Mail: Your network preferences prevent content from loading privately :(((

[Micka88]

What kind of total nonsense is that ?? Not being able to see pictures in the email and to have to click on Load directly?? I have no network preferences like this. How to get rid of this absurdity? It does not make any sense.

You get email with 2 pictures (the same type), one you see and the other not? This is just absurd?

 

[bogdanw]

Change Privacy settings in Mail on Mac

Change Privacy settings in Mail on Mac

In Mail on your Mac, manage Mail privacy settings.

support.apple.com

&
Turn off Private Relay

Manage iCloud Private Relay for specific websites, networks, or system settings - Apple Support

Some websites, networks, and services might need to see your IP address or require the ability to audit traffic, perform network-based filtering, or view your browsing history.

support.apple.com

 

[ledzep1]

Change Privacy settings in Mail on Mac

Change Privacy settings in Mail on Mac

In Mail on your Mac, manage Mail privacy settings.

support.apple.com

&
Turn off Private Relay

Manage iCloud Private Relay for specific websites, networks, or system settings - Apple Support

Some websites, networks, and services might need to see your IP address or require the ability to audit traffic, perform network-based filtering, or view your browsing history.

support.apple.com

I have same issue as OP, only in recent weeks has this started for me, always had private relay enabled.

Whats changed that we need to suddenly disable something that has been issue free for years?

 

[ignatius345]

I've been getting this message for ages now.

 

[bogdanw]

I have same issue as OP, only in recent weeks has this started for me, always had private relay enabled.

Whats changed that we need to suddenly disable something that has been issue free for years?

Does disabling those solve the problem? If the answer is yes, ask Apple support why https://support.apple.com

If the answer is no, let’s look for other possible causes.

 

[ledzep1]

Does disabling those solve the problem? If the answer is yes, ask Apple support why https://support.apple.com

If the answer is no, let’s look for other possible causes.

Hi

Private Relay, no difference.

Not tried the other setting within mail settings, but I would have thought its best to keep that enabled. Its not a big issue really, just odd why its only started happening for me this past month.

 

[theluggage]

What kind of total nonsense is that ?? Not being able to see pictures in the email and to have to click on Load directly??

It’s an anti-tracking feature. The images in question aren’t attached to the email - the email contains links to the images on the senders server, and fetches them when you read the email. At that point, the sender’s server can track your IP address, know when you opened the email etc.

The “private relay” is a Mail feature that routes the requests via an Apple proxy and hides your IP address from the server.

It can’t be that new a feature on Mac because Ive recently started getting the issue in Monterey… I’ve also started getting it on my Android Phone - so I guess that mail app has a similar system, and the problem may be that some of these trackers are now blocking private relays. Complaints to the people using this stupid, intrusive and unnecessary way of tracking your email reading (or reward them by turning off private relay, your choice).

 

[Micka88]

I have Mail - Settings - Privacy - Block all remote content not selected, yet it happens.

The entire stupidity of this "function" is quite obvious when you have few pictures in your email (like some e-shop order) and some of them are visible, some "hidden" with "?"

How to really stop this?

 

[Micka88]

Its not a big issue really, just odd why its only started happening for me this past month.

It is quite an annoying issue - to see just "?" instead of pictures in every email and to have to click on "load directly" every single time.

 

[theluggage]

I have Mail - Settings - Privacy - Block all remote content not selected, yet it happens.

On Monterey, if you turn off "Protect Mail Activity" then you can then turn off "Hide IP Address" separsately which is what is causing the issue.

As I said, the feature has been there for years - and there are similar features in other mail apps - but the issues have only shown up for me fairly recently, so its possible that the mail senders have started actively blocking the proxy servers because they really want to track you.

Its also a way of sending you self-destructing email messages, or ensuring that your e-tickets won't show up on your phone when you need it if you can't get a mobile signal.

 

[Micka88]

The only question is - how to disable not seeing the pictures in the email and get rid of this "your network preferences and" nonsense ? I have no network preferences like this and I don't wish this constant strange behaviour and to have to click Load every time an email comes.

