{"id":76344,"date":"2021-07-12T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=76344"},"modified":"2021-07-19T10:21:15","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T15:21:15","slug":"prevent-email-tracking-macos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/76344-prevent-email-tracking-macos\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Emails From Tracking You in macOS Mail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"macOS<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Apple\u2019s App Tracking Transparency<\/a> allows you to choose whether to allow an app to track your activity across other companies\u2019 apps and websites for advertising or purposes. However, it doesn\u2019t stop the tracking in your macOS Mail\u2019s email inbox. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsolicited marketing emails can sometimes tell if you’ve opened their email, when you opened it, and maybe even where you were when you opened it, thanks to tracking methods employed by marketing platforms like MailChimp. (This isn\u2019t necessarily a dig at MailChimp, as it can be a useful tool for some folks.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way those companies\/folks send you unsolicited emails and then track them is by using a \u201ctracking pixel\u201d embedded in their unwanted emails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Email Tracking Pixels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tracking pixels are typically a GIF or PNG image file as small as 1×1 pixels that are inserted into the header, footer, or body of an email. When the message is opened in your email client, code within the pixel silently sends this information back to the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think it\u2019s not a problem? The BBC reports that most emails now contain such trackers<\/a>. This information can then be used to determine the impact of a specific email campaign, as well as to feed into more detailed customer profiles. Though defenders of the trackers claim they’re a commonplace marketing tactic, Hey\u2019s co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson says they amount to a “grotesque invasion of privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Third-Party Solution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hey<\/a> is a company that provides a service that keeps your email private. You can try it free; however, you\u2019ll need to pay $12\/month or $99\/year to continue to use the service. The following graphic is courtesy of Hey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The macOS Solution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Apple also offers a solution, but it\u2019s more limited in scope.  In macOS in the Mail app, choose “Mail > Preferences > Viewing” and uncheck \u201cLoad remote content in messages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"load<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For iOS\/iPadOS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In iOS and iPadOS, go to “Settings > Mail” and disable Load Remote Images<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"iOS<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve done this, the Mail app on your Macs, iPhones, and iPads will no longer load tracking pixels. If an email contains images, you\u2019ll see a banner at the top of the screen, asking if you want to load them. This setting only blocks remote images<\/em>. Any images actually attached to the email \u2014 like a friend might send you\u00a0\u2014 will work as usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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