Add support for downloading file attachments (#952)

* Add `AttachmentDownloadingStateView` similar to the uploading one

* Add download and share button to `FileAttachmentView`

* Add download and share button to the Files List view as well

* Add feature flag to enable download of file attachments

* Add test coverage

* Update CHANGELOG.md

* Simlify conflict resolution

* Revise CHANGELOG format and add new entry

Updated the changelog format and added a new entry for file attachment downloads.

* Fix linting

* Fix more linting

Author: nuno-vieira

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 # Upcoming
 
-### 🔄 Changed
+### ✅ Added
+- Add support for downloading file attachments [#952](https://github.com/GetStream/stream-chat-swiftui/pull/952)
 
 # [4.88.0](https://github.com/GetStream/stream-chat-swiftui/releases/tag/4.88.0)
 _September 10, 2025_

DemoAppSwiftUI/AppDelegate.swift

@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject, UIApplicationDelegate {
                 skipEditedMessageLabel: { message in
                     message.extraData["ai_generated"]?.boolValue == true
                 },
-                draftMessagesEnabled: true
+                draftMessagesEnabled: true,
+                downloadFileAttachmentsEnabled: true
             ),
             composerConfig: ComposerConfig(isVoiceRecordingEnabled: true)
         )

Sources/StreamChatSwiftUI/ChatChannel/ChannelInfo/FileAttachmentsView.swift

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ public struct FileAttachmentsView: View {
     @Injected(\.colors) private var colors
     @Injected(\.fonts) private var fonts
     @Injected(\.images) private var images
+    @Injected(\.utils) private var utils
 
     public init(channel: ChatChannel) {
         _viewModel = StateObject(
@@ -45,11 +46,17 @@ public struct FileAttachmentsView: View {
                                 Button {
                                     viewModel.selectedAttachment = attachment
                                 } label: {
-                                    FileAttachmentDisplayView(
-                                        url: url,
-                                        title: attachment.title ?? url.lastPathComponent,
-                                        sizeString: attachment.file.sizeString
-                                    )
+                                    HStack {
+                                        FileAttachmentDisplayView(
+                                            url: url,
+                                            title: attachment.title ?? url.lastPathComponent,
+                                            sizeString: attachment.file.sizeString
+                                        )
+                                        Spacer()
+                                        if utils.messageListConfig.downloadFileAttachmentsEnabled {
+                                            DownloadShareAttachmentView(attachment: attachment)
+                                        }
+                                    }
                                     .onAppear {
                                         viewModel.loadAdditionalAttachments(
                                             after: monthlyDataSource,
@@ -59,6 +66,7 @@ public struct FileAttachmentsView: View {
                                     .padding(.horizontal, 8)
                                     .padding(.vertical)
                                 }
+                                .withDownloadingStateIndicator(for: attachment.downloadingState, url: attachment.assetURL)
                                 .sheet(item: $viewModel.selectedAttachment) { item in
                                     FileAttachmentPreview(title: item.title, url: item.assetURL)
                                 }

Sources/StreamChatSwiftUI/ChatChannel/ChannelInfo/FileAttachmentsViewModel.swift

@@ -89,16 +89,16 @@ class FileAttachmentsViewModel: ObservableObject, ChatMessageSearchControllerDel
         loading = true
         messageSearchController.search(query: query, completion: { [weak self] _ in
             guard let self = self else { return }
-            self.updateAttachments()
+            withAnimation {
+                self.updateAttachments()
+            }
             self.loading = false
         })
     }
 
     private func updateAttachments() {
         let messages = messageSearchController.messages
-        withAnimation {
-            self.attachmentsDataSource = self.loadAttachments(from: messages)
-        }
+        attachmentsDataSource = loadAttachments(from: messages)
     }
 
     private func loadAttachments(from messages: LazyCachedMapCollection<ChatMessage>) -> [MonthlyFileAttachments] {

