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Apple Watch Doesn’t Use Mail Privacy Protection

The security feature is undermined if you open mail on your watch

By Joshua Hawkins Joshua Hawkins Freelance Technology Reporter Full Sail University Josh Hawkins is a freelance writer for Lifewire who loves writing about the latest tech and gadgets that help make people’s lives easier. As an avid gamer and VR enthusiast, he also enjoys diving deep into the technology that helps bring those kinds of experiences to life. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on November 16, 2021 11:39AM EST Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Security researchers have discovered that the Apple Watch’s email app doesn’t use Apple’s new Mail Privacy Protection feature. On Monday, the researchers and developers behind the Twitter account @mysk_co shared that they discovered a new issue with the Mail app on the Apple Watch. According to them, when previewing or opening email on the Apple Watch, the app downloads remote content using your real IP address instead of the protected address provided by Mail Privacy Protection. Luke Chesser / Unsplash Apple originally introduced Mail Privacy Protection with the release of iOS 15, saying the feature will protect your location, prevent senders from tracking you, and also stop marketers from checking whether you've opened an email or not. "Mail Privacy Protection helps protect your privacy by preventing email senders from learning information about your Mail activity. When you turn it on, it hides your IP address so senders can't link it to your other online activity or determine your location. It also prevents senders from seeing if you've opened the email they sent you," Apple explains in its support documents. To test their discovery, the researchers hosted an image on their server and embedded it into an email. They found that the Mail app on Apple Watch downloaded remote content using their real IP address instead of using the multiple proxies Mail Privacy Protection says it uses. It’s unclear if this is intended or if the feature is somehow bugged on the Apple Watch. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment but have received no response. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Hide IP Address on iPhone How to Access a Yahoo Mail Account in iPhone Mail How to Fix Load Content Error in iOS 15 How to Send a New Email With iPhone Mail App How to Load Images in a Message in Evolution How to Use Maps on the Apple Watch How to View the Source of a Message in Apple Mail How to Search Mail in iPhone Mail How to Stop iOS Mail From Downloading Remote Images How to Delete an Email Account on an iPhone How to Use Facebook on Apple Watch How to Use Apple Watch How to Set Up Gmail on Apple Watch Everything You Can Do With Force Touch on the Apple Watch How to Add or Remove VIP Senders in iOS Mail How to Prevent Outlook From Downloading Images Automatically Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies