Back in 2001 , Macworld author Deborah Shadovitz explained anin - procession standard for email messagescalled “ Return - Receipt , ” the name based in part on a line post in the metadata portion of the substance by your email package .
Instead of becoming a standard and quotidian part of email over the last 20 years , “ understand receipts”—as they ’re generally call in — became a key part of a privacy battle . Does a sender have the right or privilege to know whether and when a recipient role has study their message , or even if they ’ve forwarded it to other people ?
Some electronic mail software includes an option to enable a read reception . In Outlook on the web , for instance , you’re able to click New Message , click the … ( more ) clit above the message , chooseMessage Options , and checkRead Receipt . For email within an organization , an executive may configure Outlook or another ring armour waiter to provide this kind of “ message read ” acknowledgement .
Outlook lets you request a read receipt but few modern email clients will honor that request at all or by default.
But most mail apps do n’t include a path to ask for a read receipt as most mail apps symmetrically wo n’t generate a reception , making it unreliable .
Third - party plug - In and some marketing - orient email boniface and apps can embed a consent - spare tracking “ bug ” : a transparent 1 - by-1 – pixel paradigm that , when interpret as part of an HTML message when images are loaded effectively reveal that the e-mail message was read , at what time that occurred , and at what IP address , a loose way of identifying someone ’s whereabouts on the internet . Each time the message is send on or register , those instances can be logged as well with some selling and mailing listing software .
As part of the ongoing cat - and - mouse secret plan between privateness - send on company like Apple and merchandising firms and app maker that flunk to earn overture permission for disclosing private info and personal decisions , these invisible trailing picture element are now largely blocked .
Protect Mail Activity severs loading remote content in email from your location and from the time at which you opened the message.
If you do n’t debase paradigm in your electronic mail app , the trailing pixels ca n’t perform their magic . Some apps specifically look for and block those picture element , such asPostbox . you could also getMailTrackerBlocker , a free extension for macOS Mail ( already updated through macOS 13 Ventura ) that block the well - known tracker .
Apple built a more comprehensive solution into Mail starting in iOS 15 , iPadOS 15 , and macOS 12 Monterey with Mail Privacy Protection . This lineament uses a procurator method acting : orchard apple tree downloads all distant images for messages receive on your Mac using a placeholder method that also split up your IP speech from the subject matter . Apple ’s arrangement does n’t reveal anything about when you read a message as a result — only that a subject matter was received .
you could enable it in iOS / iPadOS inSettings > chain armor > Privacy Protectionand enablingProtection Mail Activity . In macOS , go to the Mail app , chooseMail > Preferences , penetrate thePrivacytab , and assure theProtect Mail Activitybox .
If you do n’t even want a sender to know that you ’ve received the subject matter , you paradoxicallydisableProtect Mail Activity , then enable or checkHide IP AddressandBlock All Remote Content . This prevents lading media or anything else stored remotely when a chain mail message is rendered . Any attachment will load unremarkably .
This Mac 911 article is in reaction to a doubtfulness submit by Macworld reader Barbara .
Ask Mac 911
We ’ve compile a lean of the questions we get demand most frequently , along with answer and links to columns : read our A-one FAQ to see if your question is spread over . If not , we ’re always face for new problems to solve ! netmail yours tomac911@macworld.com , including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used . Not every question will be answered , we do n’t reply to email , and we can not provide unmediated troubleshooting advice .
You may also be interested to record aboutHow to get electronic mail register gross on iPhone and iPadandHow to block email tracking so a sender ca n’t see you have open it . We also discussHow to delete an e-mail without opening it .