Sources/StreamChatSwiftUI/ChatChannel/MessageList/AttachmentDownloadingStateView.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+//
+// Copyright © 2025 Stream.io Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+
+import StreamChat
+import SwiftUI
+
+/// View used for displaying progress while an attachment is being downloaded.
+struct AttachmentDownloadingStateView: View {
+    @Injected(\.images) private var images
+    @Injected(\.colors) private var colors
+    @Injected(\.fonts) private var fonts
+
+    var downloadState: AttachmentDownloadingState
+    var url: URL
+
+    var body: some View {
+        Group {
+            switch downloadState.state {
+            case let .downloading(progress: progress):
+                BottomRightView {
+                    PercentageProgressView(progress: progress)
+                }
+
+            case .downloadingFailed:
+                BottomRightView {
+                    Image(uiImage: images.messageListErrorIndicator)
+                        .foregroundColor(Color(colors.alert))
+                        .background(Color.white)
+                        .clipShape(Circle())
+                        .offset(x: -4, y: -4)
+                }
+            case .downloaded:
+                EmptyView()
+            }
+        }
+        .id("\(url.absoluteString)-\(downloadState.state))")
+    }
+}
+
+/// View modifier enabling downloading state display.
+struct AttachmentDownloadingStateViewModifier: ViewModifier {
+    var downloadState: AttachmentDownloadingState?
+    var url: URL
+
+    func body(content: Content) -> some View {
+        content
+            .overlay(
+                downloadState != nil ? AttachmentDownloadingStateView(downloadState: downloadState!, url: url) : nil
+            )
+    }
+}
+
+extension View {
+    /// Attaches a downloading state indicator.
+    /// - Parameters:
+    ///  - downloadState: the download state of the attachment.
+    ///  - url: the url of the attachment.
+    public func withDownloadingStateIndicator(for downloadState: AttachmentDownloadingState?, url: URL) -> some View {
+        modifier(AttachmentDownloadingStateViewModifier(downloadState: downloadState, url: url))
+    }
+}

Sources/StreamChatSwiftUI/ChatChannel/Composer/AttachmentUploadingStateView.swift renamed to Sources/StreamChatSwiftUI/ChatChannel/MessageList/AttachmentUploadingStateView.swift

@@ -19,21 +19,7 @@ struct AttachmentUploadingStateView: View {
             switch uploadState.state {
             case let .uploading(progress: progress):
                 BottomRightView {
-                    HStack(spacing: 4) {
-                        ProgressView()
-                            .progressViewStyle(
-                                CircularProgressViewStyle(tint: .white)
-                            )
-                            .scaleEffect(0.7)
-
-                        Text(progressDisplay(for: progress))
-                            .font(fonts.footnote)
-                            .foregroundColor(Color(colors.staticColorText))
-                    }
-                    .padding(.all, 4)
-                    .background(Color.black.opacity(0.7))
-                    .cornerRadius(8)
-                    .padding(.all, 8)
+                    PercentageProgressView(progress: progress)
                 }
 
             case .uploadingFailed:
@@ -58,11 +44,6 @@ struct AttachmentUploadingStateView: View {
         }
         .id("\(url.absoluteString)-\(uploadState.state))")
     }
-
-    private func progressDisplay(for progress: CGFloat) -> String {
-        let value = Int(progress * 100)
-        return "\(value)%"
-    }
 }
 
 /// View modifier enabling uploading state display.

Sources/StreamChatSwiftUI/ChatChannel/MessageList/FileAttachmentView.swift

@@ -71,9 +71,11 @@ public struct FileAttachmentsContainer<Factory: ViewFactory>: View {
 }
 
 public struct FileAttachmentView: View {
+    @Injected(\.utils) private var utils
     @Injected(\.images) private var images
     @Injected(\.fonts) private var fonts
     @Injected(\.colors) private var colors
+    @Injected(\.chatClient) private var chatClient
 
     @State private var fullScreenShown = false
 
@@ -102,17 +104,30 @@ public struct FileAttachmentView: View {
             }
 
             Spacer()
+
+            if utils.messageListConfig.downloadFileAttachmentsEnabled {
+                DownloadShareAttachmentView(attachment: attachment)
+            }
         }
         .padding(.all, 8)
         .background(Color(colors.background))
         .frame(width: width)
         .roundWithBorder()
         .withUploadingStateIndicator(for: attachment.uploadingState, url: attachment.assetURL)
+        .withDownloadingStateIndicator(for: attachment.downloadingState, url: attachment.assetURL)
         .sheet(isPresented: $fullScreenShown) {
-            FileAttachmentPreview(title: attachment.title, url: attachment.assetURL)
+            FileAttachmentPreview(title: attachment.title, url: previewURL)
         }
         .accessibilityIdentifier("FileAttachmentView")
     }
+
+    private var previewURL: URL {
+        if attachment.downloadingState?.state == .downloaded,
+           let localFileURL = attachment.downloadingState?.localFileURL {
+            return localFileURL
+        }
+        return attachment.assetURL
+    }
 }
 
 public struct FileAttachmentDisplayView: View {
@@ -157,3 +172,73 @@ public struct FileAttachmentDisplayView: View {
         return images.documentPreviews[iconName] ?? images.fileFallback
     }
 }
+
+struct DownloadShareAttachmentView<Payload: DownloadableAttachmentPayload>: View {
+    @Injected(\.colors) var colors
+    @Injected(\.images) var images
+    @Injected(\.chatClient) var chatClient
+
+    @State private var shareSheetShown = false
+
+    var attachment: ChatMessageAttachment<Payload>
+
+    var body: some View {
+        Group {
+            if shouldShowDownloadButton {
+                downloadButton
+            } else if shouldShowShareButton {
+                shareButton
+            }
+        }
+        .sheet(isPresented: $shareSheetShown) {
+            if let shareURL = attachment.downloadingState?.localFileURL {
+                ShareSheet(activityItems: [shareURL])
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private var shouldShowShareButton: Bool {
+        attachment.downloadingState?.state == .downloaded
+    }
+
+    private var shouldShowDownloadButton: Bool {
+        (attachment.uploadingState == nil || attachment.uploadingState?.state == .uploaded) && attachment.downloadingState == nil
+    }
+
+    private var downloadButton: some View {
+        Button(action: { downloadAttachment() }) {
+            Image(uiImage: images.download)
+                .renderingMode(.template)
+                .foregroundColor(colors.tintColor)
+                .frame(width: 24, height: 24)
+        }
+        .accessibilityLabel("Download")
+    }
+
+    private var shareButton: some View {
+        Button(action: { shareSheetShown = true }) {
+            Image(uiImage: images.share)
+                .renderingMode(.template)
+                .foregroundColor(colors.tintColor)
+                .frame(width: 24, height: 24)
+        }
+        .accessibilityLabel("Share")
+    }
+
+    private func downloadAttachment() {
+        let messageId = attachment.id.messageId
+        let cid = attachment.id.cid
+        let messageController = chatClient.messageController(cid: cid, messageId: messageId)
+        messageController.downloadAttachment(attachment) { _ in }
+    }
+}
+
+struct ShareSheet: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
+    let activityItems: [Any]
+    
+    func makeUIViewController(context: Context) -> UIActivityViewController {
+        UIActivityViewController(activityItems: activityItems, applicationActivities: nil)
+    }
+    
+    func updateUIViewController(_ uiViewController: UIActivityViewController, context: Context) {}
+}

Sources/StreamChatSwiftUI/ChatChannel/MessageList/MessageListConfig.swift

@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ public struct MessageListConfig {
         userBlockingEnabled: Bool = false,
         bouncedMessagesAlertActionsEnabled: Bool = true,
         skipEditedMessageLabel: @escaping (ChatMessage) -> Bool = { _ in false },
-        draftMessagesEnabled: Bool = false
+        draftMessagesEnabled: Bool = false,
+        downloadFileAttachmentsEnabled: Bool = false
     ) {
         self.messageListType = messageListType
         self.typingIndicatorPlacement = typingIndicatorPlacement
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ public struct MessageListConfig {
         self.bouncedMessagesAlertActionsEnabled = bouncedMessagesAlertActionsEnabled
         self.skipEditedMessageLabel = skipEditedMessageLabel
         self.draftMessagesEnabled = draftMessagesEnabled
+        self.downloadFileAttachmentsEnabled = downloadFileAttachmentsEnabled
     }
 
     public let messageListType: MessageListType
@@ -102,6 +104,9 @@ public struct MessageListConfig {
     ///
     /// If enabled, the SDK will save the message content as a draft when the user navigates away from the composer.
     public let draftMessagesEnabled: Bool
+
+    /// A boolean value that determines if download action is shown for file attachments.
+    public let downloadFileAttachmentsEnabled: Bool
 }
 
 /// Contains information about the message paddings.

Sources/StreamChatSwiftUI/ChatChannel/MessageList/PercentageProgressView.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+//
+// Copyright © 2025 Stream.io Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+
+import SwiftUI
+
+/// A view used to show the progress of a task a long with the percentage.
+struct PercentageProgressView: View {
+    @Injected(\.images) private var images
+    @Injected(\.colors) private var colors
+    @Injected(\.fonts) private var fonts
+
+    let progress: CGFloat
+
+    var body: some View {
+        HStack(spacing: 4) {
+            ProgressView()
+                .progressViewStyle(
+                    CircularProgressViewStyle(tint: .white)
+                )
+                .scaleEffect(0.7)
+
+            Text(progressDisplay(for: progress))
+                .font(fonts.footnote)
+                .foregroundColor(Color(colors.staticColorText))
+        }
+        .padding(.all, 4)
+        .background(Color.black.opacity(0.7))
+        .cornerRadius(8)
+        .padding(.all, 8)
+    }
+
+    private func progressDisplay(for progress: CGFloat) -> String {
+        let value = Int(progress * 100)
+        return "\(value)%"
+    }
+}