Every file in your mail gets a quick safety check, and most open right inside Doota so you never have to download them to take a look. This page explains the badges you’ll see and what happens when you click a file.
The safety check
When you open a conversation, Doota checks each attachment against a list of known dangerous patterns — the same kind of thing that hides malware inside a document or a zip. The check runs on your own device; the file isn’t sent anywhere to be scanned.
You’ll see a small badge next to each file:
- Checked — the file was compared against known threats and nothing matched. This is not a promise it’s safe; it means “nothing known-bad was found.”
- Threat found — the file matched a known dangerous pattern. Treat it with care. You can still open or download it, but Doota asks you to confirm first.
- Couldn’t check — Doota wasn’t able to finish the check (an unusual file, or one that’s very large). It isn’t a verdict either way, so Doota asks you to confirm before opening.
A file that’s still being checked shows a small spinner for a moment.
Opening a file
Click a file to open it. What happens depends on the type:
- Images, PDFs, text, audio, and video open in a preview that runs in an isolated window inside Doota. Nothing in the file can reach your account or the rest of the page.
- Office documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, markdown, and archives (zips) open in a richer preview that can show their formatting, page through slides, or list what’s inside a zip.
- Anything Doota can’t preview downloads instead.
If a file came up as Threat found or Couldn’t check, Doota asks you to confirm before it opens or downloads — the button says exactly what it will do (Preview anyway or Download anyway).
Preview vs download
- The file itself opens the preview.
- The download button on each file (a small ⬇ icon) always downloads, without opening the preview — handy when you just want the file on your device.
Inside a preview you also get a Download button in the top bar, and — when a message has several files you can preview — arrows to step through them (or your keyboard’s left/right arrows) without closing and reopening.
Why preview instead of just downloading?
Downloading a file puts it on your device before you’ve seen it. Previewing lets you look first, in a walled-off window, and only download the ones you actually want. It’s faster, and it keeps risky files at arm’s length.