 

[galad]

Uncheck all the checkboxes in the Mail privacy preferences.

 

[ledzep1]

View attachment 2506336
On Monterey, if you turn off "Protect Mail Activity" then you can then turn off "Hide IP Address" separsately which is what is causing the issue.

As I said, the feature has been there for years - and there are similar features in other mail apps - but the issues have only shown up for me fairly recently, so its possible that the mail senders have started actively blocking the proxy servers because they really want to track you.

Its also a way of sending you self-destructing email messages, or ensuring that your e-tickets won't show up on your phone when you need it if you can't get a mobile signal.

This makes sense, as its a bit strange that we are only just noticing it recently when all settings have remained the same.
Im going to keep it enabled and just put up with it, a lot of emails I get are just junk anyway, anything important I will just click on load remote content above the email.

 

[galad]

The messages you are seeing means that you have the option to load the content thru iCloud Private Relay, but for some reasons it can't be done with the current Network settings. Maybe you have some other VPN software or something else that blocks iCloud Private Relay.

 

[ledzep1]

The messages you are seeing means that you have the option to load the content thru iCloud Private Relay, but for some reasons it can't be done with the current Network settings. Maybe you have some other VPN software or something else that blocks iCloud Private Relay.

Actually I think you are correct, I just checked a speedtest website and it can see my ISP despite private relay enabled.

 

[Ruggy]

I don't think it's anything to do with private relay.
Did anyone try the 'protect mail activity' setting as was mentioned? I can't see that anyone did.
If it is checked it will load remote content privately
Unchecked Mail it should stop loading remote content automatically.

So if you want to see all the images from links it should be checked

If you are using an older version of mac os you need to find the 'load remote content in messages' but for the moment I can't remember where that is.

 

[ledzep1]

I don't think it's anything to do with private relay.
Did anyone try the 'protect mail activity' setting as was mentioned? I can't see that anyone did.
If it is checked it will load remote content privately
Unchecked Mail it should stop loading remote content automatically.

So if you want to see all the images from links it should be checked

If you are using an older version of mac os you need to find the 'load remote content in messages' but for the moment I can't remember where that is.

Ive tried it and disabling protect mail activity indeed solves it, but is that a new thing? if it isn't why would that setting suddenly change the way we see emails if its always been enabled.

 

[theluggage]

Did anyone try the 'protect mail activity' setting as was mentioned? I can't see that anyone did.

Lot of "write-only posting" in this thread - esp. as the offending message actually says why the images aren't loading...

I can't try it in Sequoia - but in Monterey and iOS 16.7 you need to turn off 'Protect mail activity" at which point a "Hide IP Address" checkbox appears, which you also need to turn off. I posted an image of the dialogue in a previous post.

If that dialogue is different in newer OSs, that would be useful to know.

Ive tried it and disabling protect mail activity indeed solves it, but is that a new thing? if it isn't why would that setting suddenly change the way we see emails if its always been enabled.

The issue started in the last month or so and has also affected older OSs like Monterey and iOS 16 which haven't been updated for yonks, and which have worked perfectly for years. I don't think this is some recent Sequoia update.

Either there's a problem with the proxy servers that Apple use to hide your IP address when loading content or some leading internet service companies have started deliberately blocking those servers to preserve their stream of nice, juicy tracking information. Since I'm pretty sure that I've also started seeing the problem on my Android phone, that would point to the latter explanation!

Seriously, though, folks - I'd recommend to learn to live with clicking the "load images" button once you've established that the email is from someone you were expecting to do business with, unless you want FORMER FINANCE MINISTER SPAMMI MADEUPNAME to get confirmation that you've actually opened his email...

 

[ledzep1]

@theluggage I'm on Sequoia and the setting is exactly the same as in your image you posted, so nothing has changed in newer OS releases.

Im with you, in that it's a case of just living with it.

On a side note it's odd that Ookla speedtest shows my ISP when it used to hide it and state private relay. Maybe similar to what you are saying about proxy servers and companies deliberately blocking something.