Choose "Download" from the pop-up menu, or right-click (Control-click) and select "Save As" to pick a custom location.
Files save to your Downloads folder by default when you use the Download button.
Mobile (iOS/Android)
- Open the email on your phone or tablet.
- Tap the image to open it in full-screen mode.
- Look for a download icon (usually a downward arrow) or a three-dot menu with a "Save" or "Download" option.
Note that inline images may be compressed or lower resolution than the original file. If you need the highest quality version, ask the sender to forward the original as an attachment.
Download all photos from one email at once
When an email contains multiple photo attachments, you can save them all in one action instead of clicking each individually. The method varies by platform, and embedded images require a different workaround.
New Outlook and Outlook on the Web
- Open the email with multiple attachments.
- At the top of the attachment list, click "Download all".
- Outlook bundles the files into a single .zip file by default.
- Save the .zip to your device, then extract it to access the photos.
Classic Outlook (Windows)
- Open the email in its own window (double-click the message, not just the Reading Pane).
- Click "File" in the top menu.
- Select "Save Attachments" then "Save All Attachments".
- Choose a destination folder and confirm.
Outlook for Mac
- Open the email.
- Click the attachment chip to select it.
- Choose "Download All" from the menu.
All attachments save to your Downloads folder by default.
Embedded images on the web, HTML workaround
There is no direct "Download all" option for multiple embedded photos in Outlook on the Web. To save them all, right-click the email body and choose "Save as" to save the message as an HTML file. This creates a folder alongside the HTML file containing the embedded images; open that folder to access and copy the photos. Once they are on your computer, you can download photos from Samsung phone to computer if you need to transfer them to your device. If you are not already signed in, you will first need to access my Outlook email to reach the message.
Faster ways: drag-and-drop and save to OneDrive
If you’re on desktop Outlook, you can skip menus entirely by dragging the attachment chip directly from the email to your desktop or any folder. This works in both Classic and New Outlook for Windows and Mac.
Another alternative is "Save to OneDrive," available across Outlook platforms. This uploads the photo directly to your cloud storage instead of your local device, which is useful when you’re low on disk space or need to share the file quickly. After saving to OneDrive, you can access the photo from any device or share a link with others.
What to do if photos won't download
If a photo fails to download, the cause is usually an attachment size limit or a blocked file type. Outlook.com (web) caps attachments at 34 MB for files from your computer, while some sources report 25 MB. Desktop Outlook has a default limit of 20 MB for internet email accounts like POP3, IMAP, or HTTP. If the photo exceeds these limits, it may be stripped from the email or fail to save.
Outlook also blocks potentially unsafe file types, including .bat, .exe, .vbs, and .js files, to protect against viruses. If the photo uses one of these extensions, Outlook will not allow you to download it.
In either case, ask the sender to resize the image, share it via a cloud service like OneDrive or Google Drive, or re-send it as a standard image format such as .jpg or .png. This resolves most download failures and ensures you get the photo without workarounds.
For the wider topic, see moving photos to a computer.
