Some emails include references to images that are hosted on the internet. These images, sometimes called Web Beacons, can be used to track whether someone has read an email.
External images are not a security threat. We allow users to turn off automatic loading of these images as an additional privacy protection.
The Block External Images setting will not block images that are embedded in the email as attachments, including most emails sent from friends and family. Additionally, this setting only applies to the email reading pane. External images will be blocked when viewing emails, helping protect your privacy and prevent tracking via web beacons. However, this setting does not apply to the compose experience. When you're writing a new email or replying to one, external images will load normally to ensure a consistent editing experience.
