Why won't shared files in iOS Messages not appear in macOS Messages?

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Adam Pymble

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Feb 16, 2025, 1:43:18 PMFeb 16
to Sussex Mac User Group
Evening all

Someone has messaged me a PDF. I can see it on my iPhone (latest iOS) to read and print etc. On my Mac (latest macOS) it appears as a thumbnail but I can't read or print etc.

Am I doing something wrong?!

Probably!

Thanks

Jason Davies

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Feb 16, 2025, 4:31:16 PMFeb 16
to Sussex Mac User Group

Not sure (need more details) but if you can see the Print option on the iPhone, you can save it as a pdf to Files. If I remember right, you expand with two fingers in the Print window and it lets you save it as a pdf (applies to any file you can print). I don't have one handy but it's something along those lines;)

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Cheers,

Jason

Adam Pymble

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Feb 28, 2025, 12:40:57 PMFeb 28
to Sussex Mac User Group
Thanks, Jason. This is what I'm talking about (attached). My wife shared an image on a group chat, but this is how it appears on my Mac (it's fine on my iPhone).

Any ideas?

Adam Pymble

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Feb 28, 2025, 12:41:25 PMFeb 28
to Sussex Mac User Group
Screenshot 2025-02-28 at 17.40.06.png

Jason Davies

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Feb 28, 2025, 12:56:37 PMFeb 28
to Sussex Mac User Group

are you sure it's a pdf? What device is she using? Is this a one-off?

Adam Pymble

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Mar 1, 2025, 3:44:13 AMMar 1
to Sussex Mac User Group
Thanks, Jason.

That is just the thumbnail I see for any file, including PDF. The above was for a photo from my wife's iPhone SE and no, not a one off, and irrespective of device (albeit some files/photos from other devices work fine).

Mystery! 

Jason Davies

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Mar 4, 2025, 6:57:58 AMMar 4
to Sussex Mac User Group

ah, so maybe it’s your QuickView architecture that’s hosed. In Finder, when you select a file and press space, does it give you a mini preview version of most files?

(I don’t know how to fix this but it would make it less mysterious.)

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