Cannot open attachments on iOS

Since the release of iOS 18, many users have reported that Apple’s native Mail app frequently fails to download attachments properly — especially PDFs, images (JPEG/PNG), or even smaller files. The UI gets stuck blinking between “Downloading” and “Tap to download,” and content often never appears (source)

KNOWN ISSUES

• Reports started as early as iOS 18.0 on both iPhones and iPads, persisting through versions including 18.3 and 18.4 (source).

• The problem spans various setups: IMAP accounts, large and small servers like Comcast, Dovecot-based, etc.

• Third-party clients like eM Client or Gmail on iOS don’t exhibit the issue, reinforcing that this appears to be a bug in Apple’s Mail app

KNOWN WORKAROUNDS

1. Toggle Mail Privacy settings.
   Go to Settings → Mail and turn Protect Mail Activity (or Prevent IP Address Tracking / Load Remote Content) off, then restart the app or device — some users report this helps.

2. Reinstall the mail account.
   Remove, then re-add the affected email account(s); occasional relief follows, though this is not a permanent fix.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

• Try toggling the aforementioned privacy settings and force quitting Mail.

• If the issue persists and attachments are business-critical, switch to eM Client or Gmail for now.

• Most importantly: report it to Apple via their Feedback portal. The more reports, the higher the chances they prioritize a fix in an upcoming iOS update.