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Learn to Prevent Mac OS X Mail From Downloading Remote Images

Play it safe and limit the download of remote images

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 21, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Email Yahoo! Mail Gmail Emails and newsletters in HTML format look great in the Mail application in Mac OS X and macOS, and they are easy to read, but HTML emails can compromise your security and privacy by downloading remote images and other objects when you're reading them. MacOS X Mail has an option for security- and privacy-conscious users that disables downloading any content from the net. If you recognize and trust the sender, you can instruct the Mail app to download all of the images on an email-by-email basis. Instructions in this article apply to Mac OS X Tiger (10.4) and later.

How to Prevent Mac Mail From Downloading Remote Images

To prevent Mail from downloading remote images: Select Preferences from the Mail menu. The keyboard shortcut is Command+, (comma). Click the Viewing tab. Unclick the box next to Load remote content in messages to remove the check mark. Close the Preferences window. Now, when you open an email with remote images in it, you'll see an empty box for each image that has not been downloaded. At the top of the email is a message that says, "This message contains remote content." Click the Load Remote Content button at the top of the email to load all the images immediately. To view just one of the remote images, click the box in the email to load that image in a web browser. 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 Load Images in a Message in Evolution Learn Where Mac OS X Mail Stores Your Emails How to Stop iOS Mail From Downloading Remote Images How to Insert a Link in an Email With Mac OS X Mail Hide the Preview Pane and Delete Mail Without Opening It How to Send a Web Page With the Mac's Email Program How to Whitelist a Domain in Mac OS X Mail App How to Group Messages by Thread in Mac Mail Program How to Prevent Mac OS X Mail From Breaking Links How to Prevent Outlook From Downloading Images Automatically macOS Mail: How to Keep Emails on the Server How to Send a Message From a Different Account in OS X Mail How to Insert Special Characters in Mac Mail How to Fix Load Content Error in iOS 15 How to Save All Attachments From Multiple Emails Fast in OS X Mail Add a Sender on OS X Mail Contacts 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