Prevent Apple Mail from automatically loading remote content

HTML email can include visible or invisible remote images, sometimes called tracking pixels. When Mail downloads that content, senders may be able to learn information about your email activity or IP address. Mail provides two different privacy approaches: protect your activity while loading content privately, or block all remote content until you choose to load it.

How to fix it

macOS 13 and later

  1. Open the Mail app and choose Mail > Settings > Privacy.
  2. To hide your IP address and download remote content privately in the background, select Protect Mail Activity.
  3. To prevent remote content from downloading until you choose to load it, deselect Protect Mail Activity, keep Hide IP Address selected, and select Block All Remote Content.

Protect Mail Activity is useful when you want to reduce what senders learn about when you read email. Block All Remote Content is the stricter choice when you do not want Mail to download remote images automatically.

macOS 10.11 – 12

  1. Open “Mail” > “Preferences” > “Viewing”
  2. Deselect “Load remote content in messages”

More information

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