What the share sheet is and where to find it
The share sheet is the menu that appears when you tap or click the share button in Mail. It shows you all the ways you can send an email, attachment, or link — to Messages, Notes, AirDrop, a cloud storage app, or dozens of other places on your device. On iPhone, it looks like a box with an arrow pointing upward. On Mac, it's usually a curved arrow or a share icon in the toolbar.
The share sheet saves you from copying and pasting. Instead of manually moving content between apps, you open the share sheet and pick where it goes. This works for entire emails, individual attachments, email links, and forwarding options.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, open an email and tap the up-arrow icon at the bottom of the screen to open the share sheet.
- On Mac, open an email and click the share button (usually a curved arrow) in the toolbar, or use the File menu.
- The share sheet shows all installed apps that can receive what you're sharing, plus options like AirDrop and Notes.
- You can customize which apps appear at the top of the share sheet by tapping or clicking "Edit" in the bottom row.
Opening the share sheet on iPhone
Open the Mail app and select the email you want to share. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a row of icons. The leftmost icon is a curved arrow pointing left — that's reply. Next to it is a box with an upward arrow. Tap that box-with-arrow icon.
The share sheet will slide up from the bottom of your screen. The top row shows your most-used sharing destinations: Messages, Notes, Reminders, and others depending on what you've shared before. Below that are more apps, organized by category. Scroll down to see all available options.
If you don't see the share icon at the bottom, swipe up slightly on the email to reveal the full toolbar. On some older iPhone models, the share button may be in the top-right corner of the email instead.
Opening the share sheet on Mac
Open Mail and select the email you want to share. Look at the toolbar at the top of the window. The share button usually looks like a curved arrow or a circle with an upward arrow. Click it once.
If you don't see a share button in the toolbar, use the menu instead: click File at the top of the screen, then look for Share or a submenu with sharing options. The share sheet will appear as a dropdown menu showing all available apps and services.
On some Mac setups, the share button may be hidden if your toolbar is customized. If you can't find it, the File menu route will always work.
What appears in your share sheet
The share sheet shows different apps depending on what you have installed. Common options include Messages, Notes, Reminders, Mail (to forward), AirDrop, and cloud storage apps like iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. If you use productivity apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Notion, they often add themselves to the share sheet automatically.
The top row of the share sheet shows your most frequently used destinations — the apps you share to most often. Below that, apps are grouped by category. At the very bottom, you'll see a "More" option or an "Edit" button that lets you customize which apps appear in the top row.
Customizing which apps appear first
If you always share emails to the same app, you can move it to the top row so it appears first. On iPhone, open the share sheet, scroll to the bottom, and tap Edit. A list of all available apps will appear with plus and minus buttons next to each one. Tap the plus button next to any app to add it to the top row, or the minus button to remove it.
On Mac, the customization works the same way: open the share sheet, look for an Edit or settings option at the bottom, and add or remove apps from the top row. The changes save automatically, so the next time you open the share sheet, your preferred apps will be at the top.
Sharing attachments instead of the whole email
You can also use the share sheet to send just an attachment, not the entire email. Open the email, find the attachment (usually shown as a file icon or thumbnail), and long-press it (iPhone) or right-click it (Mac). A menu will appear with a share option. Tap or click it to open the share sheet for that attachment alone.
This is useful when someone sends you a PDF or image and you want to forward it to a different app without sending the whole email thread. The attachment will appear in the share sheet with its own filename, so the recipient knows exactly what they're getting.
Troubleshooting when the share sheet doesn't appear
If tapping or clicking the share button does nothing, try closing Mail completely and opening it again. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to close the app. On Mac, quit Mail from the menu (Command+Q) and reopen it.
If the share sheet still doesn't appear, check that you have at least one app installed that can receive shared content. The share sheet won't open if there's nowhere to share to. Installing a second app like Notes or Messages usually fixes this. You can also restart your device — this clears temporary glitches that sometimes prevent the share sheet from loading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share an email to an app that isn't in the share sheet?
Not directly through the share sheet, but you can copy the email content and paste it into another app manually. Some third-party apps don't integrate with the share sheet, so this workaround is necessary. Check the app's settings to see if there's an option to enable share sheet support.
Why do some apps not appear in my share sheet?
Apps only appear in the share sheet if they're installed on your device and have registered themselves to receive shared content. If an app you use isn't showing up, check that it's fully updated in the App Store. You can also try removing and reinstalling it.
Can I share an email link instead of the whole email?
Yes. Long-press the email subject line (iPhone) or right-click the email (Mac) and select "Copy Link" or a similar option. Then open the share sheet in another app and paste the link. This sends a link to the email rather than the email itself.
Does the share sheet work the same way on iPad?
Yes. iPad Mail works like iPhone Mail — tap the up-arrow icon at the bottom of the email to open the share sheet. The layout is the same, and customization works identically.