Do you see those offensive marketing messages which crowd your email inbox? They aren’t just pushing you a product but have been set up to track whether you opened the email, time and location you opened it.
This is possible through pixels, which, often, is embedded in the email, hidden within an image or a link. Immediately you open the email, the code within the pixel sends the details back to the company’s server.
In the past, Google has tried to serve all images in Gmail through its own proxy servers, which could hide your location from at least some tracking softwares. Some extensions, such as Trocker and PixelBlock have also been built to block trackers on Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers. Both work the same way to block trackers and notifies you when any tracking attempts are made.
However, there is a simple and basic step anyone can take to stop tracking applications from automatically loading images when you open your inbox. By following this approach, your email client won’t be able to automatically download images. Though you won’t stop all the trackers that are hiding in your email, you will be able to prevent most of them.
Gmail On The Web Browser
Step 1: Log into your Gmail account.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner to access your settings, and then click on “See all settings.”
Step 3: Select the “General tab” (the first one).
Step 4: Scroll down to the Images category and choose “Ask Before Displaying External Images”.
Step 5: Scroll down and click “Save Changes”.
While doing this, note that it will also turn off Gmail’s dynamic email feature, which makes emails more interactive.
Gmail App On Mobile (Android and iOS)
Step 1: Open the Gmail app on your device.
Step 2: Tap on the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the upper corner.
Step 3: Scroll down and choose Settings.
Step 4: Tap on the account you wish to alter.
Step 5: Scroll down and choose Images. The default setting is “Always display external images”.
Step 6: Select the “Ask Before Displaying External Images”. Again, the “Enable Dynamic Email” option is automatically disabled.
Yahoo On The Web Browser
Step 1: Sign into your Yahoo account.
Step 2: Tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner, and after that click on “More Settings”.
Step 3: Go to “Viewing Email”.
Step 4: Under the Show Images in Messages menu, choose “Ask Before Showing External Images”.
Microsoft Outlook
The web version of Microsoft Outlook won’t let you stop loading images. However you can make it load images through its own service. To enable that follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Open “Settings” found after you click the gear symbol at the upper-right corner.
Step 2: In the column that opens, tap “View all Outlook settings” at the bottom.
Step 3: Select “General” then “Privacy and data.”
Step 4: After that, scroll down to the “External images” option then select “Always use the Outlook service to load images.”
Microsoft Outlook (Office 365) for Windows 10
Step 1: Go to “File” and next “Options.”
Step 2: In the “Outlook Options” window, you will find “Trust Center”.
Select the “Trust Center Settings” option.
Step 3: Check the boxes labeled “Don’t download pictures automatically in standard HTML email messages or RSS items” and “Don’t download pictures in encrypted or signed HTML email messages.” You can make a number of exceptions to the first item, if you like, by reviewing the boxes underneath it.
Microsoft Outlook (Office 365) for Mac
Step 1: Go to “File”.
Step 2: Scroll to “Preferences”
Step 3: Next select “Reading.”
You can choose to automatically download images only from trusted contacts, or to disable all automatic downloads of images.
