General guidelines for using attachments in offline mode

reference brazil Updated Sep 10, 2026 1 min read general-guidelines-offline-attach.md

When working with attachments in offline mode, keep these general guidelines in mind for usability and a good user experience.

Note: Many of the issues discussed can be resolved using system properties. For more information, see System properties in offline mode.

Controlling offline attachment file types

Define which file types can be downloaded offline using the glide.sg.offline.attachment.allowed_content_types system property, for example, image/png or image/jpg. This property prevents irrelevant or unsafe files from being downloaded, keeping offline storage lean.
Limiting attachment file size for offline use

Use the glide.sg.offline.attachment.max_size system property to set the maximum size in bytes for a single attachment downloaded offline. Files exceeding this limit aren't downloaded and display as a placeholder, preventing large attachments, such as long videos, from causing performance issues or filling device storage.
Total attachment storage limit

Use the glide.sg.offline.attachment.max_total_bytes system property to cap the total storage space allocated for offline attachments. The default is 50 MB with a maximum of 2 GB, ensuring attachments don't fill up a user's device storage.
Image attachment handling in offline mode

Image handling when taking pictures in the activity stream differs by platform:
- Android: Images are automatically compressed to approximately 75% quality and converted to JPEG format, regardless of the original file type.
- iOS: Images are uploaded as is, with no compression or format conversion applied.

Parent Topic:Attachment behavior in offline mode

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---
title: General guidelines for using attachments in offline mode
description: When working with attachments in offline mode, keep these general guidelines in mind for usability and a good user experience.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/mobile/general-guidelines-offline-attach.html
release: brazil
topic_type: reference
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Attachments in offline, Offline mode setup options, Offline mode, Before implementation, Configuration detail, Configuring the Mobile Platform, Mobile Platform]
---

# General guidelines for using attachments in offline mode

When working with attachments in offline mode, keep these general guidelines in mind for usability and a good user experience.

**Note:** Many of the issues discussed can be resolved using system properties. For more information, see [System properties in offline mode](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/mobile/mobile-system-properties.md).

-   **Controlling offline attachment file types**

    Define which file types can be downloaded offline using the `glide.sg.offline.attachment.allowed_content_types` system property, for example, `image/png` or `image/jpg`. This property prevents irrelevant or unsafe files from being downloaded, keeping offline storage lean.

-   **Limiting attachment file size for offline use**

    Use the `glide.sg.offline.attachment.max_size` system property to set the maximum size in bytes for a single attachment downloaded offline. Files exceeding this limit aren't downloaded and display as a placeholder, preventing large attachments, such as long videos, from causing performance issues or filling device storage.

-   **Total attachment storage limit**

    Use the `glide.sg.offline.attachment.max_total_bytes` system property to cap the total storage space allocated for offline attachments. The default is 50 MB with a maximum of 2 GB, ensuring attachments don't fill up a user's device storage.

-   **Image attachment handling in offline mode**

    Image handling when taking pictures in the activity stream differs by platform:

    -   Android: Images are automatically compressed to approximately 75% quality and converted to JPEG format, regardless of the original file type.
    -   iOS: Images are uploaded as is, with no compression or format conversion applied.

**Parent Topic:**[Attachment behavior in offline mode](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/mobile/offline-attachment-behavior.md)