How to block images from being shown automatically on Gmail for Android
Most email clients come with settings that allow you to define whether you want images to be displayed directly when you open emails, or not.
While it is sure more comfortable if images are displayed directly, it may also mean that a third-party gets notice of that. It depends on how the image is added to the email. If it is attached to it, then this is not the case, but if it is embedded in the (HMTL) email, then it may produce a hit on the server it is hosted on.
The main issue here is that marketing agencies, spammers, advertisers and god knows who may use the information to determine whether an email account is actively used, and if the email has been opened or not.
Google recently tried to resolve the issue by caching all Gmail images automatically. The effort did backfire on the company however as it became known that images were requested when users opened the emails, and not directly when they arrived on Gmail servers.
The consequence? Senders can still find out whether an email has been opened or not. The only difference to before is that they get a hit from a Google server and not the client PC, but that is about it.
Google is currently rolling out the Gmail 4.7.2 update for Android which ships with the same functionality that the company implemented on the desktop some time ago.
What this means is that Gmail may display all images automatically once the update has been installed on your Android device. Since you are exposed to the same underlying issue, it is highly suggested to change that preference so that images do get blocked by default and only displayed when you select so.
Do the following to block images on Gmail for Android by default:
- Start Gmail on your Android device.
- Tap on the menu button and select Settings when the context menu opens up.
- Tap on your email address on the page that opens up.
- Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the screen until you see the Images preference. It highlights how Gmail is configured currently.
- Tap on Images.
- Switch from Always show to Ask before showing.
Once you have configured the Gmail app this way, you will get a Show pictures link at the top of every email that uses embedded images.
The update to version 3.7.2 is currently rolling out. If you cannot wait for it to arrive on your device, grab it on Android Police. Note that this is a third-party source which you should treat with care. Unless you really really need it right now, I'd suggest you wait until it is rolled out officially to your device.
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You said that Outlook isn’t your main email client, so which is your main one?
I think its thunderbird
It is Mozilla Thunderbird.
Awesome! This actually solved my problem… what a stupid bug.
If this is the same bug that I’ve encountered, there may be another fix: (1) hover over open Outlook item in Taskbar, cursor up to hover over Outlook window item, and right-click; (2) this should give you Restore / Move / Size / Minimize / Maximize — choose Move or Size; (3) use your cursor keys, going arbitrarily N/S/E/W, to try to move or size the Outlook window back into view. Basically, the app behaves as though it were open in a 0x0 window, or at a location that’s offscreen, and this will frequently work to resize and/or move the window. Don’t forget to close while resized/moved, so that Outlook remembers the size/position for next time.
THANK YOU Claude!!! I could get the main window to launch but could not get any other message window to show on the desktop. You are my hero!!!!
Solved my issue! 6 years later and this is still problem…
Fantastic. Thank you. Size did the trick.
This solved my Outlook problem, too. Thank you. :)
Thank you so much, this started happening to me today and was causing big problems. You are a life saver, I hope I can help you in some way some day.
You are a god – thank you!
thanks a lot…. work like charm.. :-)
Yah…thanks Claude. I’ve been having the same problem and tried all the suggestions…your solution was the answer. It had resized itself to a 0/0 box. Cheers
Excellent post. This had me baffled even trying to accurately describe the problem. This fixed it for me.
Thank you
Thanks a lot for the article. Don’t know why it happenend, don’t know how it got fixed, but it was really annoying and now it works :-)
Thanks a lot. I was facing this issue from past 3 week. I tried everything but no resolution. The issue was happening intermittently and mainly when I was changing the display of screen ( as i use 2 monitors). The only option i had was to do system restore. But thanks to you.
I’ve been tried to sole this problem for 12hours. Your comment about changing the display of screen helped me a lot!! Thanks!!
Thank you…don’t know why this happened but your instructions helped me fix it. Running Windows 10 and office pro 2007
Great tip! Thanks!
Worked for me, too – thank you!!!
It’s Worked for me, too
thank you very much!
I had a similar issue with Outlook 2013 on Windows 10 and this helped me to fix it. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much. Solved!
Considering you published this in 2012, incredible not been debugged by Microsoft.
Thank you again. M
This problem was faced by only one user logging to TS 2008 r2 using outlook 2010.The issue was resolved.
Thanks.
Great tip. Thank you!!!! If it helps, I had to use the Control Key and the arrow keys at the same time to bring my window back into view. Worked like a charm.
Thank you, this worked !!!!
Man, you are a fucking god. Thanks a lot, what an annoying bug!!
Awesome, this post solved the issue. Many thanks!